The morning news., 1899-12-31

has not the capacity necessary TO carry
the dishes from the kitchen to the dining
room floor So six or eight Of the waters
are detailed to carry the dishes from the
kitchen up the flight of stairs leading di-
rectly to the buffers pantry; to retuA
empty dishes to the lower floor; and hand
the portions from the carvers to the wait
ings line of servers.
Each waiter is supposed 10 serve four
or five guests. lie receives the dishes
from the carvers so adroiuy carved that
though the form of the roast OF fowl Is
preserved the guest can readily separate
a portion He watches closely to the
needs of the guests under his charge
The President ard his wife are served by
their personal servant. The White House
dinners are served Ideally, il is said, for
the walters are not mere machines, out
men of judgment and action. For their
two or three hours work they are PAID
81 or So, and this in connection with the
natural prestige of waiter who serves
at the While House, brings to the steward
the best assistance the city affords
Expensive Housekeeping.
II is impossible to furnish in detail any
estimate of the materials and foods used
in the preparation of a state dinner. When
it is considered that only the choicest DTS
are served the supplies purchased for
dinner of seventy must be something e1-
traordinary. A roast of lamb, or fillet
of beef, for stance, is served but TO tour
or 1--WE persons, and the choicest morsels
only are eaten. OF a fowl the breast alone
is carved The same fastidiousness is OBJ
served throughout every course.
There are never more than twelve
courses to a White House dinner. As a
usual thing the courses range in number
from eight TO twelve. They are served
without haste, but still in such succession
that the dinner may not seem TO drag.
An entire dinner in this manner is served
within two hours, and some of the most
noted dinners of the last two years have
been served in even less time As the
dinner always begin al O'Clock, the
White House guests are not given to late
hours.
Official procedure at a state dinner Is
one of the most delicate questions with
which its managers have to deal There
| Is no one more sensitive than the average
diplomat AT diplomatic dinner preced-
| ure Is determined by the official rank OF
| a guest and his seniority in point of SER
| vice in Washington. So well are these
| erada tions established that an error would
| be inexcusable All confusion, however, Is
| avoided by custom which conveys un-
mistakably to each guest the exact posi-
ton he is expected to occupy at the ta-
! BILE Before entering the dining room each
| guest is given an envelope enclosing a
| card on which is printed a complete dia-
} gram of the table with the various seats
numbered. The name of the lady he is
! expected to take into dinner is also written
| on the card. A cross is also drawn through
the number of the seat the guest is to oc.
cupy. The possibility of mistake is furthel
obviated by placing al each plate another
card with the guests name written acros.
its face
The seats of least honor are at the endt
| of the table. The President sits in the cen
= eeI OF one OF the long sides. The seat neX
cusC0or is directly opposite. AT the diplo
Preside nt's~S.it has heretofore been th'
by the British aTfrto be occupied by tht
rank to the President arfr5R- into dinnei
matte corps. During this administrarrdf
however the invalidism of Mrs. McKinle
has oecasioned a change. The Presideu
Keeps her always by his side and Mrs
Mckinley sits between the President an
the British ambassador. The seat opDosit
is now occupied by Secretary HAY. Ther
are no toasts or speeches.
when the dinner is finished the Presfdep
ana his wife rise as a signal that the ser
vice is at an end. The ladies pass to N,
| reception rooms, and the men to the smolx
| ing room where coffee, liquors and cigar
are served The gentlemen pass some tim
| IN informal conversation, and then ioi,
the dadies in the reception rooms. Here ter
| is served. Custom prescribes that non.
OF the other guests shall leave until thos.
| or the highest rank have taken leave a
| the evenings host and hostess. Out o.
consideration to the oiher guests these of
| ncials leave Immediately after tea bes
| heen served. The other guests follow cloee.
| ~, so that the entire company has left the
| White House by II o'clock.
Frank Cauldwen.