The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1895-12-30
SHAKES HANDS FOR HOURS
Presidents Ordeal at the White
House on New Years Day.
FUNCTION IN THE EAST ROOM
About 5000 People, Not Counting the
Diplomatic Corps. Justices and the
Army and Navy Officers, Pass In
Review Before Him-white House
Frngrant With Flowers.

Fragrant With Flowers.
The custom Of receiving friends formally
on the ST OF January su rvives only in WASH
ington. The official reception is still one OF
the great events OF the year at the capital.
Ii is the first of the official receptions held
u the President y man sion, and IL is the only
one at which the public and the Office
holders niingle freely. Nothing more dem
ocratic than the New Years reception at
the White House is known even in the
democratic United States. On the first
day OF the year statesmen, diplomats and
reverend Judges rub elbows with the pub
lie, but not with the great unwashed pub
lie. A clean face and hands and j tidy cos
tune are the only passports required at the
gates OF the White House grounds.
Carriages begin to fly about at an early
hour. Men in the uniform OF army or
navy are seen hurrying from place to
place, many of them awkward in the un-
familiar garments, FOR uniforms are little
wcrn in Washington, though they are an
invariable feature of every story or play
which Is supposed to Illustrate Washing
ton life.
At the White House the police have
taken charge early in the day. The grounds
have been closed to all hut those who have
DuSlbcss III the HlduslDn putting TUE Itst
touches 10 the decorations.
FLOWERS, PLANTS AND MUSIC.
The Presidents hothouses have not suf-
feed to provide the ficrai adornment for
the parIors. The great lighthouses OF the
propagating gardens have been robbed OF
their choicest blooms and their finest
plants In the broad but shallow Lobby just
within the entrance palms have been ar
ranged TO screen the musicians OF the Ma
rne Band. Seats have been placed in a semi
circle for them at the left of the entrance,
and beyond the Tiffany glass screen has
been swung aside, No that the concord OF
sweet sounds may penetra tie undimin-
ished TO every part of the mansion. The
door at the o ther end OF the screen, too. has
been thrown open. and through this the
crowd is to pass on ITS way to the rccep-
ton rooms.
In the long hallway extending from the
conservatory to the east parior door beyond
the green palms, have been grouped here
and there. but the passage has been lett al
most free for those who will want to OBJ
serve the incoming crowd and study human
nature developed under the binding light
of authority. II is a curious study, and
queer things happen in front of the receiv-
ing line in the blue parlor.
In the three connecting parlors--the red.
the blue and the green-whch form the re-
cept!on suite. most elaborate floral prepara-
tons are made, and in the asst parlor, which
Dolly Madison used as a drying room on
wash days. the ma intel and gates are hid
den by great mass of brilliant foliage and
bloom. while the corners are tropical with
palms and huge ferns aud rubber plants.
The curtains in all these rooms are drawn.
and the glow from ''sunbursts' or electric
light illumines The east parlor. In other
parlors the softened radiance of frosted
tl,.t I'd
walls. lends brilliancc 10 the spectacle.
QUESTIONS OF PRECEDENCE.
The first arrivals are the members OF the
Presidents Cabinet-superfluOus today If
overland their wives or daughters or what
ever woman is ut the head of the hou seho!d
Of each. Secretary Hcrberi's daughter is
his social representative, aud Mr.. Morton Is
represented 10y his sister. All the women
uf "A Cabinet household may attend a New
Years reception aud stand behind the
line" but only the head of "a household may
stand at the Presidents right unless the
head of the household is absent from the
city or sick. Even then II his still mootcd
point whether the next In authority should
claim her place In the official line. n nd great
was the dispute aud many the heartburn
ings because Katherine Bayard took the
place of her invalid mother at the head Of
the Cabinet women on the occasion of one
of Mr.. Clcveland's frs; official receptions.
The Cabinet members and the Cabinet
women are ushered 10 the private apart
inen,s of the Presidents family on the sec
ond floor of the White House, and there
wraps are laid side, and possibly little
primping is done-not by the Cabinet MEM
bers, OF course. Before the last hair pin liz
in place or the last dab OF the powder puff
has been given the members OF the dlplO-
matte corps have begun to arrive and have
S,,i
is the apartment next to the red parlor
on the first floor. Here the diplomats put
aside their hats and coats, and il 1t rains.
their galoches While this is going on the
younger members OF the official circle are
coming down stairs under escort to the
blue parior to take position behind the row
OF chairs. which has been placed for the
official receiving party. Others, both men
and women, who have been invited by Mrs.
Cleveland TO be the special guests Of the
occasion are coming in, and the blue parlor
is filling up rapidly.
PUBLIC READY TO ENTER.
Meantime without the public has begun
to gather, ready for the opening OF the
gates. Carriages are admitted at the east
gate of the grounds. but the west entrance
Is dedicated 10 the public, and here, be
there rain or shine. the patient people
gather at an early hour and form In sin
gle file to wait for the doors to be opened.
Those at the head of the line hold their
places for an hour and a half before they
achieve their ambition, and ! have seen
the line extend past the White House
grounds the fun width OF the Treasury
building beyond and end at the junction
of Fifteenth street and Pennsylvania av
enuc. Strangely enough, it is composed III
great part by the citizens Of Washington,
though there il liberal sprinkling of
strangers, to whom the reception at the
Presidents mansion is unique spectacle.
The ne wspaper correspondents are early
arrivals at the mansion, and the red tape
of the occasion is brushed away for them.
No hour is set for them to be received by
the empty formality of shaking his hand.
himself as newspaper writer has access
freely TO the White House grounds and to
any one Of the White House parIors except
hat which is reserved for the President
and the receiving party. So by the time
The whole Of the diplomatic corps Is as
sembled there is quite an army Of the
gathered in the lOnEshall.
WHEN THE DOORS ARE OPENED.
In the blue parlor is Il chatting mob,
mostly women. all in elaborate toilet. No
ray OF daylight enters the reception rooms,
and the women Of the receiving party are
arrsyed as for an evening reception. A
line OF attendants stretches across the |
lobby and the hallway to the door of the |
red parlor.
In the lobby Prof. Fanciulli and his red |
coated men are assembled ready for the |