The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-12-06

Icy 49,
ABIGAIL ADAMS EAST ROOM
was conducted into the dining room
" at three o'clock or at any time
within quarter Of an hour after.
ward" He was taken up to Wash.
ington, who stood with his back TO
the fireplace bowling to each guest.
but also contrivinE to be 80 engaged
that handshaking was impossible.
AS the callers were presented they
stepped back into a circle formation
At a quarter past three the doon
were closed. Then the President. he
ginning at the right made the rounds.
speaking few words TO each. When
he again reached the fireplace he
stood silent as his guests in turn
came forward, bowed. and withdrew.
1t was all over by four o'clock. the
dinner hour.
This dinner hour in Washington
has elm bed c40. sometimes a good
27o minutes in the years. Where the
modern capital hostess waits Is min.
utes for the laggard guest. the first
President grudgingly allowed a lean
five minutes. explaining. IL have q
cook who never asks whether the com.
pany has come. but whether the hour
has come
Washington's Public Dinners.
Once a week. usually on Thursday,
the WashinEtons held what was called
a public dinner" to which they In.
vited as many as the table would hold.
Ten. possibly twelve. was the satura.
ton point then. whereas the present
formal dining table at the executive
mansion can he stretched to seat
ninety-six about it's bulsing crescent
sides.
That these public dinners we're none
too jolly seems to have been the
opinion OF at least one OF the guests.
Senator ". Maclay. who wrote in hts
diary:
y Dined this day with the Presi.
dent 1t was a great dinner-all in
the tastes OF high life. I considered
1t as part OF my duty as senator to
submit to it. and am glad it is over.
The President Is a cold. formal man.
1t was the most solemn dinner l ever
was at. The President played with
the fork. striking on the edge OF the
table with it,
At the evening levees. more exclu.
sive than the afternoon Assem- blies. it
was Martha who invariably. with
blunt directness. enunciated the clos
Ing rule, saying:
THE general always retires at 10
o'clock, and l usually precede him by
fifteen minutes"
It was stupid guest indeed who
hadn't found his hat by 9:45.
When the nations capital was
moved to the Potomac wilderness. the
public guardians OF of1icial etiquette
determined that it was more than ever
necessary for the manners and modes
Of metropolitan centers. like New
York and Philadelphia. to prevail. But
it was like rehearsing sophisticated
drama at the crossroads. Most Of the
stage properties were lacking.
i: X
Adams Cold and Formal.
President and Mrs. Adams were
. rather cold and formal. Their house
was very cold and formal They
moved into the " Peoples Palace In
, the summer OF 1900 and found a rude
: structure in crude town: big. bare
! house. that required twenty servants
} and not a bell in the place. TIL.
East room. once the fall came. was tot
chilly for even stiited levee. So Abb
gail Adams strung across it a clothe.
3 line that has wound its way into his
;. tory. and on that line hung up hel
washing.
h To get into her home Mrs. Adam
had to climb up temporary and un
steady stairs. on to lettering plat
I form. But all Washington climbe,
:. the stairs and came a-calling. Tn
reason was climate. not conversation
o Everybody in Washington that frs
|. wtn1er was literally freezing almos
: to Death. The government o6icial.
most Of whom had come without thei
families. piled two. four and evel
. eight. into icy rooms to sleep. an
!. went calling to get warm. The earl
legislators were perpetual pilgrim
: after the radiance. not Of hostess
y smile. but Of her stove. And by III
4 time central heating was introduce
= the vogue Of caleng. vhich 80 def
: nitely distinguishes Washington dor
every other city in this country, va
J. 90 deeply estaplished ~ not to b jeoy
ardised by even an oil burner It hom'
: The three most popular hostess
: that cold vtntey were the hres voEne
: with the w3runest houses: Mrs Thona
Z custip Law. relative at washiHl
. toms. on Capitol hill: Mrs. Thornton
= wife Of the doctor who hslpA1 10y o,
" the town. and Mrs.. Samuel Harrieo
Smith, whose husband was ! nsvsp,
per man.
y -
}. The CAPITOL u lsee- 1851.
.. Decidedly. that year Of is0o.lsol VI
le no. brilliant season. Albert Callatil
n dubbiue the town :" Z hatiful place
,. wrote hoWe to his wife in this fashto
y Around the capitol are pin or etxl
8 boarding houses. one tailor. one sho
i maker. ono pEAtAr. waahinx woma
II Sroessx stese. pamphlstA and ~
N t0ooeY shop. = small dry e0oda nfof