The San Francisco call., 1896-01-02
Foreign Diplomats and Their
Attaches Received by Mr..
and Mrs. Cleveland.
AFFAIRS OF STATE FORGOTTEN
Statesmen Mingle With Bluff Seamen
and Warriors of the United
States Army.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 1.-The
White House, is roomy. but its capacity
was taxed to the utmost by the crowds
that passed in and out of what may be
termed the state apartments. namely, the
blue room. where foreign ambassadors and
minis sters have their first formal inter-
views with the President, the red room.
the green room and the spacious east
room. the scene OF SO many incidents that
have become historical, and lastly the gen
erously- proportioned corridor, extending
nearly the entire length of the mansion,
with which all these apartments com
municate. -=
A force ofdecoTators under the direction
OF Gardener. Fisterr the veteran superin-
tendent Of the White House conservatory
and grounds, had worked hard last night
and early this morning in making the
mansion look beautiful for the great show
OF the year. The Conservatives had been
robbed: of their choicest possessions, but
not: to such an extent that those whose
observations extended to their tropical
precincts were i'm pressed by any. sense of
depletion. .'@'-
Wherever the eye wandered in the blue
room, the corridor the east room, or the
other chambers; it was met by groups of
spreading palm and tall, dropping ru bber
trees, by Towering bushes from the deep
est OF crimson poinsettia blooms TO the
most delicate of white rosebuds. The
mantels, the freplaces, the window en-
brasures. were banked with floral beauty.
The chandeliers were almost hidden in
wreathS of green smilax. Ferns waved
delicate branches from hooks and corners.
While stately and graceful specimens OF
the screw pine. stood alone in alcoves,
more impressive In their solitude: TO the
oyal-shaped blue room had been given the
preference OF blooming plants and cut
flowers whose perfume hung heavily on
the air: The west mantel was a mass of
brilliant color with its profusfon of red
roses red camellias and red poinsettias,
standing in marked contrast to the decora-
ton OF the east mantel, which was all in
white, roses, white cameliias and white
hyacinths. From the chandelier was
pendant large basket of roses hanging
above the heads of the: receiving party.
while smllaX was entwined with the
iingling crystals and draped in chains
above the doorWays. Banked in the man
tells and the one great window were palms
dozen feet in height and poinsettia plants.
The east room, where most of. the guests
assembled after they had paid their re-
spects to the President, Mrs. Cleveland
and the other members: of the receiving
party, looked like tropical forest. Palms
ranging in size from the tallest domestic
variety to the diminutiye kind so fre,
quently seen in window gardens were the
principal decoration of the east. window,
and these We're surrounded by the red
poinsettiasor Christmas flower, and great
variety OF foliage plants. Jardinieres con-
tanning pahas, begonias, .prinroses and
ferns covered some of the white and gold
mantelS, while on others were variegated
pineapple trees. The fireplace and window
had q profusion: of these varieties, and
the prevailing chandelier decoration of
smilaX wreaths was also noticeable.
Flowering plants were every where in the
green room, while in each corner was tall
rubber tree. The decoration of the red
room was much in keeping with that in
the other apartments, except that one
mantel was entirely in pink begonias. In
anticipation OF large crowd, and in order
10 give 1t free movement few screw pine
trees and some plants banked on pedestals
were the only displays in the corridor.
Fhe reception was set for IL o'clock, and
just a that time the members OF the re-
ceiving party, comprising President and
Mrs. Cleveland, Vice-President Stevenson
and the Cabinet officers and their wives
came down the private staircase leading to
the corridor, headed by Colonel John NJ.
Wilson, U. S. A, Superintendent of Pub
lie Buildings and Grounds, in iull uniform.
The only absentee from the Cabinet party
was Mrs. Smith, the wife of the Secretary
of the Interior. ::
Entering the blue room, the President
and Mrs. Cleveland placed themselves at
the right of the line and the Others were
ranged in accordance with official pre-
,cedence. The march from the. private
apartments above stairs had been accom-
panied by music: from the United States
Marine Band, under Professor FapciuIli.
which was stationed in the public lobby.
The Cabinet aides in the receiving line
were: Mrs. Ulney, Mrs: Carlisle, Mrs.
Harmon, Mrs. Lamont, Mrs. Wilson. Miss
Herbert and Miss Norton
A numerous array OF -matrons and
young ladies had been invited by Mrs.
Cleveland to stand "behind the line as
the term is. These comprised the wives
and daughters OF Senators, Representa-
tives, Justices of the Federal Supreme
Court, assistant secretaries of the execu
tive departments, bureau officers, high
officers of the army and navy and other
prominent officials, with number of per-
sonal friends of Mrs. Cleveland not
directly connected with official life.
Those behind the line were: Mrs.
Fuller, wife of the Chief Justice; Mrs.
Brice, Mrs. Mills. Mrs. Sherman, Mrs.
Cullom, Mrs. Mcmillan, Mrs. Hit, Mrs.
Newlands, Mrs. Crisp, Mrs. Daniels,
Mrs. Sayers, Mrs. Mcclellan, Mrs. Clark
and Mrs. Catchings, of the Senatorial and
Representative circles; Mrs. Miles. wife
of Maior-G General Miles; Mrs. Sternberg.
Mrs Wilson. Mrs. Ramsay, Mrs. Stewart,
Mrs Haywood, Mrs. McAdoo, Mrs. Doe
and Mrs. Rice, representing the army and
the navy and the marine corps; Miss
Stevenson, Miss Leila Stevenson, the
Misses Scott, Miss Whitney, the Misses
Hamlin, Mrs. Gray, Mrs. A. A. Wilson,
Mrs Matthews, Mrs. Waller, Mrs Brooks,
Mrs: Minot, Mrs. Bryant, Miss Knott,