The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-02-23
Wedding Performed in the Presence
Of Hundreds of Guests.
POPULAR COUPLE UNITE HEARTS,
All the People Bestow Congratulations
Upon the Happy National
Sweethearts."
Especial to The Free Press

Washington, Feb. l7.-No social event
in the history of this country has ever
attracted as much interest in all sections
of the country and among all classes of
the population, as the wedding of Alice
Roosevelt, eldest daughter of President
Roosevelt, to Congressman Nicholas
Longworth of Ohio. The popularity of
Miss Roosevelt's father, coupled with
the undenable fact that all the world
loves Il lover, particularly if that lover
is the daughter of the chief executive
of the country and has cndeared herself
by her naturalness and democratic ways
has made the wedding of Miss Roose-
welt national event in the full sense
near being considered an international
event, and, to some extent, has assum-
ed that character, although President
Roosevelt with true democratic spirit,
tried his best to prevent it, There was
time when Frances Folsom, who be-
came the wife of President Cleveland,
while the latter was in Office, was the
most popular woman in the country,
but her popularity and the interest tax
en- in the great event of her life, were as
nothing compared with the universal
and sympathetic interest thaken every
where in Alice Roosevelt's wedding.
The Last Preparations.
For many weeks the preparations for
the joyful event at the White House
had been going on, and during the last
few days. an incredible amount of work
had been done in the line of decorating
the various rooms and arranging matters
for the reception of the large number of
invited guests. But, after all, a great
deal remained to be done during the last
few hours preceding the ceremony.
From early morning there was fevcrish
activity in all parts of the White
House The florists and decorators put
the finishing touches upon their work
begun yesterday. Servants arranged
furniture. removed the traces of the ac-
tivity of the decorators and florists and
gave every part of the executive man.
sion. which was to be thrown open on
this occasion last overhauling and
cleaning.
In the kitchen and pantry the cooks
and caterers were busy preparing the
loads of refreshments which were to be
served at the wedding luncheon and i'll
instructing the small army of walters
in regard to their duties during the af
fair.
Express and delivery wagons arrived
in rapid succession, unloading supplies,
wedding presents and express packages,
messengers arrived with letters and
packages. others left in haste to attend
to some belated GRAND, loads of mail
matter were delivered and turned over
to the secretaries and clerks, to be look
ed over and sifted out.
Arrival of the Guests.
The beginning of the ceremony had
been set for high noon. but the first
carriages with guests began to arrive
shortly after eleven o'clock, and when
the noon hour approached, there was an
uninterrupted line of carriages deposit
ing their occupants at the hospitable
door of the White House.
1t had been intended to limit the
number of guests who were to be pre-
sent at the wedding in the East room to
$50, but it is safe to say that this num-
Der was exceeded by several hundred.
Notwithstanding their generous proper
tions the East room, the large main cor
rider and the adjoining rooms were fill
ed to their capacity by the time the
ceremony began. 1t was a brilliant as
scmbage which filed the magniliccntiy
decorated rooms Women in beautiful
gowns, men of distinguished appear
ance. in military uniforms, the rich gart
of the diplomatic corps or the less pic
turesque costume prescribed for ordinary
civilians at monday functions of this
character, crowded the space reserved
for the invited guests and awaited pa
tiently the beginning of the ceremony.
The Wedding Ceremony.
A few minutes before noon Bishop
Satterlee of Washington and the Rev
Roland Cotton Smith, rector. of st
Johns Episcopal church, who were tc
perform, respectively assist in the cere
mony, arrived in the East room ant
took their places within the enclosure OF
white ribbons. forming a barrier around
the floral altar A few minutes later
the bridegroom, accompanied by hi:
best man. Mr. Thomas Nelson Perkins
entered the room and took their posi-
tions at the side of the altar, where
they awaited the arrival of the brida
party Several of the aides to the pres