Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-02-12
LONGW0RTH NOT RICH
Wedding Gifts to Miss Alice Based on
Mistaken Idea.
MAGNiFlcENCE SURPRISES REASON
White House is Taxed to Accommodate
Many Tokens of Esteem.
SILVER ENOUGH 10 STOCK HOTEL
Gold and Cut Glass Worth Hundreds Of
Thousands OF Dollars
SILVER ENOUGH TO STOCK HOTEL |
PUNCH BOWLS AND cAsOtLABRAs GALORE
Presents Pour I'm ns for Royal We'd
ding that VIII Have No Place I'm
Home of Poor Congressman
and American Bride.
lrrom a stan Correspondent

WASHINGTON. Feb IL. -- Especially -
Presents to the bride-elect Of Congressman
Nicholas Longworth continue to be received
at the White House and the storage ca
pacity of the historic building is taxed to
It's utmost TO accommodate the gifts which
the friends Of Miss Alice Roosevelt are
showerlng upon her. These presents are
NJ for princess or the bride OF a mining
king. But as much cannot he said for
them when it is remembered that neither
the bride nor the groom is wealthy.
There is erroneous impression through
out the country that the brdegroom-to he
is millionaire. Tho fact is, MIR. Long
worth has literally nothing aside from his
salary member of the house OF repre-
sentatiyes His mother has moderate
fortune, but nothing compared with that
with which she is credited AS for Miss
Roosevelt herself, she has neither money
nor expectations. according TO the declara-
tions of those who are posted intimately
on the affairs of the presidents family.
II the bridegroom had been as
wealthy as he is credited with being 1t is
natural to infer that he would install his
bride In house commensurate In it's APP
, pointments with his income. Yet the house
which has been leased is no better than
those occupied by scores of Mr.. Long
worth's colleagues who depend entirely
upon their salaries members for sup
port. Reports of the character of the pres
ents which have already been received or
on their way indicate that the givers
have gone upon the assumption that the
young people able TO live in an atmos-
phere of regal magnifcence.
Dimcult to Select Present
We cannot give them anything in silver
without duplicating some other gift" said
a member of the New York delegation
when the question of a present was being
discussed. Il have learned that the best
silver and goldsmlths of the country have
exhausted their ingenuity in designing beau
tiful gifts. Already the White House is
filled with enough silverware to stock the
vaults of score OF dukes and not even
the London Guilds those repositories of
silver plate, can approach the magnifeence
of the display that has been sent to the
presidents daughter" And then the dele
CATION decided upon service of faveile
glass. But glass is not needed. either, ac-
cording to reports. for II is said that enough
specimens of high art in cut crystal have
been received to stock dozen houses as
large that selected by the congressman
for his bride.
In fact, II appears that hundreds of thou
sands of dollars have been generously ex-
pended by the legion OF friends of the bride
ana groom, VINO nave NleQ with eacn other
in selecting something magnificent The
useful has been almost entirely ignored
Tho days when chest of linen was con-
sidered one of the essential presents to a
bride have passed away. No one thought
of purchasing house and furniture be-
cause every one believed such a present
would not only be unnecessary, but really
offensive, and perhaps it would have been
20 regarded. But certainly Mrs. Longworth
will experience great difficulty in finding
use for half dozen gold and silver punch
bowls, fifteen or twenty silver candelabra
and score Of epergnes of great value and
much beauty, but of doubtful utility There
are said to be bronZes enough to fill a room
and sllverware sufficient to stock a modern
hotel In fact, as asserted above, the pres
ents would do credit 10 an eastern princess.
but they will doubtless prove burdensome
TO tho sensible American Girl who on next
Saturday will be united TO a well-bred, up
to-date, brainy American congressman with
future before him, but no bank account to
speak OF.
Making Hotel Into Clubhouse.
Carpenters plasterers and painters are
Transforming the historic Chamberlain
hotel, that for years has stood at the cor.
ssr Of Fifteenth and streets into a club
heese, family hotel or residence Here in
the olden days. when John Chamberlain
was alive and the king of hotel men of his
generation, senators. representatives, gov.
ernors. financiers. the captains OF industry
mine owners. army and navy officers and
the bon vivants OF a decade ago clinked
glasses and made merry. Here the details
OF legislation were worked out Here mer
we're promoted or denoted. and within the
historic prnce now being remodeled the
worlds best stories have been told Johr
Char pha-la oil IfaA tV Tka-
died the hostelry which bore his nam,
began 70 show signs OF decay and although
efforts. were made TO keep the house run.
ming and retain the atmosphere that pre-
vailed in Chamberlain's time, was unsuc
oessful and for the last four years the rat.
and mice have held unlimited sway.
James G.. Blaine lived in the second house
now occupied by the Chamberlain club
and Ex-Governor Swan of Maryland liyec
in the house adjoining and which was in
cludsd in the Chamberlain hotel during III,
nourishing days OF his regime.
Some OF the most fastidious parties AM
feasts have spiced the history OF this OLD
place and some OF the most noted sportin,
events have been pulled on here No
that there have been prize fights within
its walls, but the sporting events TO whicl
reference is made include the tremendou
poker games which We're almost a night,
occurrence during the lifetime of job,
Chamberlain. An anecdote connected witt
the hotels history is that of John Cham
berlains pat hand. The story as II ha
drifted down from the misty past con
Germs Chamberlain and former Kentuck,
senator. One night when the wind wa
blowing a gale and snow was piling Il
drifts ON Washington streets, a coterie o
congenial spirits were In Chamberlain
back room, among them being Rosco
Conksng and a member OF Presiden
Hayes cabinet. The Kentucky senator
who for identification shall be calle
"Phl" sauntered in and seated himsel
In front OF John Chamberlain. There wa
a pack of cards on the table at whic