Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-10
READY To GREET TAFT
New Orleans Prepared to
Honor Next President.
PLANS FOR THE RECEPTION
City in Gala Attire, With Varied
Program Arranged.
BIG BANQUET FRIDAY NIGHT
Finest Food Procurable Will Be
Served-No Alarm Felt Re
garding the Storm.
PLANS FOR THE RECEPTION
BIG BANQUET FRIDAY NIGHT

PORT EADS. via New Orleans, Febru-
airy 1O-Wireless communications received
here today say that William ii. Taft and
his party are reported 200 miles off the
passes at the mouth of the Mississippi
river. He is due to- arrive at South Pass
at midnight
NEW ORLEANS, February 10.-Al-
though the time scheduled for the arrival
in this city of William H. Taft is still
many hours off, New Orleans was today
already prepared to greet the distin-
guished visitor. who is expected to land at
3 O'Clock Thursday afternoon on his re-
turn to- the United States from Panama.
a wireless message last night bore the
news to the city of the arrival at the
mouth of the river of the scout cruiser
Birmingham, which will lie in the ofting
until the North Carolina and Montana
are sighted and will then prepare for the
transfer of the President-elect. who will
leave the North Carolina off South Pass
and will come up the river on the Bir-
mingham.
City in Gala Attire.
A heavy thunderstorm late yesterday
afternoon played havoc with many of the
honor of the next President, and caused
anxiety on the part of those who imag-
ined the storm was also raging in the
gulf The decorations were replaced
early today, however. and mariners gave
assurances that the North Carolina could
not possibly have made such fast speed
as to have gotten within the storm area.
Already requests are reaching this CITY
from towns along the route between New
Orleans and Cincinnati asking that Mr..
Taft be notified of their desire for him to
make speeches and acknowledge their
welcome.
Plans for the Banquet.
While civic and military parades
tours to points of historic interest and
receptions are all to play prominent
part in the entertainment during his
two DAYS stay in New Orleans, it is
| very apparent that the $2J-a plate
! banquet Friday night is to be MADE
the principal feature of the visit.
| 1t is planned to bring the list of those
subscribing to the banquet up to the
| 900 mark, SO cost will not be a de-
| terrent factor in the success of the
feast.
The very finest fish and game which
! can be procured within hundred miles
of. New Orleans will be used in prepar-
| ing the dishes all of which will BE-
| cooked a la Creole by most skilhul
| chefs.
Deciding on the Menu.
| Many imaginary menus have been
made up and circulated as the official
! bill of fare but the chefs and others
are still busy considering just what
shall be served Some insist upon
| ''poulet creole" young chickens stuffed
! with fresh mushrooms. while others
! declare that teal duck with carefully
| prepared pecan nut butter would he
much more appetiZing. Many favor
crawtish bisque. but others hold out for
the old-fashioned creole gumbo The
| fish Will be either pompano or sheep
head and ii will be cooked in wine
| There will be a fruit salad in which
the principal ingredients will be pine
apples. bananas. oranges. grapefruit
celery and a rich creole dressing. Bis
cult glace. pralines of cocoanut ana
other sweet things will serve for the
last courses.
Old cellars have been ransacked and
wines of rare vintage unearthed for the
occasion. There will be MontiIlado
Chateau Lafitte and many other fine old
wines which. according to the chefs. have
been stored away for so many years tha,
rakes will be required to separate them
| from the cobwebs formed over the bot
ties.
Serving of Cafe Broulot.
a feature of the banquet is to he the
serving of the cafe nroulot. Several hun
dred silver bowls have been secured and
the coffee. rich with the aroma of spices
and cognac. will be stirred with lonc
silver ladies by darkies chanting old creole
songs while the alcohol is burning
Cardinal Gibbons. who will pronounce
the Invocation at the banquet arrived in
New Orleans last night.