The National tribune., 1910-01-06
THE NEW YEAR IN WASHINGTON.
White House Center of AttractiOn-Pa-
triotic Societies Keep Open House.


New Years Day in Washington. altho
! preceded by terrible snowstorms and
severe cold turned out to be very pleas
Iant indeed. Almost all the snow had
melted on the city streets or had been
! cleaned away and the air was baImy as
that of day in April. OF course, all
| feet were turned toward the White
I House for the regular New Years Day
reception, which has been one of the
| features at the Presidents home since
| the establishment of the Government
| It was observed in those long-ago days
| in New York City, when President
| Washington and Lady" Washington
waited until their New Years guests
had arrived and then came in in court
" dress and with stately tread marched
about the room, passing greetings of
the season with the guests, who rose to
their feet when the President and his
wife entered the room. The same state
ly ceremonies were carried on at Phila-
delphia and then in Washington, where
Abigail Adams hung her washing to
dry in the great East Room of the
White House and received her guests
in the little crowded-up parlors, be-
moaning the fact that it was impossible
to get wood enough cut to keep fires in
the great fireplaces to heat the rooms
so that her guests could remove their
wraps. But year by year the stately
ceremonies have grown until they have
become positively burdensome.
The receiving line at the White House
always begins with the President; next
him stands the First Lady of the Land,
his wife; then the wife of the Vice
President and then the wives of other
Cabinet officers in line of precedence.
The ceremonies usually begin at Il
o'clock, and are seldom over before
2:30. Between these hours the Presi-
Of Init el., 1e-
with from 5000 to 1000 people and has
"a pleasant word for each. The First
Lady of the Land touches hands with
a very few, mods graciously to many,
but the most of the people pass her by,
as we'll as the other members of the
receiving line, with scarcely glance
1t is the President they want to see, the
President whose hand they want 10
touch, and the women In the line hold
small interest for most of them
Mrs. Taft on New Years Day wore
handsome white satin dress garnitured
with cut crystals and silver lace, dia-
mond necklace and diamond combs,
but she looked worn and pale and has
grown very thin. She was only able to
stand the strain about 20 minutes, and
then left and went to the Presidential
apartments.
Miss Helen Taft, who Is tall and SOL
idly built, with heap of brown hair in
which there are eliInpses of red and
complexion and movement which shows
the athletic girl, wore a 10He-piece gown
of crushed strawberry mirror satin and
not piece of jewelIy on her person.
Her abundant hair was -smply ar
ranged, without puffs or rats of any de-
scription, and she looked the whole
some, bright. sweet girl that she really
is. She is her fathers own daughter in
looks, and has more of zhis physique
of frai lat.. In,. VI.
other ladies in the receiving line were
elegantly goWned.
Only few personal friends We're in
vited to stand in the Blue Room. Usual
~ that room is packed.
The Diplomatic Corps. in all its glory
of gold lace and giddy regalia, was re-
r"ived first. Baron Mayor Des
Planches, the ambassador from Italy.
being the dean of the Diplomatic Corps,
was presented first. The new Chinese
Minister. with his six stairstep daugh-
ters and his wife. scarcely taller than
the tallest of these, ended up the line.
Then came the Chief Justice of the Su-
pfeme Court of the United States and |
the Associate Justices, the representa- |
tlves of our Army and Navy, resplend-
ent in full-dreSS uniform the Senate |
and House, headed by the Vice Presi- |
dent and Speaker Cannon, followed by |
the representatives of the various Cab |
met offices; then the patriotic societies. |
led by the Loyal Legion and the Grand |
Army of the Republic, and then the |
great public. The President had q |
smile and word for each of his guests |
and they were showed rapidly on thru |
the narrow line into the Green Parlor |
and then into the great East Room,
where hundreds stood for few min
utes to shake hands with friends and !
pass the compliments of the season, !
and then hurried away to their own or
other receptions, their places being i'm
taken by the other hundreds |
who had been rapidly pushed there.
The rooms were magnificently deco
rated with cut flowers. American Beauty
roses five feet in hight in the Red Par
lor. white carnations in the Green Par
lor and delicately-tinted pink carna-
tions in the Blue Parlor. In the bright,
spacious East Room large wreath of
h oily. tied with wide bows of scarlet |
ribbon, decorated each window, giving
an appearance of Christmas cheer. and
tons of various hues. In the main cor
ridor the Marine Band, led by Lieut..
Santelmann, in its full-dress red uni
form, played patriotic airs. beg nning
with the Star Spangled Banner" as
the President and Mrs. Taft, with the
members of the Cabinet and their
wives came down the curved stairway
SHo f"i6 ndf ~ t'i''i
Blue Parlor, where-the receiving line
stood
President Taft was particularly gra-
cious in his reception of the veterans,
many of whom wore medals for brav-
cry, carried empty sleeves and walked
with crutches and canes.
The reception Is said ito have been
the smallest in many years, only about
$500 people passing thru the doors to
be presented. IT. seemed as tho there
would not have been room for another
person to crowd into the parIors, the
corridors and the East Room.
After the reception at the White
House was concluded the Vice Presi-
dent and Mrs. Sherman and various
officers and their wives went to
their various homes. where they later
entertained all who called upon them.
The various patriotic societies kept
open house, and the veterans managed
by rushing about to get to most of
these. Mrs. Mary A. Dow, President of
the Womans Relief Corps, assisted by
some of her Department officers, held
q reception, which was visited by sew
eral hundred veterans. Light refresh
ments were served thruout the after
noon.
The Legion of Loyal Women, Mrs |
Laura V. Mccullough President. assist
ed by her staff. received several hun
dred veterans during the afternoon, to
Whom substantial refreshments were
served In the handsomely decorated
out