Birmingham state herald., 1896-01-02
NEW YEAR IN WASHINGTON The White House Was Thronged
 With Visitors. ALL ; ASSES REPRESENTED The t} s i've Mansion Was Beautifully Deco
 Z rated for the Occasion.
 1 DlPl - ATS WERE FIRST RECEIVED Jul.
 S
- ATS WERE FIRST RECEIVED
Sir Julian Pauncefote Led the Way and Shook the Presidents Hand Just as if They Were on the Best of
 Terms-Mrs. Yang Yu.

Washington, Jan. 1.-The White House | IS roomy, but it was fairly taxed to it's | utmost today by the crowds that passed
 III and out of what may be termed the state departments blue room, where
 foreign ambassadors and ministers have
 thelr first formal sintervews with the | president, the red room, the green room | and the spacious east room.
 A force of decorators under the direc- ton Of Gardener Fister, the veteran | superintendent of the White House con- sefVatory and grounds, had worked, hard
 last night and early this morning ir mak- | Ing the mansion look beautiful for the
 great show of the year.
 | ihe conserVatories had been robbed of | their choicest possessions but not to | sucn an extent that those whose obserya- ton extended to their tropical precincts | were impressed by any sense of deple- tion. wherever the eye wandered in the plue room, the corridors, the east room. | or the other chambers, it was met bv | groups or spreading palms a4ld tall, l urooplhg rubber trees, by fiower-
 crimson poinsetta blooms to the most delicate of white rosebuds. The | mantels, the fireplaces and the window embrasures were banked with iiVioi oeauly. Ine chandeliers were al- most hidden in wreaths of green smilax. Ferns waved delicate branches from hooks and corners, while stately and graceful specimens of the fir and pine stood alone in alcoves, more impressive III thelr solitude. To the oval shaped blue room had been given the preference or blooming plants and cut flowers. Whose perfume hung heavily on the air. Ine west mantel was a mass of brilliant | color With it's profusion of roses red
 camehas and red poinsettas standing in l marked contrast to the decoration of tba east mantei, which was all in white roses. witn camelias of white and white hya- cinths. From the chandelier was pen oaht large basket of roses, hanging
 aDove the heads of the receiving party, while smllax was entwined with jlnglnC crystals and draped in chains above the uoof ways. Banked in the mantels and the one great window were palms dozen | plants. P'" The east room, where most of the guests assembled after they had paid tnelr respects to the president Mrs. Cleveland and the other members of the receiVlng party, looked like tropical forest. Palms, ranging in size from tba l tallest domestic variety to the dimin,tiue klhd so frequently seen in window gar uens' were the principal decorations of l the east window, and these were sur rouhued by the red poinsetta or Christ
 
 plants Jardinieres, containing palms pegonlas, primroses and ferns, covered some of the white and gold mantels. while on others were variegated leaf | pineapple trees. Every fireplace and l window had its profusion of these va | rieties, and the prevailing chandelier decoration of smilax wreaths were also l noticeable.
 Towering plants were everywhere in l the green room, while in each corner A r1hhar Thx 1 | the red room was much in keeping with that in the other apartments, except that one mantel was entirely in pink be- l gonias. Anticipation of a large crowd l and in order to give 1t free movement a few screw pine trees and some plants banked on pedestals were the only dis plays in the corridor.
 The reception was set for II o'clock.
 and just at that time the members of the receiving party, comprising President and Mrs. Cleveland and the cabinet off, cers and their wives. came down the | private staircase leading to the corridor. headed by Col. John M. Wilson, United | States army, superintendent of public buildings and grounds, in full 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. Cleve- land placed themselves at the right of the line and the others were arranged in accordance with official precedence The march from the private apartments above stairs had been accompanied by music from the United States Marine band, under Professor Fancvilii. which was stationed in the public lobby. The cabinet ladies in the receiving line were Mrs. Olney. Mrs. Carlisle, Mrs. Harmon, Mrs Lamont, Mrs. Wilson. Miss Herbert and Miss Morton.
 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- lives. justices of the federal supreme court, assistant secretaries of the exec utive departments, bureau officers, high officers of the army and other prominent officials, with number of personal friends of Mrs. Cleveland. not directly
 connected with official life According to
 custom, the members of the diplomatic corps were first received. and they came in force. headed by their dean. Sir Julian Pauncefote, the tall and hearty-looking British ambassador, attired in his court uniform, who shook hands with the pres ident as though there had never been such thing as a Venezuelan note, or a message to congress on the Monroe doc Urine.
 Mrs. Clevelands gown was of lavender and white striped satin. trimmed with point lace and high in the neck, as were all the gowns of the members of the re- ceiving party. It was matter of partlc- ular note that nearly all the members of the diplomatic body were accompanied by the ladies of their families. if they had any, or by the ladies of somebody elses family. if they had not And it SO hap pened that one of these women attracted more attention from the spectators than any one of the male members of the for eign contingent, despite their red and blue. yellow and white coats and braid and side arms. She smiled sweetly on Mrs. Cleveland. and then went smiling and lowing down the line, and continued Continued on Second Page.)