Middletown transcript., 1906-02-24
WASHINGTON LETTER
W WAsnINaroN. D. c. Feb. Il, l9O0.

4 he RIl6elS Ol Dusin0SS etOPPCo Hi
= Washington today while the daughter
of the President was led to the alter.
Miss Alice Roosevelt was married to Re
preventative Nicholas Longworth at noon
by Bishop Satterlee and all of Washing
ton not bidden to the White House f,r Il g
ceremony watched and waited white the
nuptials were performed. 1t was the most
notable wedding that the Capital has ever
known. Miss Roosevelt was the third
White House bride. This in itself was
distinction. But never before has a
White House wedding attracted such at
tention. Never before has there been
such distinguished gathering Of society
people in the mansion and certainly
never before has there been such an array
of wedding gifts. Every country in, the
civilized world, even China is included
in that category, was represented in the
tributes that were showered on the bride. |
Longworth too was re-
membered in way. But it was not his
day. The young Ohio member, who has
already won for himself very fair repu-
tation as a new Congressman was dis
tinctly not in tile running. He was an
adjunct to the ceremony, but that was
all, and that was as it should be. Mis-
Alice was the object of interest.of the day
and continued to be till the couple quietly
stole away toward evening in an electric
brougham for thehoneymoon, which it is
will be spent in a county
just outside of Washington.
W
The Executive offices at the White
House were closed all day. There was
no business transacted for the first time
perhaps since Mr.. Roosevelt has been
President. Promptly at 10 A. NJ, the
gates of the White House were closed
and thereafter there was no entrance
without one of the magic admission cards.
There were little short of a thousand
guests present, a.gathering that crowded
to the utmost the East Room where the
ceremony was performed. Only ten rep
of the press were present,
the three members of the local papers,
The three press associations and four per.
sonal newspaper friends of Representative
Longworth and the President. But So
,iety was represented from all quarters of
.he country. There were the members
If the two families, the justices of the
Supreme Court and members of the Cabi.
net, the members of the Senate who had
held cabinet positions, and the
general run Of invited guests whoincldded
most of the people Of prominence whose
names usually appear in the society col
INNS of the New York papers.
*x*
The wedding ceremony was performed
'y Bishop Satterlee, standing under an
Irch of palms on the west side of the
Cast Room. There would have been a.
UNCLE of greenery about the improvised
4ltar but for the firm protest made by the
'ride-to-be yesterday. She had put her
oot down firmly against having the whole
Gene shut off by palms and ferns from
he very people who had come to witness
t, and at her order the taller plants had
'een moved back to the wall SO that there
vas reasonably d pr space in front.
~
The service was brief but impressive as
he words and the occasion warranted.
he party moved almost Immediately
fterward to the breakfast room where
here was buffet luncheon for the most
t the guests in the Blue Room. The |
ewly married couple, President and {
Irs. Roosevelt and about sixty of the 8
uests sat down to the wedding breakfast I
n the Green Room. The breakfast lasted G
yell into the afternoon. Then came the ,
most interesting and least advertised part I
( the performance. Mr.. Longworth and s
lis bride quietly effaced themselves and 1
eft the house in an electric brougham,
ne of a dozen precisely alike, that were t
'arked back of the White House, In it '
hey drove away to the country house s
where they will spend the honeymoon. II
~ 9
This part of the performance was dis =
inctly not on the program. There had !
'een deal of speculation for week or !;
o as to the plans of the young couple. 1t
lad been all arranged for them that they
Tere to go South and spend week or two
n Florida. But it was well known what
this would entail and what in
well meant curiosity on the ;
art Of the public would cause. So per- :
onal friend of the family, himself resi-
ent OF Washington, offered the use OF a
lis country place just outside the city and i
ghen Mr.. and Mrs. Longworth left the
White House they did SO quietly and
rove direct to the residence that had
een prepared for them. They will re-
ldIhl UAiCiC lCi dOOub a hSOh anu bIlSIl re-
urn to Washington. During the whole ,
me they will never be out of direct tele-
hone communication with the White P
louse and within easy automobiIing dis q
ance of it. This turn of affairs was not u
nown to many of the correspondents in '
Washington and elaborate preparations y
ad been made TO track the couple to
heir private car on one of the southern C
Dads. But the plans OF number of en- r.
erprising newspapers went wrong at the n
ast moment and the bride and groom
ill in all probability be enabled to en-
" a week or Hoeof each others society
by newspapers or the in
uires of any but their intimate friends. 4