The National tribune., 1904-05-05
u. S. TREASURY RECEIPTS.

| Ifiuay' hpIh ~: c.'''''.''' !'1Oo'1C2'O.
Saturday. April 30. ......... LIP. 1854
Monday, May 2............. 2,OO1,2 21.27
deadly tiresome before the whole nine are
at an end. The same people, the same
viands, the same flowers, and, generally
speaking, the same subjects for discussion.
The Cabinet probably gives thanks when
the last one for the season is over They
are all very handsomely planned, brilliant
with lights and flowers and music, to say
nothing of the elegant gowns worn by the
women, but one even tires of candy after
| a steady diet.
i Mrs. Roosevelt has taken an active in
tcrest in the fower-beds about the White
House from the very first, and this year
she has helped to plan them and superin-
tend the laying out of the designs. These
designs are all colonial. They copy fairly
many of those quaint old geometric designs
at Mt. Vernon which Washington himself
laid out, with their smelly box borders.
Box looks very pretty. but it smells to high
/ heaven. and under the warm southern sun
its odors are almost unbearable. But the
White House flower beds have box borders
too-lOw, neatly trimmed ones. and they
wind in and out in the most intricate fash
ion. but perfect, for they were laid out by
a United States Engineer.
There are eight of these fower-beds and
they are % by % feet in size. Most of
the flowers will be of the old-fashioned va
riety, for Mrs Roosevelt is fond of the
older flowers which used to bloom in the
/ Colonial gardens. There will be a few of
the newer flowers. and the carnation with
the last long name and the pedigree will
vie with the dear little grass pink. but in
all probability the grass pink will be the
favorite with the first lady in the land.
The old iron fence which separates the
public part of the White House grounds
| from the private has never been a pretty
thing to look Mt, but Mrs. Roosevelt has
given orders for it to be covered with
climbing roses. and so this year rich
rieties of climbing roses will ornament and
cover up its ugliness.
Mrs. Roosevelt is very fond of asters,
columbine, daffodils, peoples, hollyhocks.
four-o' clocks, touch-me- nots, and flowers of
that kind, while the President likes hello
trope. After all. there is nothing prettier
than the old-fashiOned flowers, and no rose
that has ever been propagated has been a
| Improvement upon the rich perfume or
dainty coloring of the old fashioned blush
| rose.
The terraces about the White House are
| W uccOTdIeu WIFI the Day trees Drought
| from Holland for that purpose last year.
These are fine specimens of that tree, and
| they cost about $500 each. They are only
about five feet high and about the same in
| diameter.
Before the White House was remodelled,
| the huge Conservatives adjoining the State
Dining Room. through which it was such
| a JOY to wander to get away from the heat
| and glare of White House reception fur
nished all of the flowers for the decoration
of the White House. The Conservatives
were not restored. however, and SO all the
flowers which are used at White House
| functions come from the Government hot
| houses and prOpagating gardens. Five green
houses there are devoted to pushing and
developing flowers for the White House.
| Four of these green houses are 4S feet wide
and IS feet long. There is a rose house
which is 35 feet feet wide by $50 feet
long.
1t takes world of flowers to decorate
the White House. but they are not used
as lavishly IA they used to be in the old
days when Pfster had the running of
things. In the day of Mrs. Harrison and
Mrs. Mckinley there used to be a regular
forest of flowers in the great east window
of the East Room. and the ceilings of the
parlOrS were often covered from sight with
trailing vines. The mantels of which there
were 10 to decorate, used to be banked
three feet high with plants in full bloom
and rare roses and other cut flowers, long
fringes of Boston ferns falling over the
marble mantels. Now one large bouHuet
in each parlor with about six in the East
Room is all the flowers that are used for
a State function.
y Senator Aldrich declares that he will not
} serve the National Republican Committee
as it's Chairman. 1t is said that the Pres.
} ident would be very well pleased if Mr.
| Aldrich would accept, but he says that he
has not the time to spare for the duties
of such an Office.
!; The Chinese Embassy is to be the scene
of society functions once more. 1t has
, been, in times past, one of the gorgeous en-.
tertaining embassies of the National Capt..
, tai. Usually the ambassadors and Min.
listers have been bachelors, however, or OF
the caste which did not permit women to
appear in public, so that. of course, WON
en- could not be entertained at the En-
bassy. Sir Chentung Liang Cheng, the
, Chinese ambassador, is a widOwer, but
: two of his Secretaries have wives, and they
will come to the Embassy next week. They
are Mrs. Chow Tsgchi and Mrs. Chu, who
are coming from Canton to join their hus
bands.
, They tell pretty little story about the
8 Countess Cassini and how she lifted CLOUD
from negotiations between Iii Hung Chane
! and Count Cassini when they were trying
! to agree on the famous Chinese treaty. l,
: seemed about to fall through because the
Chinese interpreter was stupid or not dis
, posed to help out matters between a Rus
sian who could not speak Chinese and q
Chinaman who could not speak a word oil
, anything but Chinese. The Russian En-
bassador felt that he could not trust the
go-between in so important a matter, ant
the treaty was about to fail Suddenly lit
q tie Countess Cassini. then a child of 10 OF
II. came in from the gardens, where sht
i had been at play, laughing and rompin,
| with her dog. She did not know the dis
tinguished company that was present al
: the Russian Embassy. but her uncle pre-
) scented her to the Chinese Minister. ant
when she addressed him she did so in hi'
own tongue.
!. Ii Hung Chang Immediately asked he
e to translate for him to her uncIe-now hel