The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-01-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.


The holidays have nearly passed and
social and POLITICAL Washington are paus.
ug for a moment before making plunge
into its characteristic winter dissipation.
The President and his entire family are
away az their new old Virginia home.
Why they ever selected home in that
out of the way, inaccessible locality is
doubtless known to themselves. 1t ap-
pears to be kind of hunting box for the
President ard his bows and kind Of
nerve restorer for Mrs Roosevelt. Geo
graphically it is near by'' as the saying
is. The distance in miles is not great,
perhaps half as far as New York, but the
time on the train when the train is on
time is farther than New York City and
there is a twelve mile ride over Virginia
roads after arrival at the little station in
the mud. But the lives even of Presi-
dents and their families must have the
spice of variety and no doubt the contrast
between this little country house of six
or seven rooms and the glitter, glare and
care of the Capital is good for head and
heart and perhaps for soul
x*x
There will be the usual number of Off
cial calls at the White House on New
Years Day beginning with reception to
the Ambassadors, Foreign Ministers and
other representatives of friendly powers
and, as on all previous occasions, all
powers that are friendly with the United
States. But beyond the calls, called off
cial and including those made at the
White House and upon the different
Cabinet officers by Army and Navy off
thought that there will not be the usual
social observances that has characterized
the New Years of the past. For several
years there has been marked decrease
in the number of houses that are opened
on New Years Day for the reception of
callers and no member oe the fashionable
or exclusive set, either official or resident
now publishes in the newspapers as for
me-ly the announcement that she will be
at home with number of her young
lady friends to receive all who may call
The decline of the custom is due to
several reasons. Perhaps the first and
foremost was the fact that the custom
grew too common and was too easy of
Imitation. A lady whose callers would
have been from the Diplomatic and high
est official ranks would see her announce.
ment beside that of some person she
would not have recognized for any price
or even occasionally beside that of her
cook who had perhaps selected that day
for her debut Instead of seeing baskets
for receiving cards al only the mansions
one might even see them suspended from
broken door. bells in Goat Alley, the
haunt of the dusky fashiouables. This
was most important reason but there
were others. If it grew common to be
common to be among those who called
Originally the reception was intended by
the hostess and those who received with
her for their friends but il grew to include
acquaintance and from that extended to
those whom the ladies had never seen
before. Carriages hired by four or FIVE
| men in rented dress suits stopped at doors
+ that would never have been opened on
any other occasion TO the more or less
| tipsy callers. Splendid drawing rooms
were stormed by the rabble of this and
other cities and the newspaper announce
ment that certain great ladies were at
home for the afternoon on New Years
was considered license for the iceman,
gasman and grocer's clerk to come and
drink punch and stare at the pretty girls
of the smartest social set That of course
finished New Years entertaining among
the exclusive, but it is custom that has
died hard and has taken many years to
kill. A few scattered announcements
still appear in the New Years eve edi-
tions Of the papers aud on New Years
afternoon one may still see few night
liners filled with cheerful Johnnies max
ing long detours of the fashiona We
streets to the obscurer quarters where
very nice but certainly not fashionable
young ladies are excitedly awaiting their
coming.
wv
The report of the Isthmian Canal Com
mission has just been given out and is
the subject of much interest and discus
sion among the members of the lower
House and the Senate many of whom re-
main in Washington during the holidays.
IT appears that the Canal through san
Nary work has been madeTA health resort, |
Ast this is the sarcastic way in which |