The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-10-04
DINNER FOR DEWEY.
Largest Affair of the Kind Ever Seen
at the White House.


Washington, Oct president Nc
KinIey, in honor of Admiral Dewey,
last night gave the largest dinner party
in the history of White House social
functions. Covers were laid for over
eighty persons. The guests 1ncluoeo
the cabinet, the governors OF nlue
states, justices of the supreme court
some of the members of both houses OF
congress, army and navy ofhc1alS anu
others. 1t was a brilliant AFFAIR. All
hour before the time announced a Iarge
crowd of spectators had gathered IL
front of the White House and watched
the arrivals. Admiral Dewey came at
o'clock and as he passed inside Wlth
Flag Lieutenant Brumby and Flag Sec
rotary Caldwell the admiral was en-
Enthusiastically cheered.
Rear Admiral Schley was given
similar ovation. The guests passed IN
to the east room, whence they PROCEEDED
to the White House corridor, which
served as the state dining room, the
usual room being too small for the
purpose. The corridor was decorated
In the center of the table was a large
cut glass vase filed with dark red
meteor roses, set in a mound OF Iar-
leyense fern. At intervals on either
side were six large mounds of pine
apple plants in fruit set in begon1as,
flowers interspersed with the broad
green leaved bilbergia splendenes,
native plant of the Sandwich Islands:
Between these were other vases filled
with meteor roses standing in beds OF
orchids, making in all thirteen pieces,
one for each of the original thirteen
states of the Union. The nantes were
banked with cut flowers and the walls
and doorways were hung with aspara-
gus vine. On a large colored glass
screen back of the presidents chair,
hung the presidents flag and on the op-
pOSite side of the table to the rear of
Admiral Dewey's seat was the four
starred blue flag of the admiral of the
navy. At the east end of the table
and over the door leading into the east
room where Secretary Long sat was
the flag of the secretary of the navy
and over the west end hung the flag of
the secretary of war.
The red and blue parlors were effec-
lively decorated with plants The dec
orations of the east room were unique
and consisted entirely of plants. Palms
and the multi colored crOtOn filled all
of the window spaces and nantes. Mr..
Phister, who has charge of the White
House Conservatives, has made a spe-
ciaIty of the crotOn plant, and used
sixty varieties in the east room decOra-
tions. Twenty varieties of the maranta
plant were used, as well as many beau
tifuI specimens of palms and ferns.
The guests, besides the president and
Admiral Dewey, included all the mem
bers of the cabinet and their first as
sistants, Messrs. Alger. Gary and Bliss,
former members Of the cabinet; JUS
tees Harlan, Gray, Brown and White,
| eighteen United States senators, four
members of the house of representa-
tives, the governors of Vermont, Massa-
chusetts, New York, Maryland. Maine,
Virginia, New Hampshire, West Vir-
ginia and Michigan, and the following:
General Miles, General Merritt, Gen
| eral Corbin, Surgeon General Sternberg,
| Colonel Theodore A. Bingham, Rear
Admiral Sampson, Rear Admiral Schley.
! Rear Admiral Sicard, Rear Admiral
! Crowninshield, Captain Lamberton,
| Captain Mahan, Flag Lieutenant Brum-
/ by, Flag Secretary Caldwell, Senator
! Plat, Senator Depew, Hillary A. Her
I
! J. G. Schurman, President Seth Low,
| Provost c. c. Harrison of Philadelphia,
! Commissioner Wight, Commissioner
Ross, Commissioner Beach Mr.. Charles
Dewey, Mr.. George G.. Dewey of New
/ York Colonel NJ. T. Kick, Chairman
/ William Henderson Moses.