Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-01-04
President and Mrs. Mckinley Hold an
g Elaborate Reception.
A SCENE OF BRILLIANT BEAUTY
The Reception Takes Place In
the Blue Parlor.
CABINET MEMBERS ALSO HOLD LEyEES

M I
with brilliant New Years reception
ut the White House,at which the Presi-
dent and Mrs. Mckinley received the
congratulations and we'll wishes OF sew
eral thousand people. including the ref-
resentatives of foreign governments,
| jurists, statesmen, officers of the army
and navy and others eminent in the |
social and political life of the Capital.
A review of the whole winter caleE-
der i'm to date could hardly have found |
day better fitted for the New Year
| function. The snow that had grown /
trife grimy during the past week had
been covered over night with fresh
| fall, scarcely an inch in depth. The
broad sweep of the White House drive
| had been quickly cleared OF this, but
1.-THE lawns we're covered with the fresh
white mantle and the bare, black limbs
of trees were outlined in silver dust
that whirled down now and then in
4 tiny hurries as the wind swept through
them. The sun was bright but the air
was crisp and frosty, too cald for the
snow to melt and spoil the holiday set
ting of the parks and lawns.
All an early hour the streets beyond
the White House grounds began to I'LL
with the crowd that surged back and
forth, eager for place in the public
line that was to follow the reception of
the various sections of the days
pageant.
The decorations Of the Executive
Mansion were not as elaborate this year
as they have been on some former oc.
casions, still there was a profusion OF
palms, feins, stnilax. holly. and other
green's everywhere through the State
dining room, the blue, red and green
parlors and the Fast Room. The man.
tolls were banked high with foliage
plants, and the window recesses filled
i with tall, graceful palms and rubber
plants. The green Of the foliage plants
was relieved by scarlet poinsinetta and
other flowery plants. The light of the
: brilliant winter day was excluded and
the rooms flooded with electric lights
!, from thousands Of tiny bulls, in cell
7 ines and sparkling chandeliers, adding
4 to the brilliancy Of the decorations.
! The giittering gold and silver traE-
!, pings of the members of the DIPLOMATIC
I Corps aud the full dress uniforms Of
4 the army. and navy confrasted strongly
. with the modest black Of the iurists.
4 statesmen and civilian officials OF the
n government as they moved through the
! mazy throng. .A
: Tho President aud Mrs. Mckinley re-
i ceiyed in the Blue Parlor, assisted by
= the members of the cabinet and theiI
= wives, and "behindS the line'i were
70 about 80 OF the wives and daughters O
. Senators, Representatives, prominon'
army and navy officers, aud Others
q high in social and official circles Tht
y fun Marine Band, in their red uniforms
y were stationed at the head Of the corri
= ', dor opposite the State dini1g room, ant
y throughout the reception piayet
- patriotic airs.
s The New Years reception approaches
y nearer to court function than an,
~ other of the social affairs OF the Presi
,s dent, and the official programme, witt
=, it's order of precedence, is strictly ad
- hered to.
,g The President and Mrs. McKinle
,g met the members Of the cabinet in tn
~ west corridor on the second floor
as shortly before II O'CLOCK, while tn
10 ~ members of the Diplomatic Corps il
OF . their brilliant court dress were gather
e- ing in the state dining room, adjoinin
~ 9' the red parlor. Promptly at II o'cloc
u. the bueler sounded the assembly an
~ the red COATED Marine Band struck u
ny the strains Of ''Hail to the Chief.
ne To this accompaniment the procession
ltSS headed by President Mckinley an
~. Mrs. Mckinley, moved down the broa
,os stairway and took their places in tn
" blue parlor adjoining the red parlor.
On Mrs. Mckinney were an elaborat
~ 'n' gown of brocaded white satin.A OWN
H. ~ to her feeble health she received seatet
~ Next TO her stood Mrs. Hay, wife
ne the Seoretary of State Mrs. Gage, wi
by of the Seeretsryof the Treasury; Mr.
Root, wife Of the Secretary of Wa
IN Mrs. Griggs, wife CT the Attorney Gel
a., eraI: Mrs. Smith, wife of the Pos
iIe " master General; Mrs. Long wife
~ the Secretary of the Navy; Mrs. Bite
u cock. wife of the Secretary OF the j
ere terror. and Miss Wilson, daughter
w the Secretary of Agriculture. all bri
lantly gowned.
Behind the line gathered the 9th
.i tue young ladies Of the cabinet, the wiz
lg and daughters of Senators and Kerr
i iie sentatiyes and other distinguish
lsy officials who had been invited to assis
ens As soon as all had taken their place
wv Nv, the doors of the red parlor were throy
Y, open and the ambassadors and mini
ne ters Of foreign governments and the
an auites. resplendent in their full cou
ing dress, headed by Lord Pauncefote, t
ach British Ambassador, the Dean of t
Dirlomatic Corps, moved into the hl
@ " parlor to pay their respects to t
PSI. President and Mrs. Mckinley and t
nv ua receiving party.
any AS the diplomats passed through
ne Ne their gorgeous uniforms, with their g
~ " and silyei court swords dangling fr'
'uss ls their sides, the scene was most bi
/, 'te 10 liant Especially gorgeous were !
= % Russian Ambassador and his sui
Ian, stitf with gold braid; the German a
urn Lassador and his attaches in tn
white and silver, and the Austri
Ambassador in his sable trimmed cf
ards of purple. Especial interest centred
10 & the appearance of the Duke p'Arc
~ md the Spanish Minister, and his beauti
n Anne, ican wife. 1t was the first WI
Nv House reception at which Spain
for been represented since the close OF h
q of tilities, and the greetings accort
ards them were particularly cordial.
Mr. @. N. E. Elliott, second SEE
tsry of the British Embassy. also
ceived special attention, as his ma
red. appeared in the new years list
inter- hopors conferred by Queen Victoria
Is Of X. B. O., NJ. G. The Orientals,
the their bright silk, !; the Chinese,
tho their green and purple; the Japan
in gold and black, and the diminu'