The evening times., 1896-02-13
SECRETARY SMITH ON ICE
Society Folks Saw the Launching
Of the Big Cabinet Cfficar."
Marriage of Mrs Mcneil and DIR. wnl-
ter L Murphy-valentine Teas
and LuncheOns.

Secretary Hoke Smith gave a practical
demonstration last night 1T : lie ice palace
| of the truth and force contain ined in Long
! fellows immortal poem, The Launching Of
| the SHIP" in which occur these lines:
"She starts: she moves; she seems TO feel
| A thrill of life along her keel
! Several sharp. shocks, separated by in
! tervals OF about six minutes, We're recorded
| by the seisnosraph at tie Naval Observa-
tory. Inquiries developed the fact that
| the quake was purely local in its char
acter, and the scientists attribute it to
| the launching of the Secretary on the ice
tn the ice palace.
MIR. CIeveiand's Secretary of the Interior,
has been pining for good skate for three
/ weeks. He cannot go duck hunting. He
| was born in North Carolina, where they only
| See ice in some other liquid; but his father
was born In New Hampshire, and had fired
Hoke's youthful imagination with tales
| of his prowess on the lea.
Mr.. Smith believed that ability to skate is
| inherited. and not acquired. SO last even
| ing he not only ventured forth to skate.
| but invited q lot OF sweet girl cousins and a
| number of society folks to see him cut curly
cues and write their names on the ice.
The attendants strapped the skates on
| Secretary smith, and he stood up. Some
how 1T didn't seem Just right. but with all
| those Georgia girls looking at him and be-
| ginning 10 giggle there was only one thing
| to do and that was TO skate.
He struck out One skate started for
| Georgia and the other for Canada. Two
| attendants pulled them together. Then
Inft nd
re;ary Smiths feet with them. while the
rest of the Interior Department ciung TO
the District of Columbia
lie fell like a landslide, and the Georgia
cousins shriescd In chorus. Four assistants
helped him up. In the course of the next
half hour Secretary Smith had hit the ice
with 3l5 POUNDS of eminent legal talent
no less than six times and had DANA ged the
rink 10 m amount not yet estimated.
Mrs. Mary Staples McNeit and DIR. Wal
ter c. Murphy, of North Carolina, were
united in marriage yesterday at high noon
by the Rev. Hugh Johnston, at No. 5OT
Fourth street northwest. The bride was
gowned daintily in Dresden silk, trimmed
with chiffon and passenicntcrie, which was
aftcrwarl changed for a travelling cloth of
hunting green. combined with Persian
velvet and mink.
The ceremony was followed by wedding
breakfast. after which Dr. and Mrs. Murphy
left for a bridal tour that will include North
Carolina, Florida and other points OF in-
tcrcst in the South. They viii return about
March !. after which they VIII he at home
to their friends at No. 5oT Fourth street
northwest.
Miss Cockrcn gave luuchecn ycster-
| day in honor of Mrs. George c. Fraser, nee
Miss Jane Tut, 0! st. Louis.
Among the guests were Miss Stewart,
! Miss Gray, Miss Fuller, Miss Bryant.
Miss Potter. Miss Helm, Miss Condit-
Smith Miss Breckenridge, Miss Rochester,
and Mrs. r;rke.
Miss Matte Donald OF Capitol Hill gave
a valentine luncheon yesterday afternoon 10
her guest, Miss Alice Mortimer of Rich
IN ond Va.
The decorations were rose pink and vio-
let, and the cream vas serred heart shapes
with tiny silver darts for spoons
Among those present were Miss Corinne
Rogers, Miss Myra Roberts, Miss Nellie
| Baker, Miss Maude Henderson. Miss Loula
Barnes and Misses Stella and Bertha
Wright.
Mrs. Parker. at the Soldiers Home, will
not receive today.
Mrs Villas will receive her friends after
/ O'Clock today at the Arlington. She will
he assisted by Mrs. Manning, Miss David
son. Miss Tyer, Miss Phillips aud the
Misses Stewart.
Miss Grace Rogers of South Washington
left for New York this morning. After
brief visit to friends in that city and Brook
lyn she VIII sail for Munich to continue her
musical studies until late summer. She
will then make an extensive tour through
out southern Europe, that Will include a
two months visit TO Nice, where she has
many relatives and friends.
While the ma jority OF the Chinese resi-
dents Of this city and Of the whole coun-
try celebrated yesterday rs the Begin
uinc Of the Oriental New Year, the mem
bers of the Chinese legation up on Four
tecnth street reserved recognition Of the
event until today. In other words, the
New Year of the legation folks is one day
later than the New Year Of the rank and
file of Chinese in America.
"our countrymen were all right in
celebrating yesterday from the way they
now calculate" said a member of the lega-
t,np this Morning "TOday is the real