Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-01-08
NEWS FROM
WASHINGTON

New Years day at the National
Capitol this year was marked by the
usual festivities and a fine, bracing
temperature with sunshine contribu-
ted to the making of the gayest of all
the days of the year. The President
to whom 1t mems about fifteen hours
of hard work held his usual public
reception and as this will be the last
opportunity for the ordinary citizen
to shake hands with Dir. Roosevelt
in the White House the number who
stood in line to be received" this
year was unusually large. Even
two hours before time She line had
begun to form at the White House
gates and by one O'Clock when the
public reception began it extended
for several blocks. 1t was the aver
age good humored crowd that gath.
cred though and during the wesry
cold hours which it waited patiently
TO be admitted and showed by the
Chief Executive there was no sign Of
disturbance or discomfort The pres
ldent seemed in high spirits and tho
H.. requires remarkable unfailing
good humor and tact to deal with
his yearly throng he seemed on this
occasion to be supplied with an ad-
ded amount OF enthusiasm and the
hearliuess with which he grasped
he hand of each visitor made it im
possible to believe that he was not
AS he said "dee-hghted" to greet
each and every one of them. There
were many excursionists from other
cities and towns who had come for
the purpose of taking this, their last
opportunity to shake his hand. At
aleven O'Clock the President and Mrs
Roosevelt and theil debutante daugh
ter joined the receiving party in the
Blue Room and the Cabinet officials
and Foreign Diplomatic, Army and
Navy officers and sprinkling of
Senators and Representatives were
welcomed. There were several inter
esting figures among the Diplomatic
corps and when Baron Mayer des
Planches the Italian Ambassador
came forward the President retained
mis- hand while he expressed his
heartfelt sympathy for the King and
Queen of Italy in the terrible disas.
ter in their country. The Baron in
reply thanked the President for the
generous action of the Government
in sending a supply ship to the
stricken district. At last years re.
ception Baron Van Sternberg, the
German Am bassador was dean of the
corps and led the brilliant procession
of diplomats. His place was taken
this year by his successor. Count
Bernstorff who as the latest addition
to the corps was tho last to greet the
President, and his wife, who is an
attractive American woman, made
her first entrance in the White
House. Another Interesting figure
was that of the Chinese envoy,
Prince Tang Shao vi who came here
few weeks ago with large suite to
present the thanks CT the Chinese
Government for the return of the
surplus Boxer indemnity fund and
incidentally it is said to make an of
fort to effect a treaty between the
two countries. He is a big hand.
some Chinaman of distinguished
manners and most gorgeous costumes
At one O'Clock the ladies of the Cab
met, and the wives of the prominent
officials with Mrs, Fairbanks and
Miss Cannon the daughter of the
Speaker hurried away to their homes
to prepare for their receptions which
began at two O'Clock and continued
thruout the afternoon. Then the
public was admitted TO the White
House and until three O'Clock with.
out rest or intermission the Presi-
dent greeted those who had waited
since early morning for admittance,
When at last the doors were closed
the line of disappointed ones who
were turned away was still more
than a block in length. This con
cluded the largest and the last of the
Presidents New Years receptions
during a seven years administration
He entertained a large number at
luncheon ard again IN the evening
welcomed number of his personal
friends aud officials at dinner, man.
aging sometime in the interim be.
tween luncheon and dinnsr to get in
a sharp ride on horseback thru the
park.
The earthquake horror in Italy