The record-union., 1897-01-02
The Long-EStabliShed Custom at the
White House Carried Out.
President and Mrs. Cleveland Enter
tain Thousands of Guests.

Their Respects to the Chief Execu-
tive of the Nation and the distress
of the White House.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-The annual
New Years show at the White House
took place to-day, according to long
established custom. 1t constitutes the
yearly ordeal of the President and mis-
tress of the White House, for they must
shake hands with many hundreds-sev-
eral Thousand, in fact-of their fellow
citizens and a large number of distin-
guished foreigners. They smiled and
bowed and beamed through it all to-
day, and stifed the winces that un
consciously followed the hearty grasp
of some young subaltern fresh from
the frontier, or the grip of some horny
hand that had done service in the late
campaign. 1t was one continual round
of Misunderstanding and exchanging the
compliments of the season.
AS on last New Years Day, the crowd
that participated in and witnessed the
reception was very large. 1t was the
last function of it's sort in which Mr..
and Mrs. Cleveland will figure as the
principal characters, and this may have
been responsible in part for the throng
that paraded corridors and apartments
during the time set apart for the re-
Ception.
The interior Of the mansion had been
lavishly decorated for the occasion. In
the dainty oval-shaped Blue Room, the
official chamber of the White House,
with its delicately tapestried walls, the
artistic effect was well carried out. 1t
was in this apartment that the Presi-
dent, Mrs. Cleveland and the receiving
party stood.
Those who paid their respects TO the
President and Mrs. Cleveland passed
out of their receiving chamber into the
Green Room, and thence into the
spacious East Room, the scene of so
many historic occurrences Six hum
dred people is the ordinary capacity of
this compartment To-day it was filled
to an uncomfortable degree with for
eign ENJOYS. officers of the army and
navy, high judicial functionaries, Sem
ators, Representatives and many civil
lans With a large number of ladies'
Ihey were not so crowded, however
as to be unable to see and appreciate
the floral beauty displayed. AS in every
Neici part oi Une interior, the East
Room had its chandeliers and cornices
tWlned with smilax. Trailing ASPARAGUS
also formed a graceful drapery. The
White jardinieres on all the mantels
held Chinese primroses, rubber plants
and cineriaS. In the corners were
broad-leaved curcul. Palms spread
their foliage high over the pronenading
guests The broad and high east win
Of
ard grouped about the bottom of these
We're ferns. The mirrors. the en-
pfasures, the fireplaces, were all suit
ably arranged.
Eleven O'Clock was the hour sat for
the beginning of the reception. Be
lore that time members of the dinIo-
matte corps, ambassadors. Ministers
attaches and their wives and daughters
mad begun to arrive, and were usherad
lEto the Red Room. where they awaited
the signal to pass along the line. Ont
Ih the public lobby the United States
MARINE band, under the leadership of
foIsSSo Fanciulli, waited the signal
:" pray. suddenly Fanciulli waved his
pdIoh, ana the musical Instruments
burSt INTO the well-known air. Hail to
the Chief" Ian "
PRESIDENT and Mrs. Cleveland tho
members Of the Cabinet and their wivas
tieh came down the stairs Mr. and
HifS- Cleveland, Vice President and
MIS- stevenson, Secretary and Mrs. o. |
hey' Secretary and Mrs. Carlisle. A.
torney-General and Mrs. Harmon. Post |
master-General and Mrs. Wilson SEQ
retary and Miss Herbert. Secretary and
Mrs. Lamont, Secretary and Miss Nor
ton and Secretary and Mrs. Francis an
imposing procession. passed along the
corridor to the Blue Room and took
their places, the President and Mrs
Cleveland at one end, with Secretary
Olney and Colonel Wilson at their right
and the ladies forming line across the
apartment. The Cabinet officers mod
estly stepped to the rear and entered
into conversation with some of the la
dies who composed that contingent
company designated as 'in behind the
line"
The first person to shake hands with
the President was a tall. broad shoul-
dered, rather portly gentleman. attired
in a uniform Respondent in gold braid
Those who did not know him did not
need to be told that he was the Right
Hon. Sir Julian Pauncefote, Grand
Commander of the Bath, Grand Com
mander of st. Michael and st. George.
the British ambassador to the United
States. and Dean Of the diplomatic
corps Sir Julian was accompanied by
Lady Pauncefote. the Misses Paunce-
fote, viscount Cough, Secretary of the
British Embassy: Viscountess Cough,
Captain Alfred w. Paget, X n,
naval attache; Henry Bax-Iron-
side and Reginald Lowder, Second
Secretaries: Hugh T. o'Berne. the Earl
of Westmeath and Ronald MacLeay, at
taches.
The French Bmbassador, Jules Pate
notre. came with his American wife, the
daughter of James Elverson, the Phil-
adelphia publisher. and Eugene THE
bot. Commandant Clement de Grand
Prey. and Jules Boueve of the French
Embassy.
Baron Fava. Italy's Embassador'
passed down the line with the baroness
Faya and Count vinci, Secretary OF the
Embassy. Another titled envoy, Baron
Max Won Thielman, the German EN-
bassador, followed, with the Baroness