Evening star., 1949-01-02

1lAcO 4NCW Cdl . lay puUlS
reception at the White House was
given by Thomas Jefferson on jan
uary !, 1902. and We are told his
wines were famous and abundant,
and those who went to the White
House to greet the President were
permitted to partake of his cake
and drink freely If they desired.
They also were permitted to see
the famous 1,250-pound cheese, pre-
sented to the President two days be-
fore. and which was placed on
exhibition at the White House on
this occasion.
1t must have been a grand affair
for the young republic, and one we
would like to have a full report Of,
but IN the absence of that we must
repeat what Mrs. Samuel Harrison
Smith has said about Jefferson's
receptions in general. 1t is this:
"On these grand occasions not
only the Presidents house, but the
city, was thronged with visitors from
Georgetown, Alexandria and the
surrounding country. They were ma
tional festivals on which the doors
Of the presidential mansion were
thrown open for persons of all
classes. where abundance of refresh
ments was provided for their enter
tainment"
"On Mr.. Jefferson's accession to
the presidency the Mayor and cor
poration had waited on him, re-
questlng to be informed which was
his birthday. as they wished to cele-
brate it with proper respect. The
only birthday l ever commemorate,
replied he, is that OF our inde-
pendence, the 4th of July"
Dry Days in White House
Not only did Jefferson have his
bountifully supplied cellar and buffet
and his cut-glass decanters and all
that went with them, but many of
his successors in the White House
also enjoyed wee bit Of grog. We
find that some OF the occupants of
this notable residence have been
teetotalers, notably Mrs. Hayes, and
most probably President Hayes also,
for during his administration wines
and liquors were banished from
their palatial home opposite Lafay-
cite Square.
Mrs. Polk even went further than
this. Having early become a men,
ber of the Presbyterian Church, the
strictness Of whose early religious
observances she carried into much
of her social life, she even banished
from the White House receptions
the dancing that had probably crept
in there as early as Mrs. Madison S
day. She also abolished the prac-
tice Of offering refreshments at the
presidential receptions.
Lincoln's New Year days must
have been all sad ones, though he
made notable January /. 1868, by
his proclamation freeing the slaves
However. he lived long enough to
see united country. and died at a
time when happiness was supreme.
Perhaps the pioneer civic organi-
zation of Washington to make an
nual calls at the White House on
January was the Association of the
Oldest Inhabitants Of the District of
Columbia, which began this practice
on New Year Day, 1868, when it was
but two years old, and which has
continued to pay its respect to the
Chief Executive ever since when a
reception was held there on this
day.
Called on Andrew Johnson
On this particular occasion, J.
Carroll Brent was the acting secre-
tary, and his minutes on December
4, 1867, record the following reso-
luton, offered by J. T. Callan: That
the next meeting Of this association
be held at Wizards Hotel on the
Let dau of Ianilor1 1859 for fhe