Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-01-25
BITS OF WASHINGTON LIFE.
Minor scenes and Incidents Sketehed
on the Spot.

on the spot.
While weighty affairs OF state receive
proper attention at the White House, by
far the most perplexing problem in sight
is whether the coming White House we'd
ding will be an official one or a family
affair. The house lie divided the sub
ject a majority favorins the family we'd
ding while the minority thinks oflcial
wedding would be Just too sweet for any
thing" BY the way, the minority is Miss
Alice Roosevelt and she is given the veto
power.
The Washington correspondent OF the
New York Tribune says Mrs. Roosevelt Is
In favor OF having present a social rather
than an official body, such as the relatives
OF the two families and the close personal
friends, leaving. perhaps. Invitations to
reception to cover officialdom. Miss Roose-
welt. however, who has all OF her fathers
democracy, would like to have every MEM
her of the house, from the speaker down,
see his colleague married.
The matter OF guests is still one OF in
decision, but must necessarily be decided
within a few days. The wedding party is
certain to be a small one. the ceremony
will take place in the East room and Miss
Roosevelt will be unaccompanied by any
one of womankind. Miss Ethel Roosevelt
will not be her sisters maid Of honor.
An interesting and exceedingly pretty
feature of the wedding. which is still so
far as can he learned. simply the sug-
gestion of girl friends. Is that Miss Ethel
be flower girl, while the two younger boys
of the family. Quentin, the youngest, and
Archibald. next I'm line, also be flower
bearers. This. so far. is merely the fancy
of friends The paramount question is,
where to draw the dividing line between
the guests to witness the ceremony and
those to attend the breakfast and recep-
ton afterward, Miss Roosevelt wishing
every one invited to be present at both.
The invitations for the wedding of Miss
Alice Roosevelt and Mr.. Nicholas Long
worth arc being engraved in Washington
There will be, 1t is said, 5000 invitations
to the reception. The invitation reads:
The President and Mrs Roosevelt
request the honor Of your presence
! daughter,
Alice Lee,
and
Mr.. Nicholas Longworth,
saturday February seventeenth,
from twelve-thirty to three o'clock.
| in the White House.
The cards for the wedding will be en-
closed to relatives, friends and officials.
This sc read simply, Ceremony at II
! o'clock" These are small, plain cards of
! the very simplest style. Neither the cere-
| mony cards nor the Invitations to the re-
| ception bear the golden eagle so familiar
/ to all who receive invitations from the
! White House. This crest is for state and
| official functions only.
| che invitations will not be sent out until
! next week. There will be between ZOO and
! 1900 people, at least, at the reception.
Secretary Taft is "a great admirer of
: Speaker Cannon. He insists, too, that
Uncle Joe" looks like Abraham Lincoln.
! The secretary was at the capitol few days
ago and while walking through the speak
er's lobby met Mr.. Cannon. Hello. there,
! Abe; how are you. Abe?" exclaimed the
! secretary. Mr.. Secretary" said the
speaker in a low voice, don't say that
out loud; you'll break poor old Uncle
Shelbys' heart; It's been his stock in trade
for 10! these thirty years.
| An old employee of the house of represen-
tatives is to receive a most substantial
testimonial from the members of the house
in March, when he completes nifty years
service. The employe is Captain John T.
CLANCY. He has been on the rolls for
nearly half a century, under both demo-
cratic and republican organizations. He is
now carried as d Specldl eIlplOye. SOile-
times he has been assistant doorkeeper.
sometimes a messenger and sometimes an
assistant sergeant-at-arms. The testi-
monial is TO be the mortgage on his home.
a modest little house on Capitol Hill. He
owes between 1900 and 5000. The menu
bers have made up a fund of about that
amount and any shortage there may be be-
tween the fund and the amount OF the mort
gage when the exact figures are known
will be supplied by the wealthy members
who have the matter In charge Captain
CLANCY is one of those rare individuals who
always knows where to get what is needed
and apparently to be able to anticipate
what will be asked for. He knows every
thing about the papers that are to be found
In the Capitol.
There is one phase OF the withdrawal Of
patronage from insurgent republican con-
gressmen." says the Philadelphia Ledger
correspondent, that Is not altogether dis
tressing to them, II has noticeably eased
the pressure on them by anxious constitu-
ents, who yearn for the chance TO sign
their names TO government vouchers of
some sort-salary, pension or what not.