The Cook County herald., 1902-05-31
WHITE HOUSE CARDS
Invitations to Social Events Written
e : +Ez =. ~ = .-se-5.-
+ # BY Expert Psnmsn.
-Four Of the Best WrEtors In Govern
: neat Service Engaged to SsnA
r Out Cards for the Recent
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8 The preparation Of invitations to
the four great social events Of the sea-
son at the white house-the receptions
of the president-is work that re-
quires great care and the most expert
penmanship. The several thousand
people who receive Invitations to each
of the four receptions necessarily no.
tice the attractive and beautiful pen
manship, amounting almost to engrav-
ing. This work is done by some of the
most noted penmen in the service of
the United States government, says
the Washington Star.
The cards Of invitation to each re-
ception are engraved, and contain
blanks for the name of the person or
persons invited. These blanks are
filed in by the penmen. During the
social season just closed two penmen
were engaged in writing the names on
the cards, while two others wrote the
addresses on the envelopes containing
the cards. With. all four men writing
beautifully 10 . profession, and fre-
quently those invited to q reception
would wonder whether the name was
engraved or written. This work was
done BY J. L. McGrew, q clerk in the
navy department.; S. E. Sullivan, of the
post Office department.; w w: Morti-
mer, of the interior department., and
Z. l.. Kimnel, of the treasury.
The four men, aided by two stenog-
raphers and typewriters, worked un-
der the supervision of Thomas a..
Netherland of the white house force,
himself a noted expert in writing. For
three or four years Mr.. Netherland has
had charge of the invitations to these
receptions, and his work has been so
satisfactory as to receive the hearty
commendation of Secretary Cortelyou.
Mr.. Netherland occasionally does
some of the writing himself, but his
duty consists in seeing to the prepara-
ton and distribution of the invita- tions
to the care of the ists of the invited,
and to the thousand and one other
things that come before him. He die
tates the answers to the requests for
Invitations and superintends the max
ing up of the lists. The lists are kept
from year to year, and Mr.. Neither
land knows jut who were invited to
receptions in other years and who
were refused invitations. He il a
kind of walking encyclopedias
OF the social and political stand
ing and the atRhations of Washington
and other people. He is so discreet
that never word escapes from his
mouth about his duties and whatever
he has to say il put before his chief,
Secretary Cortely you, who IL responsi-
Bile for the way in which the work is
done.
The work Of Writing : the invitations
10 frequently begun weeks ahead of
the time fixed. Certain classes of peo-
pie are invited to every reception, and
their invita- tions can be written and put
aside ready for delivery when others
are made out.
The handwriting EXPERTS are not
usually fast penmen. Swiftness and
beauty of writing are seldom found
together, and so the experts take time
IN afhxing the names of society peo-
pie to the cards and envelopes. All
OF the four men engaged the last sea-
son were assigned from other DEPART
ments, and Mr.. Netherland il the only
one belonging permansntly on the
white house rolls.