Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-19
President and Mrs, Roosevelt
Have the Cabinet to Dinner.
WHITE HOUSE CHANGES
THE GLITTER OF THE NEW IS
FASCINATING.
Yesterdays Addition to the Debutante
Contingent - Personal
Notes.

The President and Mrs. Roosevelt mad
the pleasure of entertaining the cabinet
at dinner last night in the newly completed
state dining room and of receiving their
guests in the east room, so transformed
also from its former appearance as to leave
little to suggest old-time conditions Ex-
cepting the blue room, the main floor of
the White House may now be said to be
practically completed. The heavy curtains
and portieres are all hung, but the lace
window hangings are yet to be put IN
place. The blue room will be competed
for New Year day, if not before. Every
where the Encouragement of the lights, the
shine Of the new paint and the polish of the
marble rather bewider at present, but
there can be no doubt that the changes
will be greatly admired by the public gem
orally, especially as SO much that has Deen
done will contribute to the personal COM
fort of those who will attend the large en-
tertainments.
The entrance hall has now received Its
| final decoration, and presents study
of ivory, pure white and buff. The win
dowS have crimson velvet hang1ngS ana
low settees around the walls are covered In
red velvet. Statues of DemontheneS and
Sophocles are reflected in the mirrors that
are on the walls where the mantels were
formerly. These ancient gentlemen are In
plaster and take up an amount of space
that many a pretty woman Will think
wasted as she gets only glimpse of her
self on either side of the tall figures. Mar
BILE statues of Washington and Lincoln, of
heroic size, also are eventually to have
these points of vantage, SO 1t is said TWO
immense urns, also in plaster, that, 1t is
said, are to be replaced at future date by
others in marble, fill the spaces between
the side walls and the pillars, where the
Tiffany screen was formerly. These ca
pacious ornaments are now filled with
thick hedge Of holly and form pleasing
variation at a spot where SO much white
and crimson abound
Fha G a
the center of the corridor space Is covered
with bright red rug. The doorways, open
Ing at the west end on the state dinnS
room and on the east upon the east room,
have no longer the semi-circular transom.
Heavy red velvet port1ereS are Topped back
over each opening. Throughout the hall
electric lights behind pretty flower shades
are grouped tall gilded standards as well
as in small side torch brackets The east
room has a polished inlaid floor,
paneled white walls and white celling
with plaster ornaments, four marble
mantelpieces different in color and a
strip Of dark red marble as Dashboard
round the room. Mirrors with narrow gilt
frames extend to the cornice above each
mantel Excepting low cushioned settees,
the woodwork of which are white with
gilt tracings, it has no other furniture. TWO
vases, looking lonesome enough In the
inches of the triple east window, have the
distinction of being the only other orna-
ments in the room The curtains at the
windows of rich yellow brocade, are hung
in stiff folds from gilt cornices and are
just about what were In the White House
and other large residences before the last
great era of artistic housefurnshing passed
over the land.
ne cushions on the settees are of bro
cade similar to the curtains. The three
crystal chandeliers are In gilt and the
lights come from rows of candles around
the center. The new chandeliers are de-
signed in the form of a cascade of crystal
in loops and festoons of cut glass, oh
chg nd heinR cOmnOSed of 1000 pieces
In the corners of the room are golden
stands with the clusters of electric lights
the same as in the corridor The room
does not look lofty as it once did, pos
sibly because of the similarity of tone pre-
Vailing.
The green room has walls of moss green
velvet curtains of the same material a
polished floor with a large rug and white
enameed furniture with cane seats and
backs.
The marble staircase leading from the
basement to the main floor has the space
formerly occupied by the east hallway.
The company last night used the new east
entrance for the first time. The lights
across the two esplanades and those shin
ing from the White House windows made
the whole place very bright.
Leading to the second floor, the marble
staircase begins just opposite the green
room door The steps are broad and easy
and after the first landing there are two
flights one either side. An iron gateway
cuts off this staircase when necessary, and
slides back into the wall when not in use.
At the east end of the house there has
been a staircase opened up from the base
ment near the elevator. Directly opposite
the entrance to the elevator is a doorway
to the private dining room.
The absence of the pictures so long aSso-
ciated with the home of the President is,
after all, the greatest change made. When
these mementos of past and gone great
ness find a home again in the entrance gal
lery down stairs the average visitor to the
White House will feel happier,
The state dining room was so largely oc-
cupied with the table last night as to leave
little save it's paneled and tapestry-hung
walls to be in evidence The crescent Ia
BILE, similar to that used in the east room
last winter, decked out for the ban
quet. A very profuse ornamentation OF
pink and white roses the former in tall
glass vases and the latter in circular
plaques. broke the expanse of linen. Near
the Presidents place part of the old gilt
plateau trimmed up with smilax did honor
able duty again number OF bisque fg-
ures, dancing girls, etc, but all maintain
ing most decorous poses, were placed along
the center of the table between the vases,
and We're probably put there either to COM
plete some old-time scheme or with a view
of further ornamenting the board.
Col. Bingham made the presentations to
the President and Mrs. Roosevelt. A string
orchestra from the Marine Band played in
the corridor, with Sophocles near by in the
| convenient retirement of the holly hedge.
The charming mistress of the mansion wore
a rich gown of pink brocade, trimmed with
ecru lace.
The dinner company included the Secre-
tary of State and Mrs. Hay, the Secretary
| of the Treasury and Mrs. Shaw, the Attor-
ney General and Mrs. Knox, the Postmaster
General and Mrs. Payne, the Secretary OF
the Navy, the Secretary of Agriculture and
Miss Wilson, the Secretary to the President
and Mrs. Coftelyou, Col and Mrs. Bingham,
Capt. and Mrs. Cowles, the president of the
Senate pro tempore. the Speaker of the
House and Mrs. Henderson. Senator Allison,
Senator and Mrs. Hale. Senator and Mrs.
Aldrich, Senator Proctor, Senator and Mrs.
Foraker, Senator and Miss Cockrell, Sen
ator o. H. Platt Senator Beveridge, Sen
ator and Mrs. Quay, Senator Morgan, SEN
ator T. c. Plat, Senator and Mrs.
Fairbanks, Senator and Miss Kean, SEN
ator and Mrs. Ager, Representative
Cannon, Representative and Mrs. Payne.
Representative and Mrs. Dalzell, Repre-
sentative and Mrs. Hopkins, Representative
John S. Williams. Representative and Mrs.
Rixey, Hon. Lyman ]. Gage, Hon. and Mrs.
Charles Emory Smith, Mr.. and Mrs. Ed
ward H. Hartman of New York, Mr.. and
Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish of New York, Mr..
and Mrs. Henry c. Frick of Pittsburg, Col.
and Mrs. William r. Nelson, Mr.. and Mrs.
w. Emlen Roosevelt of New York, Gen.
Young, Mr.. Charles F. McKim, Commits
sioner and Mrs. William d. FOulke, Miss
Hjtchcock