I V
WASHINGTON SOCIETY.
It Takes It3 Ouo from tho Lady of
tho Whito House.
An Epitome of (he Soclnl Life of the
ISxeontlvc Mntmlon Dolly ftlnil-
ison'n 1,0110 nnd Succcaa-
ful Helen.
Special Washington Letter.
The history of social life in the white
house is recalled by passing events, and
should be elaborated.
Mrs. George Washington, after her
husband's inauguration, set up the
"first republican court" at No. 3 Frank
lin square, New York. Its etiquette
was copied after that of foreign courts.
The rules were very strict, and persons
THE FIRST RECEPTION.
, were excluded unless they wore the re
quired dress. Access was not easy, and
dignified statcliness reigned. In the
second year of that administration the
seat of government was removed to
Philadelphia, where Washington took
a house on Market street, between Fifth
and Sixth streets. Mrs. Washington
held her drnwing-rooms on Fridny even
ings of each week, the company assem
bling early and retiring before 10:30
p. m. The ludy of the mansion always
eat. The president had his buir pow
dered and did not shake hands with
anyone.
Although nil these things have under
gone a great change, the regulations
which Martha Washington adopted are
to a great extent in force to-day.
Though she wus not, probably, a wom
an of remnrkable intellect, ber social
influence and wealth were a great help
to the Father of liis Country, and it is
not surprising that David Burns, when
Washington was bargaining with him
for a piec'e.of land south of the white
house, should have remurked derisive
ly: "Where would you be if it had not
been for the Widow Custis?"
Abigail, the wife of President John
Adams, lived In Washington only four
months, preferring to reside at Quincy,
Muss., where she could tuke care of her
husband's estate. She complained that
there was no comfort to be had in the
white house, becuuse it was "on such a
grand and superb scale, requiring at
least 30 servants to attend to it." While
occupying it, she could not get wood
enough to keep the mansion warm, and
the most convenient use she found for
the East room, then unfurnished, was
to hnng her clothes to dry in it. She
was by all odds-the 'must heroic figure
of the revolution, and her letters to
Jefferson were so admirable that they
have become historic.
Jefferson had no liking for social
ceremonial, but, becoming convinced
that it was uecessary for him to be
Etow some attention on such matters,
he asked Mrs. Madison, the wife of his
secretary of state, to act us mistress of
the executive mansion, assisted by his
daughter. He was a widower. Thus the
never-to-be-forgotten "Dolly Madison"
look the place of "first lady in the land."
which position she continued to occupy
for 10 years, her husband succeeding
Jefferson. Under her regime, the
formal etiquette which had made the
drawing-rooms of Mrs. Washington and
Mrs. Adams dull and tedious was laid
aside, and no stiffness was permitted.
For nil this a cheerful Virginia hos
pitality was substituted. On one occa
sion, the abundance and size of Mrs.
Madison's dishes were made subjects of
ridicule by a foreign minister, but she
was indifferent to such criticism. She
used rouge to some extent and was
very fond of snuff. At the first in
auguration of her husbnnd she wore a
dress of buff velvet, n Purls turban with
a bird-of-paradise plume, and pearls on
her neck and arms. Withal she was the
most popular woman In the United
States, and she never forgot the name
of a person who had been Introduced to
her. The senate granted her a seat on
the floor of that body nn honor which
has never been accorded to any other
person of her sex.
It is generally regretted in our social
cireles that Mrs. McKinley cannot en
lertnin nt the white house ns herprede
cesrors have done. The little lady has
been an invalid nearly all of her life,
und her physical strength is very
meager.
During the past 20 years the giving
of Indies' luncheons has become an im
portant part of entertaining at the
executive mansion. Mrs. Harrison and
Mrs. Cleveland gave many such
"spreads." Both women made numerous
calls on friends, though etiquette did
not oblige them to do so. for the presi-
'jUnt's tvlfo nni?rl navjip Yntiittt n vlclt
.WW .,.,. Uw ..V.W. v,u. '"
3 & Ate
vwm
and she is not even required to send a
card instead.
President McKinley is a poor man.
His business reverses were so serious a
few years ago that he was practically
impoverished. But he will bo able to
bear the burdens imposed by his ofli
einl position, and yet cun probably save
something out of his salary of $50,000
per annum.
Even if Mrs. McKinley had been
blessed with health and strength, she
might have found her position some
what exacting because the duties of the
"iirst lady of the land" are exceedingly
onerous during the social season. She
is expected to please everybody, for
any offense she may give is sure to be
magnified a thousand times.
The praises of the wife of President
Hayes arc still heard in all social cir
cles. She was exceedingly popular with
both 6cxcs and with all classes. It is
claimed by ladies who moy now re
spectfully be vailed "veterans" in so
ciety that her' hospitality and open
heartedncss nnide the administration
of her husband n great soclnl success.
She thoroughly enjoyed the high posi
tion in which she found herself, and
the white house wns always full of
guests while she goxerned it.
It is 30 years since we have had In the
white house an invalid wife of a presi
dent, nt the beginning of an adminis
tration. Of course our society people
remember with regret the illness of
Mrs. Harrison and the ceicments of
mourning which enshrouded the execu
tive mansion when that sweet lady
closed her social and earthly career.
There was another administration
which lacked the social influence of the
wife of the president. Mrs. McKinley
is nn invalid. Mrs. Johnson was an in
valid. The wife of President Frunklln
Pierce wus in mourning because of tho
death of her little boy, an only child,
who was killed in an accident on the
railway. Mrs. Fillmore was a woman
of literary tastes. She formed the be
ginning of the white house library, und
it wus in the library room that she used
commonly to receive her friends.
Franklin Pierce was one of the most
popular of till presidents, ami his treat
ment of his friends was always royul.
President Arthur alone, of all our chief
magistrates, could compare with gen
iul "Frank Purse," ns he was called by
his intimates.
James K. Polk was a typical southern
gentleman who was always noted for
his hospitality and good fellowship. It
was his sunny disposition which won
for him friendships as strong and true
as ever man was blest withal. Hut his
wife wus a Yankee, und one of the
strictest of Purituns in everything.
She wns her husband's private secre
tary, and had entire charge of his'cor
respondence. No other woman so
dominated the business end of the
white house. She was us cold socially
us Benjamin Harrison was politically.
Our society folk were glad when Mrs.
Polk Invited the beautiful and lov
able daughter-in-law of John Tyler to
assume the social duties of the ex
ecutive mansion. That lovely woman
If Kk
DOROTHY P. MADISON.
(For 10 Years She Was Mistress of the
White House..)
continued to be the center of the social
world during the Tyler administration,
because Mrs. Tyler wus an Invalid.
The play of Hamlet could not well
be staged, without the appearance of
Hamlet in the scenes. The history of
Home could not be written without
mention of Caesar, the greatest man of
his age, a soldier and a statesman
whose life was taken by fanatlcB and
fools. The history of France would be
incomplete without nn account of the
life of Napoleon.
Who could write the soclnl history of
the executive mansion with mere men
tion of "Dolly .Madison V" She was the
only woman that ever reigned n social
queen In a republic for a term of six
teen consecutive years. Her husband
wns secretary of state for eight years,
and during that time Dolly Madison
was the social leader. She, of course,
continued her life work and pleasure
while her husband was president, nnd
hence her history marks more than one
tenth of the history of society In the
national capital.
The importance of society In Wash
ington, the influence of ladles upon leg
islation, the ability of the wife of a pub
lic man to enhance her husband's pop
ularity, the strength or weakness of nn
administration because of the standing
of a president's wife, all these things
are enigmatical to many people remote
from the capital city of the republic.
It may be suld briefly, however, that
the influence of women in national af
fairs has always been greater than the
people suppose, nhd that influence hus
grown with the pusslng years.
SMITH D. FRY,
FARM AND GARDEN.
CARING FOR HEIFERS.
A S J (item of FecdlnR Tluit Will An
num Hittlnfnctory IU'nuUh.
Most of the difficulties in growing val
uuble cows, where the breeding has
been what it should be, come from their
feeding. It is. hard to say wacther the
fattening or the starvation policy is
worse for the future of the cow. By the
first she Is made lit only for the butcher.
By the second the animal is stunted and
its digestion Impaired ho that it is lit
tle good for any purpose. There shouhf
be abundance of food, and u good share
of this should be succulent, ho uh to
furnish nutrition in bulky form and
stimulate the glands that carry the
milk. All the large milk-producing
breeds of cows have originated in mild
und moist climates, where succulent
food can be had during most of the
year. Ensilage is good food for heif
ers, though if it be of corn fodder some
dry clover hay should be fed with it
to Increase the material for growth.
If clover cannot be had, a small ration
ot wheat bran mixed with the corn cn
silage will make a better feci than en
silage ulone.
We believe in breeding heifers enrly,
und at the same time feeding liberally
of food thnt will make growth rather
thun fatten. If a heifer drops her first
calf when she is a year and a half old
she will always be a better milker than
If she were kept from breeding until
a year later. If the heifer is too small,
let there be a long time between thy
first und second breeding, and in the
meantime feed more liberally than ever,
not with corn. Some oats may, how
ever, be given, If the milk production
is large enough'to keep the heifer thin
in flesh, but tho grain feeding should be
stopped when the heifer dries off as
she approaches her second parturition.
Heifers thus managed will be about
as large as if they were kept until they
were past two years, old before being
bred, and they will nil their lives be
much better milkers. American Cul
tivator. MILK REFRIGERATION.
A New 1'rocenH "Which Huh lleen Tent
ed with Good IW'NiiltM.
A new method of refrigerating milk,
which is free from the objection urged
against other processes of preservation,
namely, that, they modify the quality of
the liquid, is described in Ice nnd Hc
frigerution. As soon as passible after
milking a quarter or thereabouts of the
milk to be transported to a distance Is
frozen in blocks of 22 to 35 pounds;
these are then put into large tin vessels
which are then filled with milk just ns
it comes from the'ebwund then tightly
clobed, though not hermetically sealed.
The blocks of frozen milk swimming
on the surfuee soon form u sort of gran
ulatcd mnss on the top, the continuous
thuwlng of which is suflicient to keep
enough circulation in the vessel to pre
vent the cream from spreading and pre
serve the milk for 15 or 20 days in u per
fectly homogeneous condition, and us
fresh as at the time of milking. At tin
places of consumption the milk may be
drawn off ns wanted. A somewhat simi
lar process of preserving nnd shipping
cream has also been evolved, which con
sists in placing the containing vessel
within u cold water jacket, the refrig
erating water being cold enough to
keep the cream just at the point, of
freezing without actually freezing.
FOR CLEAN MILKING.
A Mwht Cotton llliuiket AffordM the
lli-Mt Protection.
Dirt and hairs will come off from the
cows' sides nnd udders when one is
milking, even when the animals are
kept in clean quarters. Straining will
not keep the milk pure once such im
purities have been in it. Keep them
HOW TO KEEP THE MILK CLEAN.
out altogether. One way to help is
shown in the cut. A cotton cloth is
fitted to go about the cow as suggested,
the teats only being exposed. It is but
a moment's work to tie the bjnnket on.
Take to the door and shake it before
putting it on cow 'o. 2, Orange Judd
Farmer.
HiiKKliiK' tii'iljifN Im 1'rolltnlile.
A writer who claims to know says:
"Bagging grapes cannot but bring
pleasure to the owner, especially when
but a few vines are owned and the
fruit used wholly ciii the home table.
But the bagging of grapes hus un eco
nomical as well ns pleasurable feature
to the owner, as it produces choice,
clean fruit. Bagging fruit is a sure
preventative of grape rot. Again,
when the newly formed, small grope
clusters are covered with uliagaud se
curely fastened, the depredations of
birds ami insects will be almost, if not
wholly avoided. The latter sting many
of the berries and make them wormy."
Oklahoma Farmer.
Ifcr fM
THE EGG FRUIT TREE.
It Produce! it I'rtUt Evidently Very
Illeli In XnttrlHtimeiitt
Tills fruit, the botunicul name of
which is Lucuma rivlcosn, vnr.Augustl
folia, 1b known by n variety of popular
nnincB. In Key West it Ik locally called
TicBH, but I am informed more correctly
Canitel. It is known us Cunlsta, or
CaniRtel lit Cuba, and uh Tomot and
Caucllln on the wcHt coast. The tree Is
a native of tropical America, and per
haps itn introduction from different
points and at different times may ac
count for the remarkable diversity of
names. While the fruit is quite com
mon in the Key West market it has been
so far 'little cultivated in Florida, and
is really little known outside the trop
ics. Only oecnslonal trees are yet to be
seen on the keys or on the main land of
Florida. Repeated efforts have been
made to introduce the tree north of the
limits to which its tropical character
manifestly assigns It, with little huc
eess. Like the sapodllla and the nium-
FRUIT AND FOLIAGE OF EOQ FRUIT
TREE.
meesapotn it will not endure frost, nnd
under favorable conditions, also like
the sapodllla and ccrimuu (Monstcru
deliciosu) It is everbeurlng, being fre
quently loaded with three successive
crops at the same time. Tills ever
bearing quality must always mark the
limits of its profitable culture. In its
endurance of drought, hot sun und dry
soil, it strangely resembles the mango.
The tree is much smaller than the
mango while the leaves have u marked
family resemblance to the mauimee
Kupota, of which the fruit lias been
called "smull edition." The pulp of the
fruit resembles the yolk of a hurd
boiled egg, tasting as one might im
agine the egg would taste if well sweet
ened. The fruil is evidently very rich
In nourishment. One caution should he
observed by those investigating this
fruit for the first time, that is, that in
an unripe stnte the fruit is unpleas
antly bitter. The tuste of some people
not nil will iicd cultivation in the
use of the Canitel, us is true of many
other valuable fruits of the tropics.
This fruit always sells well in the Key
West market, it will ulwuys be in de
innnd with those who know whut It is
The tree fruits sit three or four years
old, and Is manifestly at home in dry
and sandy soil, grow lug witli little care
and fruiting abundantly, without irri
gaition, and surrounded on all sides by
fruiting pineapples. The fruit is as yet
so little known that few people outside
of the tropics have learned its real
ulue. Its intrinsic merit us a nourish
ing food, its firmness and rensonuble
keeping qualities and the ease with
which it can be grown, all conspire to
encourage its more general introduction
and culture wherever the mango, avo
endc pear and the sapodllla can be suc
cessfully grown. Its introduction and
general use is only a question of time.
The ingenious and enterprising house
keeper, ns soon us the fruit enn be
f urnished in suflicient quantities to her
hand, will find many ways to profita
bly depose of its rich nnd buttery pulp.
The foliage is large, glossy, durk
green, nnd the entire tree is very beau
tiful and ornamental. As a greenhouse
and conservatory plant, for colder
elima'.cs, it presents n highly pleasing
appearance.--131 bridge Oule, hi Ameri
can Agriculturist.
How Ilutter In Spoiled.
I know one party that keeps good
cows, feeds them well and makes good
flavored ttiinl good-grained butter, but
who spoils much of it by leaving too
much water in it say 20 percent. and
it shrinks very much on standing. Ten
to 12 per cent, of water is all butter can
have and score high, yet it must have
this much to have a vehicle for the salt
It must contain. Dry butter will not
contain brine enough to hold the salt
or it will have a good deal of undis
solved salt through its texture, and that
will not do. Water must not run from
butter.yetwhenu tryer is run into it und
withdrawn the butter should show a
good bedewing of brine. This is an im
portant fen tu re of good butter. Farm
ers' Voice.
Why IIiinIiicmn Im HiiiKiiutcd.
"The worst drawback of this section
of country," says the Clifton (HI.)
Comet, "at the present time, is the ex
ceedingly bad roads we must contend
with at wet seasons of the year. As has
been the case the past few days, form
ers cannot market their products, and
on tills account they do little buying of
the merchants, nnd business' is stag
nated at the very seabon when it should
be the liveliest of uuy season of the
year."
PROPHETS ABROAD.
Qnccr Thing Predicted In the 15 -ropenn
AlmnniiCN for 1MMM.
Now that we have actually entered
tipon the new ycor, and thousands of
prophetic almanacs will be regularly
consulted for signs of notable events,
we should remember that our own king
dom docs not possess a monopoly of
this species of prophecy.
It Is not as If we should not scorn to
take a French or Germnn-mnde predic
tion In preference to Old Moore, Zadklcl
or Orion's, but where our own prophets
disagree (or agree upon nothing nt nil)
it is only reasonable that one should
turn nbrond for the correct astrological
information to fill up the gaps.
For Instance, In "Zadklcl" we read
that "the principles of astrology are
built upon the foundation of observa
tions made through many centuries, of
coincidences, of nnturnl phenomena and
great events in the history of tuitions."
After this, no less than throe of our
prophets ngree that "sorrow nnd suf
fering in high places" will occur on
Jnnuary 8, while, curiously enough,
that Is the very date when the "Al
manneh Strnsburg" and tho "Agendn
Potln" declare will be a period for "re
joicing in a European reigning family,"
thus possibly foreshadowing the birth
of an heir.
"A terrible tragedy will take place in
England which will shock the whole
world" Is the way the "Almanac do
Mars" comments on Jnnuary 30, with
the "Agendn-Potin" remarks .under
that date, "Orove American politlcnl
riot; many persons will be killed." The
only other reference the writer can find
Is In "Zadkiel," which observes, "The
30th of Jnnuary Is a good birthday nu
ll I versary."
The continental ulmnnacs seem, In
no fewer than thrte Instances, to Insist
that the Kaiser Is to suffer some cnlum
ity on February 3. Perhaps in the ease
of the "Agcndn-l'otin" nnd the "Al
mitnuc de Mars" the wish Is father to the
thought, but this would hardly npply
to the "Kolendnr-llelslngfors," which
remarks that the fiermnn emperor
should beware of February B Just
missing the French prediction by two
dnys.
Our little Islnnd Is again prominent
ly to the fore in the"Ageiida-Potin"for
April. We are to have u political dead
lock on the lt)th with a possible over
throw of the ministry. Old Potln seem
very sure about this prophecy, for he
has marked It with un usterlsk. The
10th, is of course, Primrose day.
In May, the prophet of the "Kalendur
Ilclsingfors" gives us promise of
trouble between Canada und the United
Rtutes. It is to occur about the 10th.
Curiously enough, hIIoufowii almanac
nre insistent on friction between our
big colony and Its American neighbor,
although none of them agree on the
precise month. One puts it in Februnry,
another In April and another In Octo- '
ber.
Passing on to July, the "Agenda-Po-f
In" points to the 18th ns the beginning
of ii great strike in Scotland nnd the
nortu of 13nglnnd. We can only hope
(hat this Item of prophecy was omitted
by the printer from Inst year's nlmnnnn
for the snme month, and now unofficial
ly transferred to the current one.
The following month the ItusslnB
prophet. "Kulendur-Helsingfors," de
clares we ore to witness a terrible con
flagration, in which hundreds of per
sons are to perish. As the scene of this
catnstrophe is Berlin, it rather taken
the fun out of our Old Moore's
prophecy: "Grand news will come.
from Germany which will be very cheer
ing to the emperor of that great nn
tion." According to "Old Moore," 13nghuid is
to be in a bad way nbout October 7,
and "Zndklel" corroborates this pes
simism; but they do not npprouoh the
gloomy predictions of the "Agendo- Po
tln" prophet, who forsees that during
this month England's tide will hnve be
gun to ebb forever to the seu. An aw
ful disaster a dreadful loss Is to oc
cur to our prestige somewhere nbout
the middle of the month.
Finally, in December, when "Zadkier
kills off un "illustrious Frenchman or
Italian," the "Almanac Strusburg'
stobs one of our public men; and so
these little international tragic courte
sies receive some slight equalization.
London Mail.
Court Opened on Time.
Judge Gaslln opened the spring term
of court at Minden a number of years
ago with the announcement that the
matters had to be pushed. He kept
the lawyers jumping nil day, but his re
marks when adjourning court for the
night awoke a protest. "Court is ad
journed until beven o'clock to-morrow
morning," said the judge. John Mo
l'hoely, who was then county nttorney,
nnd hod a number of cases to try, arose
ami protested against such an un
seemly hour for convening court.
"Your honor, seven o'clock is an incon
venient hour to open court. I would
suggest nine o'clock ns more conve
nient." "This court will convene to
morrow morning nt seven o'clock,"
shouted Gnslln. "You lawyers are not
a bit better than the farmers, and they
have to get up nt four o'clock in tho
morning to pny the expenses of running
this court. Court's adjourned till seven
o'clock." And it opened on time the fol
lowing morning. Omaha World-Herald.
Compressed air will soon replace
bteum us the motive power of a woolen
mill in Aliuoute, Out.
t