Morris tribune., 1901-10-19

four, every night since he has been in
the White House. The number he has
had at luncheon will average three a
day, and there have been dozen
guests at breakfast at various times.
These meals are not formal affairs.
The guests go in and take potluck.
The Roosevelt menu is simple. The
president believes in plenty Of plain
food. There are usually some oysters
or clans, a soup, a roast and some sim
pie dessert. Sometimes there is an en-
tree, and often some dish like chicken
pie serves for every meat course. Game
is frequently served.
The president says he can talk bet
ter at the table and with less fear of
interruption than in his office, and he
urges everybody with whom he has
any particular business to eat with
him. One prominent visitor last week
said just before he left:
''Mrs. Roosevelt ought to send me
bill for board. have been here two
days, and / have been twice to luncheon
and once to dinner with the president"
The meals are all jolly. Often politics
is not alluded to, and the guests stray
off into discussion Of hunting, or the
Spanish war, or the care Of children,
or the merits Of Rudyard Kipling, or
something else equally far removed
from statecraft. Mrs. Roosevelt is a
charming hostess and is never ruf1ed,
even when the president bursts into the
dining room at the head of half dozen
guests when there are seats provided
for only three. She would not be sur
prised if he came in with twenty, as he
will some day without a doubt.
The sly, secretive, "cagey'' politicians
who like to talk in whispers, with
mysterious mods Of the head and wise
dropping Of the eyelids, are discom-
flied by the way the president greets
them. There is nothing secretive about
his conversations. He has powerful
voice, and he talks out loud. He stands
square on his feet in the middle of the
room, and if there are others present
they are very likely to hear what his
reply is to the low voiced request or
suggestion. OF course he does not talk
of great affairs Of state that way, but
the man who comes in and tries to get
confidential during reception hours gets
q rude shock. The president could not
whisper If he tried.
President Roosevelt retains the al
most beyish enthusiasm that marked
him during his earlier career When
John Dalzell of Pennsylvania, mem
Der of the ways and means committee
and Republican leader in the house,
went into the reception room the other
day. the president looked across his
desk and shouted: "Why, how are you,
old fellow? Come right over hereT
A newspaper correspondent who had
travelled with the president stood in
the outer Office waiting to see Assist
ant Secretary Loeb. AS the latticed
door that hangs between the presidents
reception room and the lobby swung
open the president saw the correspond
ent and said: Come in here. want to
talk with you 1t is probable that no
other president since the days Of Wash
ington ever did that
Miss Alice Roosevelt will make her
debut on Jan. 2, says the Washington
correspondent of the New York Press.
Mrs. Roosevelt has made this am
to few of her friends.
The event will take place in the his
toric east room of the White House. !,
No such event has frightened the an
nais of the White House since Miss