The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1911-06-23
Sill YER WEDDING HELD
AT The WHITE HOUSE
Social Event in Washington Is
Most Brilliant.
Great Company OF NotabIes Is En-
tertained by President and Mrs.
Taft-Handsome Gifts for
Happy Couple.

The Taft silver wedding reception
at the White House was unique in the
annals of the national capital.
twenty-five years ago William Fl
Taft married Miss Helen Heron at
her fathers home in Cincinnati. Mr.
Taft was young lawyer; Miss Her
ron had been a teacher. The celebra
ton began in the morning with the ar
rival of a delegation from the Com
mercial club of Cincinnati $50 strong.
but the big event was the White House
reception at night
the Illumination of the White House
and grounds was the most elabor
ate ever attempted. The historic struc
ture itself was outlined in streaks
of fire. thousands of incandescent
lamps glowed in the oaks and elms
about the executive mansion, flooding
the lawns with light. and searchlights
on the roof Of the state, war and navy
buildings threw colored beams OF
light on the playing fountain directly
in front Of the great portecochere of
the White House.
The White House Conservatives
were practically cleaned out and
the interior of the White House decor
ated with wagon loads of cut flowers.
The shops of Washington had been
swept clean of Japanese lanterns that,
enclosing incandescent globes, were
strung in a great square around
the grounds Just inside the iron fence
that divided the guests from the
interested public Dozens of tables
scattered here aid there among the
light refreshments. On the lawn the
marine band played, and in the east
room the engineers band played.
The presents which had been sent
to the president and Mrs. Taft form
the most splendid collection of silver
Washington has ever seen. They were
banked in the red room of the White
House and the pile grew higher and
higher every hour. Some of these
gifts have come from foreign coun-
tries, but the great majority of them
were given by friends in Washington.
Those presents which were sent by
ORGANIZATIONS are particularly hand
some. The tea set presented by the
United States senate, the three dozen
silver plates from the house of rep
resentatives, and the silver service
from the United States supreme court
are the first gifts ever made by these
bodies to an individual, be he presi-
dent or private citizen.
From Cincinnati came numer-
Gus gifts. The Commercial club of
that city, which came in body
to attend the celebration, sent a
goroerOus collection of silver. The
people of Maryland have presented a
silver punch bowl, tray and ladle, while
many organizations have remembered
the distinguished couple with gifts.
The members of the cabinet sent in
dividual presents, as have many 9TH
ers in Washington intimately associ-
ated with the Taft administration.
The Philippine party of 1905, called
1.-THE Tafters," presented two solid sill
yer Grecian ewers, twenty inches in
height, and a solid silver waiter with
the monograms of the president and
Mrs. Taft marked From the Tafters"
The Washington correspondents
sent q solid silver fruit dish and the
Gridiron club a solid silver pitcher
and waiter engraved with the mark of
the dates 18S6-1911.
The army officers in Washington
who served with the president in the
Philippines sent unique silver piece
The celebration began at noon
when the president was entertained at
the Chevy Chase club by the Conner
cial club of Cincinnati, composed Of
old-time friends of the Tafts.
The invitation list for the celebra-
ton was interesting. 1t included near
ly 5000 people, some OF them from the
Pacific coast. First of all, the presi-
dent invited all the surviving members
of the family of former presidents of
the United States, beginning with Rob-
ert T. Lincoln, son of President Lin
coin
Then Mrs. Taft invited the class of
Yale '7S, of which the president is a
member, and the members of the Skull
and Bones society of Yale.
Inc members OF the CdDIHels ii
course, with their families were invit-
ed and all the members of congress and
the congressional press galleries.
Other officials were included.
Prominent clergymen from al parts
of the United States were included IN
the invitation list, the Republican ma
tional committeeman from all the
ofotac raomhorc of tho fndn~a1 iI1dici-
airy, and hundreds of personal friends
scattered in every state of the union
were hidden to come.