Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-06-04
PASSING THE PRESIDENT.
The Public In the Hands Of the White
House Ushers.

htrHHkerH Always Nilihs 10 undergo an
Ordeal for the Pleasure of Greeting tho
Chief Magistrate = The Etiquetto of n
Public Reception.
Washington Post.
Every stranger visiting Washington
besides going through all the depart
monts and finding out Just how great
government is run, wants to see tho
President. Business and professional
mon from large cities like to call on
him, and the man who pays taxes in
Pumpkinville and casts his ballot faith
fully every election wants to he able to
tell when he gOns home how tho Chief
Magistrate took him by the hand and
sent AN aifectionate greeting to all tho
good people of that township.
1t is TO accommodate these people
that tho President holds u public re-
ceptiou In the East Room every Mon
day, Wednesday and Saturday ut l. 10.
Thoy are rapid transit, machine made
receptions that take on an average of
10 minutes OF the Presidents time
three days week. Sometimes they
last 10 minutes and rarely 20; it de-
ponds on the number of strangers in
town. To the majority Of people who
attend them they are u source of ex-
| Nttutt hhllHldNllVlt but tnbIt hTb
who 90 there who think the American
public is not treated with due consid-
GRAFTON on these occasions. The opera.
ton OF packing and squeezing a gath
| ering OF 800 Or moro persons into the
regulation single file procession ready
to pass in review before tho President
| by an able bodied corps of ushers and
policemen in dress uniform reminds
sgf.t g
| lord of Texas steers or lot of brOncos.
There is in fact u good deal of force
about the way in which those recep-
| tIons are conducted. Fifteen minutes
before the appointed hour the East
Room il usually fairly we'll filled with
visitors, who form almost hollow
square about the entrance to tho corri-
dor at which the President makes his
appearance. Every ego is fixed on the
curtained door, and there is an eager
air of expectancy about the watchers, as
il they were gathered about an arena
| awaiting tho entrance Of some famed
gladiator. Soon the doors slide back,
moved by some invisible hands. and
the chief usher Mir. William Dubois,
who has been at the White House over
siuce Grant was there. enters, followed
oiihpSN ny bhN 4
Occasionally thGre will be faint rip
pie of applause as the President is
recognized. lie surveys the assembled
crowd for mnmcnt, and there is u set
smile ON his face as il il was frozen
there every reception day. Occasionally
it may be seen that it is not, when
some visitor clings to the Presidents
| hand a little longer or is little long
winded in his greeting, for the per-
fected schedule Of hand-shakes is about
20 to tho minute
AS soon as the President and the
chief usher have taken up their posi-
tions the business is begun. For the
past few moments the ushers have been
engaged in welding the mass Of hui
manity into something like line, four
or five deep, oncifcling the entire room.
This Is gradually Trimmed down by the
ushers, whose directions to "Move over
to the right, or to Step along there, ="
are usually polite, but sometimes in
clined to be harsh and mandatory. The
requests, too, are accompanied often
by a good deal Of pushing and squeez-
ing, until by the time the lipe gota IL
within about 10 feet of tho President
two stout uahers are encountered,
standing face TO face about two feet
apart. Between these two mon every
candidate for hand shake is Obliged
to pass. II tho candidate is thin he
gets through all right but ladies with
balloon Jill sleeves, and mombers oi
fat mems organizations have TO under
go considerable squeezing.
The whole operation IN on the SAINT
principle as making sausages by ma
uhinery. Tho visitors start in as raw
material at one end of the room ant
are gradually squeezed into shape, un
Til by the time they pass betweon tn,
two ushers thoy ara finished product
ready for the touch Of the President
hand, which finally diPpnses of them
Then they pass out into the corridor
and talk about what grand, gooC
President the nation has
n5Ihn Presidents callers embrace al
classes and all sorts and conditions d
nun, women. children ard dudes. Tho
majority Of them havH absolutely
nothing to say when they finally react
the august presence: they simply tnuci
his hand and pass on. Others are en-
tirely different and look about for
chair on which to sit down and chat
This man know him in Buffalo, ant
the other one voted for him every tint
in Squashtuwn. This man il Mr.
Murphy Of Missouri; tho lady behint
him il Mrs. Murphy, AMI they are her,
on their Wedding tour, he il going t.
name his first baby Grover CLEVELAND
Murphy. BY this time the Prcsident'l
smile has slipped down his shirt bosom
and docs not como back until fou
people PASS without saying word
Altogether, however, he is most cordia
in his greetings and aifable in manner
and every ono goes away duly i'm
pressed.
BY tho time the last of tho line ha
passed. the two ushers perhaps dozel
people sitting on the chairs and lounge
about the room, suddenly seom to real
ize that tho President does not inten'
coming over to shake hands with them
and they are rounded up Just in tim
to prevent them from losing the oppor
tunity they have been anticipating
perhaps for weeks.
Not to lie Missed.
"Dear," she said, and her swoetes
, and most engaging smile illuminod he
face "if you had II handsome lap rob
could you use it,"
Certainly not, +" lie replied. "Yol
know very we'll that We haven't
vehicle OF any description.
THAT'S what thought, - she re
, turned, $50 | have packed it away
, Later, whom we are wealthy and kec
horses, we car----"
Packed il away - he exclaimed, in
terrupting her Packed what away
"Why, tho lap robe" sho answere
swoctly.
"But we haven't lap role, ii
protested.