Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-02
COL. CHOPTANK KEEPS
OLD-T|ME OPEN HOUSE
His Only Complaint Is Absence of
White House Re-
ception.
Good Cheer He Dispenses Is Spiced
With a Wholesome Philosophy
of Life

Col. Choptank of the eastern shore has
opened his town house here for the sea
son, and according to his aforctime Gus
tom was 1T home to his friends yesterday
10 pledge them heartily in a health for
TIE New Year Many, many new years
have OPENED before the colonel only TO
leave him apparently all the more hale
ami CHEEKY; tho broad shoulders still un-
StooGcd: the head. Though whittier. Still an
bowed and the kindly fierce eyes still
undimmed Ills friends glad TO
see him and that sentiment went
double with him, he said
Ills town nous is in that section of the
city once fashionable. but now lapsed
into a state of highly respectable desue-
tude. as IT, Disabling TO join the rush of
society to the west end. it had settled
down into a stately atmosphere Of its
own. wrapt in its own trad tions and it's
inherent dignity. These houses stiil have
stables i'm the rear and their owners ride
in broughams, behind double teams.
There are box hedges in front. too. and
white marble mantels over the open
CRATES. while the rooms are mans size.
When the colonel wants old Marcellus.
his butler. or Marceilus boy Dan. who
Is about fifty now. he pulls tasseled
cord and a bell jingles in the basement;
that kind of house. YOU know.
Colonel Shows Vexation.
The colonel was trying to conceal evil
dences of vexation when his first callers
arrived today, and was succeeding adj
mirably under the soothing influence of
a large glass OF most prodigiously frag-
ant apple toddy, with which he toasted
his guests the while he toasted his spare
frame before the glowing coal fire in the
lon,
was due To a slight disarrangement of
his usual practice on New Year day.
Since the first Grant administration ii
has been the colonel's custom to pay his
respects To the President of the United
States at noon. his return from that
function usually accompanied by some
of his cronies. being the signal for the
open house in his own hospitable resi-
dence. which continued as long as the
last guest had inclinauon-or legs-to
stay
Sir. while hold TO the old maxim that
the king can do no wrong, said the
colonel. watching Marcellus deftly slice
a most tempting looking ham on the
buffet, and would. indeed. be the last to
criticise our chief magistrate candor
compels me to say that / am conscious
of a feeling of disappointment at the
disappearance of ancient customs of cere-
mony and hospitality, and the New Year
reception at the White House was, l take
it, mingling of both Twas then that
the people and the executive met at a
function of well wishing. when the kind
Her feelings of men, officials and citizens
were uppermost.
But let US mop he continued, rails
ing his glass to a group who were
shifting ecstatically the aroma of the
apple teddy in their glasses. and bowling
so as not to keep them waiting longer,
let US hope that this lapse may be
laid to the exigency OF physical indis-
position, quite excusable in the circum-
stances. and not TO intention to abolish
altogether an institution which was in
q peculiar sense an exemplar of de-
mocracy.