Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-06-20
Nearly 10000 Persons Invited
to Unique Function and Pres
ident Shakes Hands with
5000,
BRILLIANT ASSEMBLY
OF NOTABLE PEOPLE
The President and Wife Re-
CeiVe the Thousands During
the Evening; Beautiful Dec
OrationS.
tBy Morning Journal Special Leased wIrel

tBy Morning Journal Special Leased wIrel
| Washington, June 19.-Thc silver
4 wedding celebration of the president
and Mrs Taft, the second that has
been held in the White house came
| to an end tonight with the reception
Ion the White house lawn.
| Invitations had been sent to close
TO 1000 persons, and while the off
ctal count of those who shook hands
with the president was not gwen out,
ut Is estimated that at least 5000 per-
sons were present.
| Never in the history OF the nation
lprobablv has such function been
/ held in Washington. The diplomatic
corps the United States supreme
court. the senate and the house of
representatives. the departments of
the government, the men who are
| high in political affairs OF the coun-
try, the army, the navy ard almost
every walk in life We're represented.
| The cool, clear night that made a
reception in the open air possible.
prevented the crush that the White
house for days had been afraid of,
and made the reception not only brill
| liant and unusual, but delightful In
every respect. The guests would have
| filled the White house to overflowing.
but the White house grounds are am
pie, and there was no crush and no
! confusion.
Possibly $4,000 people crowded
iabout the iron fence that surrounds
the grounds and looked longily at
the electric display, the splashing
fountain and the gay thrang within
the grounds
! Washington seldom gets excited
about anything, but tonight IL show
ed its interest in the anniversary of
the president in unmistakable fashion.
| The cards said that the reception
would begin at 3 o'clock, and prompt
! ! at the hour. to the strains Of a
wedding march. the president and
Mrs. Taft walked slowly down the
staircase of the White house, pre-
ceded by the six presidential aides
and followed by the cabinet. out
| through the red room TO the rear
portico of the mansion, down the
broad steps and out cnto the lawn
the procession marched. while hum
dreds of guests already in the grounds
watched their progress. They took
their stand beneath two trees Just
about the center of the lawn. where
branches were Joined by an electric
sign flashing "1SSG-1911.'
The guests entered from the east
front passed through the corridors
beneath the White house and out 10
the lawn. Down the winding walk
they passed in two lines to where
the president, his face wreathed in
smiles, was waiting to meet them all
above the walks the electricians
had touched the trees with magic
and they blazed in red and white and
blue bulbs. From the top of the
treasury a monster searchlight play
ed about a new American flag upon
the summit of the mansion. over
the rear portico another flag in red,
white and blue incandescent lamps,
shimmered and waved The fountain
in the center of the grounds, played
upon by another searchlight, sprink-
led forth all hues of the rainbow.
The Washington monument,
thousand feet to the south, brought
into relief by the thousands of lights,
stood out sharply against the sky,
dark blue with here and there n star
striving successfully against the ar
tificial lights.
The White house lawn, clipped
and shaved to the very quick, made a
carpet of soft dark green over which
walked lightly the gayly clad women,
the men in black or in the white OF
the military service, Down near the
fountain the marine band in scarlet
coats, played with vigor and in the
White house itself the engineer band
Wed with them.
Every corner OF the mansion had
its own particular light. on the ter
races that extend from the old man
sion eastward and westward the
beauty of the White house conserva-
tories had been poured, The tall
lamps that stand alon~ the borders
of these terraces had been shaded by
deep red paper. resembling nothing
$50 much as monster poppies.
The reception was just as informal
as the president could make 1t. Those
who could waited Ia line for hours to
shake hands, but many sliDued out of
the line and sought the shaded walks,
the chairs waiting on the grass, or
wandered at win through the lower
loors of the mansian. Tho presents
that numbered In the hundreds and
whose money value ran high into the
thousands, attracted many while
others turned to the east room, whose
polished floor echoed to the tread of
the dancers.
Preparations had been made for
5000 guests. and the refreshment
tables in the state dining room came
AS near grooming as Il perfectly good
table can The president and the
members of his family with the cabi-
net and the aides, were served on the
east terrace. but the guests found
their refreshments in the state dining
room.
Mrs. Taft surprised even those fam
iliar with the improvement In health
that she has shown by remaining by
the presidents side In tile receiving
line all evening. She wore gown OF
white satin. brocaded with silver
flowers. with a court train. Miss
Helen TAFT, who was near at hand,
wore a gown OF pink satin, with a.
'tunic OF pink chiffon.