The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-05
SOME WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
NEW YEARS CUSTOMS MODIFIED
AND TO-DAY OUT OF FASHION.

the Republic-SOme of the Changes
which Have Taken PIace-How
the white House Was Decorated
on New Years Day-SO4ne Failed
10 Sec the President at the New
Years ReceDtiOn-HOw the DipIO-
mats and other Dignitaries APP
pjeared-SOme of the Notable PeO-
pie at the Reception-Other Mat
ters of General Interest.
Washington, Jan. Slime was-not
many years ago-when every house of
account in the District of Columbia
was open on New Years Day and the
citizens resolved themselves into two
classes-the ladies who received" in
their flower -decked parlors, and the
men who came to pay them the COM
plin4ents of the season and pledge
their good health in punch, egg -nogg
and champagne. Then it was no dis
grace for over-worked gentlemen, in
dress suits to become hilariously in
coherent as the day wore on, and so
tangled, in the understanding to-
ward the wee sma' hours as to re-
quire considerable assistance on the
homeward way. Those were the jolly
days of which ld-timers love to talk,
with disparaging comments on the stiff
conversation of the new century. Mrs.
Hayes, who turned the wine glass
down." the w. c. T. T., Carrie Nation,
with her little hatchet, and kindred
bIp for the dp-
cline of the New-Y Y Year's-calling Gus
tom. While everybody nowadays is in
favor of temperance it must be con-
fessed that in midWinter weather,
when rushing about town from noon
till midnight, there was a good deal of
cheerful stimulus in the accustomed
tipple. One cannot take solid food con-
tinuously, even in homeopathic doses,
ten or twelve hours on a stretch, and
to drink tea or coffee in every house
would be another form of dissipation
more harmful in after effect upon the
nerves than the old-time conviviality.
So the New Years customs were grad
ually modified as the toddy of the
fathers went out of fashion; and now
very few people in District OF Column
bia keep open house" except the
President and his silent partners of the
Cabinet. 1t is doubtful it they would
10 SO IL NOT GOliip6lleQ ny llilG- ilOuOI Gu
precedent, extending back more than
a hundred years. In the early days
of the Republic, when Washington was
known as the Federal City and all
functions in the White House were
called levees, the New Years recep-
tion was good deal more of a home
like affair. Then the Presidents
friends sat around the big open fires in
the East room, chatting and having
good time generally before the general
public was admitted. There was WINE
and nogg for all who came, and the in
Vited guests staid to dinner AS the
country grew and the crowds became
greater, the serving of refreshments
was no longer possible and the free
and easy ways of the past gave place
to q set programme, with eVer-increas-
ing formalities. While the line of ex-
clusiveness is being drawn tighter and
tighter every year in official circles, 1T
is not necessary for a caller at the
White House, or the homes of the Cab
met officers, on New Years day, to
have had any previous acquaintance
with the host and hostesses. All the
world and his Wife may come, with
their neighbors and children; and null
u-millionaires and titled foreigners are
jostled by those who earn their bread
and the crowd is considerably shaded
by the sons and daughters of Africa.
1t is estimated that fully eight thou
sand people greeted the RooseVelts on
Jan. 1, between the hourse of. IL and
3, and it is not surprising that the
Presidents smile grew somewhat shop
worn before the long strain was over.
The White House had been elabor-
ately decorated for the occasion, with
growing palms massed in the corners,
mantels banked with cut flowers, the
white and gold walls, mirrors, pic
lures and chandeliers draped with
ropes of smilax. through which twin
kled myriads of electric lights. The
outer corridor was crowded with mu-
sicians-the band of the Engineer
Corps, United States army, sixty
strong, in their brilliant uniforms, and
the full Marine band in their scarlet
jackets-leaving less space than usual
to the lines of people pouring in and
out, and still further complicating the
impossible task OF the ushers to re-
ceive and return everybody's hat and
tputer coverings. Heretofore at these
midday crushes, when people merely
pass through the mansion and out
again, hurried past the receiving line
by pressing throngs in the rear, ii
has been customary for the general
public to retain it's wraps and over
coats during the brief interval. But
the present administration demands
more ceremony, though curtailing it's
own former duties in the matter of
hand shaking. OF course a good many
garments went astray in the hurry
and departed on the wrong backs,
while their rightful owners are to-day
invoking the aid of the police for their
recovery. Another hitch in the plans
caused even more dissatisfaction, and
sent away IA good many deeply Offend
ed persons, who did not get in at all
Eleven o'clock was the hour named
for the beginning of the reception, and
as usual, the diplomats were all on
hand some minutes ahead of time
with wraps removed and waiting in
line to pass before the President and
his wife. Promptly at the minute the
Hail to the Chief" but 1t was fully
five minutes before the chief and lis
lady came down the stair, the former
wearing the annoyed expression of one
who has had to wait for the last
touches of female adornment. Mean
while the several hundred ladies and
gentlemen who had received the much
coveted honor of an invitation to
''stand behind the line assembled in
the Blue Parlor. They were mostly
relatives and intimate friends Of the
Roosevelts, and naturally. when the
President appeared for the first time
in his officially social capacity there
was much affectionate hand-shaking
and congratulation. This consumed
another fifteen or twenty minutes of
precious time, while disgruntled dip
lomats were standing in the corridor.