The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-26
Special to The Tribune.

Special TO The Tribune.
WASHINGTON, Dec. o5.-Old
Father Time turns back whole chapter
in his book OF years on January first,
at the national capital for everyone i'll
official life goes calling, and one is re-
minded of the day when stately danes
kept open house and offered egg nog
! and punch 10 gentlemen in powdered
wigs, broidered waistcoats, knee breeches
and silver buckles, when healths were
drunk in lordly bumpers, and no man
knew his own doorstep by the dawn of
another day. This beautiful city,
watched over by tho statues of bygone
heroes, set apart i'll grassy circles, is
the only one IN America which has pre-
served the courtly custom of New Year
calls, though today it is confined almost
exclusively TO people in official life, and
the temperance wave has banished from
many sJdeboard the wines and cordials
i'll which bcamIng eyes were toasted IN
The convivial long ago.
There arc no Colonial costumes seen
III the streets nowadays. but the army
and navy and diplomatic corps furnish
picturesque features to mako New Year S
day III Washington delightful TO remcm-
Der.
Strenuous Day for President.
It is strenuous day for The presi-
dent and his wife, and for the wife Of
the vice president and the ladies of the
cabinet. The latter must be present and
assist ut the public reception at the
white house from II n. m. to l
p. m, when the visitors gathering as
early rs $3.50 In the morning stretch in
patient lines clear down to Pennsylvania
avenue, waiting each in turn to shake
hands with the president of the United
States and be hustled along TO make way
for another eager caller. The vice-presi~
dent S wife and the cabinet ladies 90
home from this public function aud
make ready to receive their own callers.
at clock in the afternoon, when
son.
Breakfast to All Nations
a breakfast to the nations of the
Garth; this is what the present secretary
of state, following the example of his
predecessors, Will give at his own resi-
dence, TO the entire diplomatic corps on
New Year S morning. 1t will be buffet
breakfast, and Secretary and Mrs. Knox
will greet each country IS representative,
from the English ambassador to the new
~ arrived Chinese minister, and the
brand new Baron Uchida from Japan,
and the representative of the very small
est Of the congress of nations.
Cabinet Ladies Entertain.
All the cabinet ladies will keep open
house on New Year. with the possible OK
ception of Miss Wilson, daughter of the
secretary of agriculture. Mrs. Nagcl
has been in ST. Louis for some time with
her sister. who has been ILL., but il is
expected that she Will reach home in
time 10 dispense the beautiful old courtc-
sizes of New \ ear, with the assistance of
her daughter, Miss Nagcl who is spend
ing her first session at the capital. The
Won l.. Meyer reception ut the home of
the secretary of the navy Will probably
be one of the most brilliant. for the
secretary has two delightful daughters,
who will asst their mother in doing
The honors to the naval set, These young
ladies are not twins, but they have Il
fad of dressing exactly alike. and in The
shops and on the streets, and at the
many functions where they arc seen, one
can scarcely tell them apart. They feel
rather aggricved that the Nicaraguan
unpleasautness should have come up Just
at the holiday season. for several Of the
best cotiIliou leaders and most attractive
of the Young naval officers have been
sc2t TO the scene of action, and even the
annual naval ball may be given up in
consequence,
Precedent for Pretty Custom,
Mrs. Dickinson; wife of the secretary
Of war, has set the precedent for 2
pretty custom. for she has planned TO
surround herself OH New Years day
with the Young buds of the army set,
daughters of the chiefs OF StafGs and gen