The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-02-15
MRS. WILSON FIRM
In SHAKING HANDS
Vigorous Manner Expected to
Replace Formal Method.
SOCIETY WILL FOLLOW Her
~ First White House Reception the
First Lady Stood Up and Shook
R226 Hands In a Little Over Three
Hours, or One Every Three Seconds.
Was Not Fatigued.


Hours, or One Every Three Seconds.
Was Not Fatigued.
Mrs. Wilson shook hands.
That was the one outstanding fea-
stnre OF the first official White House
receptlon recently. 1t was not the limp
and llstless style of handshake which
d at present considered good form. 1t
was the old fashioned hearty hand
shake of our grandfathers' days.
All Washington fashionable society
Was interested at the news. Has Mrs.
Wilson set a new fashion?
II has not been customary for the
presidents wife to shake hands on the
secaslon Of public receptions. She
merely smiles and bows.
In fact. the whole subject of shaking
hands Is In a more or less indefinite
condltion in fashionable society. There
are many women of good social posi-
ffon who do not shake hands If it can
b avoided. They maintain that bow
end smile are sufficient greeting. If
q woman makes no move toward ex-
tgndlng her hand 1t is not good form to
force her into action by extending a
hand toward her.
A Big Undertaking.
But IL situation arises where a wo-
IMAM finds hand extended she accepts
fhe advance and perhaps feebly ex-
tends three fingers. just enough to save
The situation from embarrassment.
or course President Wilson's bride
knows all this and had thought about
n When she took her place at the
head of the Inc of the cabinet ladies'
fhe other evening she had decided ex-
actly what she was going to do. What
ever women in fashionable society
were doing or whatever had been the
habit of other mistresses of the White
House, Mrs. Wilson decided to shake
every hand that wanted to be shaken.
And she did so.
The job Mrs. Wilson undertook was
no small one. She was obliged on the
0ccasion mentioned to shake hands
with no fewer than ,226 persons. She
began shaking hands at exactly 030
y. IN, when the first guest was intro
duced 10 her At precisely 1916 a. M.
shree-quarters of an hour after mid
night, she stopped.
No Fashionable Alterations.
The task occupied Mrs. Wilson con-
ssinn0usly for three aud one-quarter
houra, or 1876 minutes In that length
of time there are 1l.700 seconds. Thus
u seems that the average time CON
SEmed per handshake was about two
a1d tOur-dfths seconds.
Mrs. Wilson is II strong woman phys
toGily. else she could hardly have with
stood such an ordeal. AS u matter of
met, she was 80 little fatigued that
1GKt morning she was up and out by 10
ciclocl paying nm informal visit to an
SlG friend.
@m. Wilson IL not and never has
been woman OF fashion. According
~ siie has no fashionable frills and af.
fecfati0ns. When she shakes hands
uBN10es not hold her own ut shoulder
level and waggle the other persons
PRw horizontally. Nor does she Ian
euhdly extend two or three fingers.
'tDn the contrary, she shakes hands ir
Tho old fashioned sort of way-noi
'msDely Offering her own Imply to bt
xr2sped. but with warm and hearty
Eaasp. II is u cordial, old fashioned
handshake that she gives. meeting tht
party of the second part halfway, as II
EDre,
Hand Travelled Over a Mile.
MrH. Wilson's handshake Is given al
ftIe level of her walst--a simple two uI
and down movement. 1t occupies no
1nore than one second OF time--the re
Mlaining one and four-nfths seconds
taccordlng TO the time schedule of tn,
Other nights reception being con
sumed by the guest in advancing anC
bowling
Mrs. Wilson'S right hand rose abou
i've Inches and descended Ave inches
a rose again five inches and fell liv,
inches. Then the grasping fingers re
laKed. aud the hand withdrew TO he
side. The hnndshaEe was over
Mrs. Wilson's hand Travelled dis
tnnce Of twenty inches up and down
at each handshake She shook 4.22i
hands Her hand therefore Travelled
SI.S2O Inches, or nearly mile and
quarter during the evening.
u might seem that Mrs. Wilson's
nanner of shaking hands was of NJ
Imaginable Importance. But such
view OF the case would be a mistake
Dor the presidents wife il always tn,
ioader OF fashion at the national capI
al, nnd whatever she does whethe
che wishes II or not. Is widely coplet
and initiated.
That ms. Wilson viii continue 4
shake hands at white House recer
Sons Is by no means To be taken 70
granted. Indeed. the chances are tha
she will fall back upon the tradltlona
cUstom and be content with Il bow an
smile. In the recent instance there wa
reason for making an exception.
The reason lay Ia the fact that IN
reception was TO all intents and pun
poses wedding reception. The pres
dents marriage had been so private a
affair that even his most intimate pei
sOnal friend. Colonel House. was nc
tuvited.