The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-06-23
President and Mrs. Taft CeIe-
brate Silver Wedding,
FAIRyLANDAT THEWH|TE HOUSE
First Couple In Nation Entertain No
tables of This and Other Lands
and Are Congratulated by
M All the World.


wedding anniversary, and it will be
many day before the national capital
forgcts the function.
Every one, from the most exclusive
social cave dweller to the newest men,
Der of congress, seems willing to ad-
nit that the reception was one of the
most notable social affairs ever held
in the White House Bro csHi'
With the weather perfect, the White
House grounds transformed almost
into fairyland, the 5000 invited guests
having the best kind of time and
four times that many interested and
enthusiastic spectators standing twen-
ty deep outside the iron fence that
surrounds the executive mansion,
President Taft, as he stood at the
head of the receiving line with the
first lady Of the land did not seem to
| have a care in the world.
He was particularly happy as he
said repeatedly in the course of the
evening that Mrs. Taft, lately not in
| the best OF health, seemed to have won
strength for the occasion and was with
him every moment of the time that
the thousands of guests were filing
by, exchanging hand grips and ex-
pressing the hope that they might be
spared to be present away off in the
future at the Taft's golden wedding
day.
incidentally, 1t is not at all improb-
able that President Taft, considering
the success of the reception, will is
sue a ukase increasing the salary OF
Professor Willis Moore, who makes
the government weather. Every one
who attended the reception agrees it
would have been nothing short of
calamity had the weather been less
perfect.
To those entering the White House,
either from the avenue side or the
east carriage entrance, there was lit
tie beyond a searchlight playing on
the fountain in front of the portechere
and a few clusters and lights on the
lawn to indicate what awaited them
on the spacious grounds in the rear.
Back there, though, the scene was
beautiful beyond description. All
around the outer edge Of the acres OF
level, short-clipped grass within the
White House and enclosure swung
Chinese lanterns of fantastic designs,
blocks upon blocks of them, barely six
inches apart, swaying in the light
breeze and casting their queer shapes
and shadows on the lawn. Within
the great square of lanterns every
tree, big and little, every evergreen,
every shrub and bush wore dress of
colored light From the top of ancient
elms and oaks long streamers of in
'candescent lights in the national col
ors, Topped here and there from
branch to branch, swung downward
to the ground In the pines and cedars,
clusters of smaller bulbs, wound about
the trunks glowed within the green.
From the roof of the White House
squad of white clad jackies from the
despatch boat Dolphin operated big
navy searchlight casting colored rays
on the converging streams OF the great
fountain and basin in the center OF the
lawn. Just underneath the huge
stream of white light cast from the
Dolphin's big reflector, the red. white
and blue of the national emblem shone
out from thousands OF colored In
candescents arranged near the top OF
the back portico of the White House.
That is but feeble picture of what
the silver wedding guests saw when,
after leaving their hats and wraps
they emerged from the White House
into the open.
The reception began at o'clock,
but long before that hour a goodly
part of the company had arrived. Many
of the guests literally had to tight
their way from Pennsylvania avenue
down to the entrance on Executive
avenue. the throne of spectators hav-
| ing formed a jam extending from the
iron fence around the grounds, across
the sidewalk and street and overflow
| ing on the steps of the treasury build
ing. On the west, between the White
House and the state. war and navy
buildings II was the same. Apparent
ly everybody had read OF the presi-
dents silver wedding anniversary and
OF the elaborate plans that were be
Ing made to entertain the 5000 guests
and had come down town to see the
sights.
The customary fanfare OF trumpets
announced the appearance OF the pres
ident and Mrs. Taft. There was great
outburst OF cheers and hand clapping
as they stepped out on the south por-
tico and, descending the winding stone
steps, made their way across the lawn
to the canopy where guests were re-
ceived and where above the presiden-
tial couple blazed In incandescents tho
wedding and silver wedding dates.
1sss-1911. After them came the mem
bers OF the presidents cabinet with
their wives and members Of their fam
lies. For two hours the president
stood in line, shaking hands. Mrs Taft
stood up beside the president during
the first threequarters Of an hour and