Catoctin clarion., 1911-06-22
WHITE HOUSE LIVER
WEDDING.

With all the world as their friend
and well-wisher, William Howard
Taft and Helen Heron Taft Monday
night celebrated the twenty-ffth an
niversary of their wedding.
Twenty-Five years ago Mr. Taft was
a young CINCINNATI lawyer; his wife,
a young girl, no different and no bet
ter known than thousands OF others
throughout the country. Today he
is at the head of the greatest nation
on the globe. holding position high
or and more powerful than that OF
any monarch Of Europe, and his wife
is the first lady in land of 9O,OOO,-
600 people.
Their silver wedding, the second to
be observed at the White House, was
perhaps the most brilliant and nota-
bic social gathering ever held in that
historic mansion. 1t sets a period
far beyond other functions there held
and establishes a standard that will
long remain unparalleled.
Under starlit sky the President
and his wife received their guests,
representing every State in the I'm
ion. every class in the country and
almost every civilized nation in the
world. Recruited from all quarters
of the earth, there assembled in the
White House grounds one of the most
remarkable social gatherings seen
since this country became republic.
Amid weather conditions that set
at naught the dire prophecies of the
forecaster the guests of the President
and his wife flowed into the White
House grounds at 8 O'Clock, flooded
the gorgeously decorated mansion and
spread over that wonderfully illumi-
mated, rainbow-h -hued White House
garden, upon which the searchlights
from the Washington Monument. the
Treasury Building and the White
House itself threw dazzling, golden
mist that softened and subdued to a
bcwitching harmony the multitude
of vari-col0red electric lights glim-
mering from the tall trees and peek
ing from the tall palms, the green
shrubbcry and hedges that stud the
grounds.
High up over all there swung the
Star-Spangled Banner, wonderful
red, white and blue illumination
which missed no eye and formed the
keynote of the whole decorative
scheme. 1t was tremendously
effective scene, and with the bands
playing inside and out, the national
anthem resounding through the air
and the spirit of jubilation and good
fellowship animating the immense
gathering, the silver wedding of the
President and Mrs. Taft will stand
out in history in a class all its own.
It is estimated there were present
as guests close to 5000 persons, rep
resenting the whole country and en-
bracing more completely the great,
the near-great and the wholly incon-
spicuous than any other gathering of
its kind has ever done.
Outside of the White House ground
there gathered a tremendous throng
of unlimited persons, who stood for
hours peering through the iron rail-
ings at the brilliancy within, catching
glimpses of the distinguished gather
ing in the gardens beyond and watch
ing the arrival OF the notables as the
almost endless procession of carriages
automobiles and vehicles of all de-
scriptions wended its way to the
mansion.
The gates were not opened until 8
O'Clock and from that time to II p.
m, there was constant stream pour
ing through the entrances and spread
ing out through house and ground.
About a.15 O'Clock from the por,i-
co south Of the White House the
Presidents military aid, Major A.W.
Butt, with white uniform and gold
braided staff, led the way down to
gardens, while the Marine Band play
ed wedding march. President Taft,
with Mrs. Taft on his arm, followed
the military corps, while two Secret
Service men walked Immediately be-
hind him. Vice. president and Mrs.
Sherman came directly after them,
and the members of the Cabinet and