The National tribune., 1903-01-08

States felt on the morning Of the second
day of this new year, 1903. Something
over 1000 people passed through the his
toric old doors of the White House on
New Years Dag and the President shook
hands with every single one of them
That is physical eXertion very few peo-
lie would care to undertake. 1t was not
one of your cold blooded three-hnger
hapdshakes either, but hearty hand
grasp, and in some fern or other he said
1000 times, Delighted to see you! so
glad you came" and so on. To those
whom he knew very well he said even
more, often singing out friends to whom
he spoke for two or three moments.
Very few of the Cabinet womeu shook
hands, except with their familiars. There
were not many of them in line. Mrs.
Roosevelt occasionally touched hands with
personal friends. Mrs. Root, wife of the
Secretary of War, and Mis-. Hitchcock.
wife of the Secretary of the Interior, are
in mourning. and Mr.. Moody. Secretary of
the Navy, is bachelor so that cut the
line short three, as no one could take the
place of the ladies'. Nor could Mr.. Moody
designate Mrs. Dewey to fill the place
his wife should have filled, though, little
later, Mrs. Dewey threw open her house
for the Secretary of the Navy to receive
his friends, and stood by his side during
the reception hours, to do the honors.
The Cabinet women in line were Mrs.
Hay, wife of the Secretary of State; Mrs.
Shaw. wife of the Secretary of the Treas
ury; Mrs. Knox, wife of the Attorney
General; Mrs. Payne, wife of the Post
master General, and Miss Wilson, daugh-
ter of the Secretary OF Agriculture. 1t
was the shortest receiving line in many
years.
Miss Wilson was receiving in her own
right as the head of her fathers house,
her mother being dead. There have been
some funny scraps" over who shall stand
in that sacred Zine" on State occasions.
As is well known, Mrs. james &. Blaine,
ST.. never had many friends in society
life in Washington. She was a cold, dis
tant sort of woman, who thought that
because of her distinguished husband.
everything ought to come her way, and
she rather demanded homage, which never
reached her. She grew Disguised with
the hollowness Of it all, and gradually
dropped out of the official set. Mr..
Blaine. however, with the usual stupid
ity of men concerning ultra social matters,
concluded that his womenkind should be
represented in official life, and SO on
New Years Day he marched Miss Blaine
down to the White House and stood her
up in the receiving line, right next to Mrs.
Harrison. Whew!
Why, if Mr.. Secretary Blaine had
pumped a dynamite bomb into the center
of the Blue Parlor, its effect could scarcely
have caused more CONSERVATION. As mat
ter of fact, Miss Blaine had no business
there, but the Secretary of State told her
to stand there, and she did, but two or
three Of the wives of the other Cabinet
members left the line. They said they
did not propose to be preceded by chit
of girl. who was usurping her mothers
place and honors. There was an awful
commotion, but the ladies with the rum
pied feelings got smoothed down and the
procession moved according to schedule;
with Miss Blaine as the second lady OF
the land" Mr.. Blaine placed her in line
again. on the night Of great State recep-
ton to the Diplomatic Corps, and again
there was scene behind the scenes" but
egain Miss Blaine came off victor. IT was
the last time that that was tried. however,
for Mr.. Blaine WAS plainly told that his
daughter would never again be permitted
to take place in the Cabinet receiving
line. and she didn't.
Another of President Harrison's Cab
met contemplated having his oldest daugh
Ter, he has three or four, take her moth
er's place in the receiving line, the mother
not caring to COME to Washington, and
taking very little interest in social matters
when she was here. but his little plans
were early nipped in the bud. The daugh-
ter of Secretary Herbert, Miss Leila, who
afterward committed suicide, was one of
the first young Cabinet ladies who sat at
the head Of her fathers table, and there
was much discussion as to whether she
had a right in the ''line," but it was
finally decided that she had, and she al
ways stood next to the wife Of the Post
master-General. When Miss Wilson was
announced by her father to be his repre-
sentative in the receiving line. the same
old discussion came up, but as she stood
at the foot of the line. and seemed tc be
inofensiye, the objections were dropped.
She is very charming young lady, and
looks good deal better fitted for the
duties deyolying upon her than some Of
the old dowagers who put on airs over her.
The White House is so changed that
the man who planned it would not know
it. There is more room in it-yes. But
the stately old mansion in its efforts to
put on airs and be modern, yet retain its
Colonial features, looks almost maudlin.
Mr.. Roosevelt never liked the method of
receiving at the State receptions. He said
that his guests were at his back all the
time, and he wanted them where he could
see them. So the parl0rs have been re-
arranged to work out his ideas. The Red
Blue, and Green Parlors are in line on
the south side of the white House. with
windows looking out over the back yard
and the Potomac River. In front of these
parlors is the long nall, once known as
the RED Corridor" The great glass
screen placed there by President Arthur.
and designed by Tiffany. has been remov-
ed. and the wide entrance opens clear
back to the parlors, the only separation
from this corridor being some imitation
marble pillars. The west end Of the
White House is taken up with the State
iining-roem, which extends across the Red
Psrlor and the end of the Corridor The
northwest corner OF the White House is
devoted to the private dining ROOM The
whole east end of the House is given over
TO the famous East Room. which takes
over 800 yards of carpet to cover it.
The receiving line has always stood on
the front side Of the Blue Parlor. No one
BOW living can remember when this was
not the case. The guests came in through
the main entrance, filed into the Red
Parlor. then through the door on the east
side in front Of the receiving line into the
Green Parlor. and then into the East
Room, the doors leading from one parlor
TO another being on a line SO that the
whole of each parlcr was TO the right as
one passed down the receiving line. and
the north walls OF the parlors TO the left
From each OF the parlors is door opening
into the long corridor, and through these
doors people watched the guests as they
passed down the line. studying dresses and
people. and enjoying the whole panorama
49,