The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-02
ROOSEVELT
MADE A HIT
FIRST NEW YEAR RECEPTION OF
THE PRESIDENT WINS WARM
ENCOMIUNLS
WAS IN A JOYOUS HUMoR
Thousands of GaudiIy AppareIed
officials and Plain Citizens Were
Greeted Most Cordially at
the White House.
MRS. ROOSEVELT CHARMING

WASHINGTON, Jan. President
Roosevelt's first public reception was at
tended more largely than any New
Years reception in a number of years.
In all 500 persons filed through the
White house and shook hands with the
president Mrs. Roosevelt, on being ap-
prised that the crowd in line outside the
White house was unusually large, gave
orders that the gates should not be
closed until the last person desiring TO
do so had an opportunity to pay his re-
spects.
The reception was begun promptly at
IL o'clock and it was 2:30 o'clock before
the last person in line had been pre-
sented to the president, and quarter of
an hour later before the reception came
to an end. The weather was delight
full, being clear and crisp, so that no
hardship was suffered by the throng that
waited for hours before admission to the
White house.
The reception was in every way sue
cessful, the attendance not only being
large, but the decorations really beautl-
full, the arrangements perfect and the
president In excellent spirits. To each
person he extended a cordial, happy
New Year and Mrs. Roosevelt was
equally pleasing to each of those who
filed past the line in the blue parlor,
where the receiving party stood. Miss
Alice Roosevelt was conspicuous among
those assisting at the reception. A party
of her young girl friends by invitation
also participated in the function,
Lights and Flowers LavishIy Used.
The interior Of the mansion was aglow
with a myriad of electric lights, and to
this was added the beauty of a profusion
of flowers plants and vines, banked
about the mantles and draped from the
chandeliers and walls. The floral dec
-orations reached their height of efrec-
tiveness in the East room. Here the
great crystal chandeliers were looped
with srnilax, while the recesses of the
chamber were banked with poinsetta
blossoms, begonias and tall ferns. In the
Red and Blue parlors there was the
same effective disposition. on flowers and
plants, the flaming red of the poinsetta
being most apparent everywhere.
In the outer corridor just within the
entrance the band of the engineer
corps, u. S. A, sixty strong, in their
brilliant uniforms. were ranged in tiers,
while further along in the conserva-
tory was the full membership Of the
Marine band, in bright red uniforms.
While the musicians were taking their
places the Roosevelt children were hav-
ing a merry time through the corridors,
and one of them could be heard playing
the Kangaroo March, in the private
apartments of the presidents family.
Ministers Were Gorgeous Figures.
Shortly before IL o'clock the throngs
of distinguished callers began to as
semble in the main corridors. First came
the members of the diplomatic corps in
their rich court uniforms, resplendent
in medals and decorations. 1t was
most cosmopolitan throng, with the
Oriental silks of the Chinese minister,
the red fez of the Turkish minister and
the more modern but equally gorgeous
attire of the japanese and Coreans con-
spicuous amid the groups Of diplomatsts.
The members of the corps gathered in
the Red parlor preparatory to being pre-
sented to the president and those about
him.
Exactly at II o'clock fanfare from
three trumpters announced the approach
of the president and the receiving party,
and at the same moment President and
Mrs. Roosevelt appeared at the upper
landing of the corridor, and arm in arm
descended the stairway, while the Marine
band broke into "Hail to the Chief The
president bowed as he passed along, fre-
Quently giving a CHEEKY response to the