The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-02
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people in society whlle they have meant
| little 10 those outside Of IL other than
The qualification of having been remem
bered by the first m1n i'll the land. The
desire for il Is eating the hearts out of
scores of women in Washington today;
while its receipt is a matter of indiffcr
eDcc TO other scores who do not 60 in
for that sort OF thing. The social secrc
taries could tell if they would Of stories
of false prctcnsc that might have Sc
cured millions and of questionable
methods that have been employed 10 OBJ
tain these coveted invitations. There
Is, on the other hand, tho congressman
and the Official who care nothing for
them and give their cards 10 their see
rctaries or constituents from the forks
oe the creek to use al will, There is the
flood of applications for invitations well
endorsed aud may be approved or not
III accordance of the white house.
Lists Gut to the Bone.
| II is In respect 10 this matter Of in
viiations that Mrs Taft is inaugurating
one of the most marked changes in So
cIal Washington. The lists arc this
year 10 be chi to the bone. Where 5000
people attended the Roosevelt receptions
| but 1000 viii go TO the white house 10
meet thc Tafts, The health Of the first
lady Of the land has something TO do
with this changed order of things. The
Rooscvets let the bars down to great
bordcs of people. congressman and per
sonal friends might well request invita-
tions for their friends for the Roosc-
| vclts were likely TO acccdc to them.
| The attendance at the receptions was
most democratic a frock coat,
tuxedo. a street suit, even n sblrtwalst
and skirt have been seen at the Roose-
welt receptions The diplomatic corps
| nal, oil To- GnI IN
press grave fear for our standing in the
ewes of the world because Of these IN
novationS, but the chief executive shook
he hands of the wearcrs and worried
not at all.
Number of Guests Limited.
But Mrs. Taft is 10 greatly limit the
number Of guests. To shake the hands
Of 5000 people IN two hours is no mean
task and only the most strenuous will
ingIv attempts IT.. Mr.. Taft viii shake
1000 hands, bu1 for that thousand he
will do more than was done for the
greater number, They will be served
with something TO eat! Here is rciuve'
mated an idea that has laid dormant for
generation. Visitors at the white
house were formerly given something to
eat but the custom was abandoned
many Years ago, II is to be revived and
through this season at least all who
gram offers an additional prctext for
the curtailmcnt of the invitation list.
Will Attend But One Reception.
Tho outlook is not so bad as it might
appear, however. TO the socially aspir
ing The Tafts will probably get around
10 almost as many people rs did the
Rooseyclts, but nobody will receive au
invitation 10 more than one reception.
Members of congress were formerly in
vitcd TO three out OF four of the rcccp-
| tions and many other individuals came
in for more than one. This wear this
. system will be discontinued and but one
I call to the mecca of social ambitions
will be extended. Thus the ground GOV
cred may be extended to comparatively
] broad circles.
! As TO the manner in which O white
! house reception is conducted the eX-
PLANTATION is simple, To understand il
the idea of the main floor of the white
house must be borne In mind. The cast
room is at one end Of this floor and the
family dining room IS at the other. Be.
! tween them in the rear arc three rooms.
| in which for a hundred years, history
! has been made. These are The red room,
| the blue room and the green room, al
WAYS so styled and decorated in accord
ance Above are tho living rooms of
the president and his family and below
are .the long corridors leading 10 the
east wing,
Trumpet Gives Signal
At clock trumpet is blown on
the main floor informing the president
that the hour is at hand for the reccp.
tion and is signal for tho starting OF
the line of guests The president and
his wife followed by the official family.
the members of the cabinet aud their
wives, descend from above and take
their places in the room, ii 1t happens
to be diplomatic night the foreign rep"
resentatives and their families arc let
in from the southwest gate and arc re.
ccived in advance OF the other guests,
Otherwise there is no precedence. Mem
bers of congress are forced TO take
their place in line with the mass of the
guests and sec no more Of the Official
head Of the nation than do others.
Guests Come Early.
All the other invited guests have
been waiting for half an hour in the
lower halls, People come early TO the
white house receptions for in this way
they get near the head of the line and
they reach the east room before the
dignitaries have gone away The guests
have put away their wraps in the cast
wing. The head Of the line is at thc
top Of The stairs that leads 10 the main
| floor It is solid column Of twos down
stairs. 1t is still solid down the great
hallway whero are displayed the
painted portraits of former masters and
mistrcsses of the white house and of
| rich china and silver they have left to
the mansion as beirlooms, The line is
yet solid through the long hall that
| leads TO the east entrance, u full block
away according to the ordinary method
of measuring. Here again tho line
doubles back on itself in another hall.
WAY and is still solid phalanx for it
| takes long line TO hold 1000 people.
Line Moves Promptly,
At the sound of tho trumpet the line
begins to move, IL crosses the grand
entrance of the white house and secs
the first of the reception rooms in the
dining room. draped with rich tapes
, tries tho gifts Of the empress Of Japan,
who spent $4,000 in baving made a
single hanging for Mrs. Taft. The
heads of great moose and things of the
ILL tI,.i ,,l. ind, al