The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-01
A GREAT CROWD.
Attends the First New Years
Reception at White House
Held by President Roosevelt
and His Cabinet.
A BRILLIANT SCENE.
Corridors and ParlOrs We're
Bowers of Blossoms.
A BRILLIANT SCENE.
Long Lines of People Waited
For the Appointed Hour.

Washington, Jan. president Roose-
welt held his first New Years reception
at the White House today and sur
rounded by the presidential and cabi-
net circle, he greeted officials in every
branch of public life, as well great
concourse of people from private life.
The scene within the historic mansion
was one of extraordinary beauty, and
brilliancy, and there was an added
touch of interest in the occasion this
year from the fact that this was the
first official function of magnitude with
Mr.. Roosevelt and his interesting fam
lily as the central figures.
The day was ideal for the observance
of the time-honored custom of making
New Years calls The sun shone from
a cloudless sky, the air was cool and
bracing and a light westerly wind made
the White House flags stand out proud
ly.
Early in the day an army or decora-
tors and florists took possession of the
mansion and transformed the stately
Corridors and parlors into bowers of
palms pc,tted plants and sweet smelling
flowers. Tia official programme of the
day fixed II O'clock as the time for OPP
ening the reception with the calls or
the members OF tne cabinet and the
foreign representatives., Sut some time
before that hour the approaches lead
ing up to the marble portico were filled
with carriages, while long lines of peo-
pie took position at the outer gates in
order to have points of vantage when
the public reception began.
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 mantelS and draped
from chandeliers and walls. The floral
d6Cnra finnG reached their height of eff
fectiveness in the east room Here the
great crystal chandeliers were Topped
with smilax, while the recesSes of the
chamber were banked with poinSetta
blossoms, begonias, and tail ferns. In
the red and blue parlors there was the
same effective disposition Of flowers
and plants, the flaming red of the
poinsetta being most apparent every
where.
TWO BANDS.
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 conservatory was
the full membership of the marine
band, in bright red uniforms. While the
musicians were taking their places the
Roosevelt children We're having a merry
time through the corridors and one of
them could be heard playing the
apartments of the presidential family.
Shortly before IL o'clock the throngs
of distinguished callers began to assem-
BILE in the main corridor. First came
the members of the diplomatic corps in
their rich court uniforms Respondent i'll
medals and decorations. 1t was a most
cosmopolitan throng, with the Oriental
silks of the Chinese minister and his
suite, the red feZ of the Turkish minis
ter and the more modern but equally
gorgeous attire of the Japanese and
Coreans conspicuous among the groups
of diplomatists. The members of the
corps gathered in the Red narlO1- rre-
paratory to being presented to the pres