The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-01-29
GOING TO A WHITE HOUSE RECEPTION

hand but it seems there are others
ahead of them. After standing there
for nearly an hour, while now and
then some army or navy officer or
some senator passes by, being priv
LEGGED the line begins slowly to
move. In this line are all sorts of
people, you know, though not quite
as "all sorts" as were in the line on
New Years day. But there are all
ages of men and women, and they
come from pretty nearly all the sets
of people usually termed Washing
ton sasiety," There are members of
congress, chiefs of bureauX, secreta-
ries to congressman, under secreta-
ries of legations with their wives and
daughters, sometimes with their sis
ters and cousins and aunts, to whom
have been given tickets. And all
alike stand in the line and wait, and
frOWn, and some frown audibly.
In the White House.
In due season the line moves slow
ly on, up through the basement of
the white house, where until the in
auguratiOn of Roosevelt and ROose-
welt days the executive offices were,
and on up the steps. About the time
YOU get to the top of the steps and
find yourself on the main floor of
the white house you are greeted with
harmonious swells of a magnificent
orchestra. The United States Marine
Band is playing in the large open
space just inside the front entrance.
~ xi
presidents private dining room,
through the large state dining room,
where the walls are prOfusely decor
ated with animal heads, through the
81 Red Room adjoining this, and into
the BLUE Room" Stationed all
the Blue Room" Stationed all along
have passed men, one on each side,
sometimes in uniform and sometimes
without, who stare at you and run
their eyes all oyer you. They were
trying to see if you looked danger
Gus. Possibly you might be carrying
a deadly weapon about your person.
The Pump Handle Man.
AS you arrive at the BLUE Room"
you see a very vigorous and nervous
looking man shaking hands as if he
were working pump handle, or
rather as if he himself were the |
pump and every person who passed |
by were giving the handle one pump. |
\ very important looking function |
AIRY at the door asks you your name |
You whisper the name as you blush, |
hoping that it will not be heard, be- |
,ause you have a sort of feeling that |
everybody ought to know who you !
are without asking. The function |
airy, though, sings out in a loud voice, |
50 that all in the room can hear it, |
Mr. Anderson that is, if your
lame happens to be Anderson. You
walk up, give the pump handle a
,igorous pump, the pump shows his
eeth. and says Il am dee-lighted
lie literally says this, too. There is
10 fake about it. He said that to
nc.
To the right of the president stands
/ long line of ladies' You do not
know who these are and nobody tells
'ou. They are dressed up in the
inest sort of clothes and of the latest |
tyle; that is, you suppose so. They
It least look as If they think SO, and
hat is all that is necessary. Some
If them smile at you as you pass by,
nd this embarrasses you very much,
you are timid like I am, for you
IOn't know whether they expect you
o go up and shake hands with them
II whether they are just laughing
It you for being so abashed.
The Receiving LINE. 4
l did not go up and shake hands \
With them, though, because they
,ept their hands tightly folded.
.on't know what they were there for,
Unless it was simply to kind of set
If the president and furnish the So
iety reporters a list of names to
ublish in the Receiving line
The large East room of the white
ouse, where the magnificent chan
eliers with six thousand pieces of
ut glass in each, and where have
'een enacted the scenes of some of
he most brilliant" Il believe that S
he world weddings in the history
# this country, is a goodly sized ball
DOM. Into this the four thousand
uests poured after working the
Jump handle, and thence they scat
cred themselves around about the