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|HIS is one of the
few cities in the
country where the
old-fashioned cus
tom ol keeping op
en house on New
Year’s day holds
unchanged. The
men who are fond
of digging • into
matters historical
say that the New:
Year's calling
practice originated
among the Dutch
on Manhattan is
land. Washington began the prac
tice In the year that the city was
founded, and it has kept it up
with all its social formalities
from that day to this.
The greatest New Year's recep
tion that the world knows is held
every year in the White House
with the president and liis wife
and the cabinet officers and their
wives in the receiving line. The
guests are a multitude, and they
come dressed in all sorts of rai
ment from the blue and gold
trappings of the ambassadors and
army officers of all nations, to
the toil-stained clothing of the la
borer and the calico gowns and
bandannas of the old-time plan
tation negress. .
The White House, of necessity,
must be democratic, for this is a
democracy, and the same greet
ing is given the workmen that is
given to the ambassador of all
the Russlas. There is no more
picturesque affair in the country
than the White House reception
on New Year's. Long before the
gates are thrown open the ave
nues leading to the executive
mansion and Lafayette square,
which outlies the president's
grounds, are jammed with people,
and it is the duty of the police to
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Kef the Immense crowd in line and tp main
tain order.
President Roosevelt came into office in the
month of September, and because of the assas
sination of President McKinley while holding
a public reception in the Music hall at Buffalo,
it was urged that the New Year's receptions
at the White House should be given over. It
was feared that some half-crazed person might
succeed in getting to the president’s person
and repeat the awful crime of Buffalo. Mr.
Poosevelt, however, would not listen to the ar
t > ents oC the fearful ones, and the reception
wa: “id as it always had been held, and Mr.
Tal't v.. Veep up the custom. There have been
no intern , :<"ms to the New Year's day recep
tions during history of the republic.
Precedence oi necessity has to be considered
to some extent at the president’s receptions.
When the officials of Washington life have
passed in front of the president and his wife
and have exchanged the greetings of the New
Year, the plain civilians and their wives,
daughters and sons, follow in whatever order
they may have happened to reach their place
in line. If the millionaire does not want to be
preceded by the poverty-stricken he can stay
at home unless he chooses to get up early
enough to make sure that he can get a first
place. U any discrimination were shown the
president would hear of it, and there would be
no end of a row.
Out ot courtesy to tuc men who in a sense
are guests of the nation, the ambassadors and
ministers and the attaches of legations are re
ceived first. The ambassador who has been
longest in the Washington service heads the
line and it makes no difference, whether he
conies from a great power or from a weak
power, tor the length of his Washington resi
dence alone decides the matter. The master
of ceremonies at the White House takes the
diplomatic list and the American official list
and studies them for a week prior to the re
ception. If he should give place to some of
ficial which by precedence right belonged to
another, there would be sulking, indignation
and very likely loud complaint. It is one of the
most delicate tasks in the world to arrange, the
official guests at a New Year’s reception so
that there will be no friction and no heart
burnings.
Following the ambassadors and ministers of
foreign countries come tlie members of the su
preme court of the United States. In their
trail come the senators and representatives in
congress, and then come the officers of the
army and ot the navy. Then the bureau chiefs
and the higher officials of the various depart
ments ot government greet the president, and
after them the ordinary citizen has his place
in line.
On New Year’s day President Taft shakes
hands with something like 8,000 of his fellow
citizens and citlzenesses. Mrs. Taft does not
shake hands, fot; if the president’s wife should
attempt it she could not hold the pen for a
good many days thereafter. Shaking hands is
a more trying occupation than most people may
imagine. Grover Cleveland had to give over
the practice for some time because he actual
ly iamed his right hard and right arm until he
could not lift them without pain. Mr. Roose
velt had a handshake which enabled him to
give a seemingly hearty grip to everybody and
yet to spare his own hand the slightest mus
cular strain. Mr. Taft must have had the
Roosevelt secret imported to him, for he gives
the same kind of a hand greeting that was giv
en by his predecessor.
At the White House' reception on New Year's
day affairs move forward as smoothly as the
proverbial clock work The guests enter at the
main doorway which opens toward Pennsyl
vania avenue. Their course toward the presi
dent is lined with watchful men in civilian
dress. The line moves quickly and it is accel
erated in its course by the politely worded re
quests of the ushers, requests by the way
which have the force of orders, although the
words are spoken in such a way that the guest
has no thought that fce is being unduly hurried.
When consideration is given to the tact that
thousands upon thousands of people must greet
the president within a limited time, there is
every excuse for the championship by the ush
ers of what may be called the "forward move
ment."
President, Taft has said that he will carry
out the Roosevelt policies. He does not con
sider it necessary, however, in order to keep
his pledge to say: "delighted” to everyone
whom he greets, “(llad to see you,” is the
president's stock phrase of welcome and as his
intonation is as he.arsily sincere as is his smile,
he leaves a pleasant impression. Once in a
while In the course of a New Year’s reception,
the president will "hold up the line" long
enough to chat lor a moment with some one
whom he knows, well personally, or with some
official who has come from a distance to pay
his respects. Mr. Koosevelt had a habit of
holding the line up quite frequently, and as a
result his receptions were likely to be rather
long drawn out. If Mr. -Koosevelt ever had seen
a man before, no matter how many years back,
nor in what kind of an out-of-the-way place, he
was sure to remember him. and as a result his
acquaintance was very wide. He never liked
to let a man whom he had once known pass
by with merely a prcfunctory handshake.
Receiving with the President and Mrs. Taft
on New Year's day are the vice-president's wife
and women of the cabinet who range them
selves to the right in order of the cabinet rank
of their husbands. Sirs. Sherman has the first
place and then comes Mrs. Knox, the wife of
the secretary of state.
Then comes Mfs. MacVeagh, the wife of the
secretary of the treasury, and so on in order of
cabinet precedence, until the wife of Mr. Nagel
is reached who holds the last place in line as
the wife of the head of the department most re
cently created by act. of congress.
A few other women in official life are invited
by the president’s wife to assist her in her du
ties as hostess, and it is not at'nil an unusual
thing to invite some of the older residents of
Washington whose families have no govern
ment connection. The cabinet officers and their
wives remain with the receiving party until
the reception is about two-thirds ended, and
then they go to their homes where they hold
semi-public receptions of their own.
The vice-president and Mrs. Sherman receive
on New Year’s day. and anyone who will, may
call. At the White House no refreshments are
served because it would be a physical Impossi
bility to care for the wants of the enormous
crowds that are present. At the houses of the
vice-president and the cabinet officials, how
ever. great tables covered with good things to
cat. and in some houses, with good things to
drink, are prepared for the visitors. The wo
men of official life In Washington in the main,
are just as good politicians as are their hus
bands. The humblest caller on New Year’s day
is treated with all the consideration which is
shown the -most prominent people. The incon
spicuous one of to-day is likely to be the con
spicuous one of to-morrow, and no one appre
ciates this better than the trained wives of of
ficialdom.,
It Is probably true in some measure at least,
that more ambitions have been killed by the
mistakes of the wives of persons newly ap
pointed to high office than by the mistakes of
the officials themselves. Washington is full
of stories of resentment caused by the failure
of the wives of new cabinet members to recog
nize persons who supposed that all the world
Knew them. These mistakes are con- ,
fined largely to the officials and their
wives who ave new to \\ ashington so
ciety and new to the political life gen
erally. Men are appointed to cabinet
positions frequently who never before
held office. The congressman who
finds himself promoted to higher of
fice knows what is called the social
game as well as he knows politics,
and his wife by association knows it
as well as he does.
So it ts that at the great receptions
on New Year’s and other days, the
hosts and hostesses who are accus
tomed to the ways of Washington,
manage to get through the tijing
hours of crowded receptions without
giving offense to anybody.
It is the bounden duty of every
subordinate official in Washington to
call on his chief on New \ ear s day.
After ali the officials have paid their
respects to the president, they go at
once to the home of the chief of the
department in which they serve. From the
ranking major general of the army to the
voungest second lieutenant on duty at the cap
ital all the officers call upon the secretary of
war. The naval officers from Admiral Dewey
down to the stripling ensign, make their way
to the house of Secretary of the Navy Meyer,
and there, in order of rank, pay their respects.
The New Year's day reception at the White
House is the only formal reception of the year
that is open to all citizens. There are other
receptions given by the president and his wife
during the winter which are semi-public in
their nature, but to which admission is by card
only. The first of these receptions is given on
the second Thursday after New Year’s day, in
the evening. It is called “the diplomatic re
ception,” and the guests are invited to meet the
ambassadors and ministers who are accredited
by foregin governments, to the United States.
Another reception is given two weeks later
and the guests of honor whom the other guests
are invited to meet are the justices of the su
preme court of the United States. The third
reception is for the senators and representa
tives in congress, and the fourth and last, is
for the officers of the army and navy.
Nearly every day of the year the president
greets visitors in the offices of the White
House at noon, and so it is possible for the
American citizen to exchange greetings with
the chief executive even though circumstances
prevent his saying “Happy New Year,” on Jan
uary 1st, at the great White House holiday
gathering.
Thought Much of Pet Dogs
Four metrical epitaphs reveal to us a pleas
ing and unexpected side of the Roman charac
ter. They are epitaphs on pet dogs. One was
a great white hunting dog named Margarito,
who coursed through the trackless forests, as
she tells us on her tombstone. Another "never
barked without reason, but now he is silent”
Mvria, the little Gallic dog. barked fiercely if
she found a rival lying in her mistress' lap. '
The stone of Patricus, an Italian dog, at Sa
lernum contains this tribute from his mistress:
"My eyes were wet with tears, our dear lit
tle dog, when I bore thee (to the grave), a
service which 1 should have rendered thee with
less grief three lustrums ago. So, Patricus,
never again shalt thou give me a thousand
kisses. Never canst thou lie contentedly in
my lap. In sadness have 1 buried thee, as
thou deservest, in a resting place of marble,
and I have put thee for all time by the side of
iny shade. In thy Qualities, sagacious thou
wert like a human being. Ah, me! what a
loved companion have we lost!”—From “S»
cicty and Politics in Ancient Roux*.”
CLEARED LAND OF STONl
i*J
Farmer Called Patriotism to Aid in
Scheme to Rid Earth of In
cumberances.
Jerome S. McWade, the Duluth mil
lionaire collector, said at a dinner,
apropos of the Hudson-Fulton cele
bration:
•These celebrations, it is true, are
of great financial advantage to a city;
but it is false to say that purely
selfish motives underlie them. It is
false to compare a city giving a Hud
son-Fulton celebration with the cairn
building Pike county (Pa.) ff.rmer.
•‘Pike county is the stoniest one
in the world. Stones end rattlesnakes
—that is Pike. And the farmer I al
lude to said to me one day:
“ ‘Never told you, Mr. McWa.de, how
I rid my farm o’ stones, did i ? Wall,
an idea r struck me wunst, and I
getbered up a few stones in a bad
field, made a little pile on ’em near
the road, and stuck up a sign readin’:
“ 'Cairn in. memory of Lincoln.’
Wall, the idear caught on. by gee.
Every blasted hunter and fisher what
druv past climbed out and piously
added a few stones to my caini. And
when that there field was all stoned,
by gee, I started a new calm in the
next field and moved my sign over
to it. There ain’t a stone on the
farm to-day, Mr. McWade, exceptin’
them there big cairns. There ain't a
fanner in Pike, nuther, that’s done his
duty to his country’s heroes, by gee,
like I have with all them monuments
of mine.' ”
Loses Life for Good-By.
Middletowh, Conn.—Sisterly eager
ness for just one more parting expres
sion of affection for her brother, who
was about to take a train for the far
west, caused the depth of Annie Mark
ham. The girl had driven with her
brother Robert to the Middletown sta
tion of the Connecticut Valley rail
road. She had had a long parting tall
with him, and after hugging and kiss
ing him she went back into her car
riage. Then she remembered then
was something else she wanted to saj
to him. She got out of her carriage
and started across the tracks to when
he was standing on the station plat
form. She did not notice a wori
train which was backing in. Her broth
er shouted at her and waved his arms
but the car Btruck' her and she fel
to the track and was ground to pieces
How Minnie Shadowed H. Sylvester Jones
By MARY E. HOLLAND
(Copyright, 11*09, by Daily Story Pub. Co.)
A quiet, unobtrusive looking automo
bile drew up before a third-floor de
tective agency ona certain side street
of down-town New' York. A heavily
veiled woman descended, spoke a few I
whispered words to the chauffeur, and !
made her way to the grimed door, on
whose glass panels appeared the
legend: ‘.’Sharp & Son, Private Detec
tives.”
"Do you handle divorce cases?" she
inquired, bluntly.
The brisk, nervous man before her
swept his eyes over her quietly
gowned figure.
"That depends upon the character
of the case," he rejoined, cautiously.
The veiled woman took a quick step
toward him. "I wish evidence that
will procure me separation from m.v
husband. Can you furnish it?”
The brisk man pondered. "Have you
reason to believe that your husband
is—er, unfaithful?"
"On the contrary, I have every rea
son to believe that he is not."
The brisk man pondered again. "You
are setting us a difficult problem, my
dear woman. Such cases, you must
know, involve heavy expenditure. I
may say a very heavy expenditure.”
He paused as he darted another
shrewd glance toward the veiled client
before him.
"Will you name an estimate of that
expense?” she asked, quietly.
"Certainly; we could not conduct
such a case under $5,000.”
The woman drew a roomy purse
V wtMr yens aer
st 2-'c>
^s-yju'zF&rz'je
from her cloak and counted out ten
yellow-backed bills.
"Here is $1,000. If you will bring
me evidence that will secure a di
vorce, I will increase it to $10,000.”
The brisk man smoothed the bills
caressingly. “And who is your hus
band, madam?”
The veiled woman hesitated and
then pronounced a name that brought
a low, involuntary whistle from the
other’s lips. It was that of one of
the best known men of Wall street.
The detective gazed after the de
parting figure of his client, with puck
ered brows. But he did not realize
until a week's "shadowing" of H. Syl
vester Jones had proved ineffectual,
just how difficult was the problem she
had left him. To all intents and pur
poses, H. Sylvester Jones was a
model husband in the eyes of the law.
On the eighth day a bright idea came
to the head of "Sharp & Son." For a
moment he sat with a broad grin on
his face. Then he pushed a bell and
a young woman in a plain dress and
with a careworn face, entered from an
inner room.
The man spoke a dozen curt sen
tences, straight to the point.
“I -want you to get acquainted,
Minnie, with H. Sylvester Jones.”
Minnie opened her tired eyes very
wide.
“1 fancy that yottr best method of
approaching him is at the theater,"
continued her employer, briskly. “I
happen to know that he is a continu
ous, not to say an enthusiastic patron
of the drama.”
“You mean the show girls?”
‘‘Not he. That is where I need your
services. At the psychological mo
ment, we will secure you a seat. That
seat will be directly next to our dis
tinguished gentleman. You will oc
cupy it for the better part of three
hours. Du you catch the point? If
you will manage your cards right,
when yon leave the theater, you will
be acquainted with him. very well ac
quainted. After that point you will
make your own plans. What Mrs,
II. Sylvester Jones wants is an affi
davit of infidelity."
The detective paused.
Minnie stiffened her shoulders and
a quick Hush sprang into her pale
cheeks. A keen observer might have
seen that under certain conditions she
might be beautiful. Gradually the
tired eyes dropped and the bent shoul
ders relaxed. Minnie had conquered
herself. She was thinking of sick
mother and little-sister.
. “And what do I get?’’ she asked.
The detective held up the ten yel
low-backed bills. “These are yours
for the affidavit. You know where to
go for the clothes. I will telephone
you if we make arrangements for to
night. If not, we’ll try for to-morrow
night. We are bound to succeed some
time—and then it is un to you.”
As it happened, on the third even
ing H. Sylvester Jones stepped out of
his automobile and entered the Fifth
avenue theater. Five minutes later
a stylishly dressed young woman fol
lowed him down the aisle and slipped
into the next. seat. It was Minnie—
but a very different Minnie in evening
dress and rouge, an altogether charm
ing and fascinating Minnie. Two min
utes before the orchestra began, she
dropped her handkerchief. H. Syl
vester Jones extended It to her po
litely. She smiled and he looked at
her again. She was a girl to no
tice.
Before the close of the first act, he
had made a hesitating remark, aud
she had answered it, and he had made
another, and before the close oi the
second act. they were chatting ge
nially. When the final curtain de
scended, they left the theater together
An agent of “Sharp & Son,” loitering
in the corner, notie-eel the circum
stance and reported it to his chief.
The latter smiled broadly and the next
morning eagerly awaited Minnie's ar
rival. When noon came and she did
not appear, he looked worried. When
evening crane without her, he sent for
his agent and the two conferred to
gether. The next day he received a
note. It was a remarkable note, and
under it was the scrawling signature
of Minnie:
“J do not want your $1,000. and I
hereby resign my position.”
The detective swore and called for
his agent again. The latter looked
glum and started on a search for the
missing girl. He found her the next,
week at a fashionable Ruite of apart
ments, with two servants, a pearl
necklace and an array of diamond
riBgs that dazzled him.
“The chief wants your affidavit,” he
began, curtly.
“He can’t have it, and I don't want
him to bother me any more.”
The detective bounded from his
chair and Minnie tossed her head. “Mr.
Jones has asked me to become hi*
wife and 1 have accepted his offer!”
The statement was true. The scheme
of “Sharp & Son” had indeed proven
a boomerang. The millionaire had
fallen in love with the girl who had
been sent to trap him, and had ten
dered her not only his wealth, but his
name. The fortunes of the detective
agency, however, were only under a
temporary cloud. H. Sylvester Jones
bluntly told his wife that either he or
she ^ould go to South Dakota and re
turn single. Mrs. Jones took the west
ern trip and a few weeks ago the de
cree of divorce was granted.
H. Sylvester Jones married Minnie,
and everybody is satisfied, with the
exception of “Sharp & Sons." They
haven't got their remaining $9,000 yet.
and-there doesn't seem to be any rea
sonable prospect of their ever toeing
called to receipt the bill.
Furious Fun in English Society.
Now for the game th^ most popular
at country houses this autumn. You
may call It a variation on the old gams
of consequences. Kach guest has a
strip of paper and pencil. Kach
writes:
“Why Is -” (choosing the name
of some well known person, or a
friend or acquaintance known to the
general company), and then turns
down his strip of paper and passes it
on to the next guest.
Now each writes: “Like a-“
(choosing what simile he will). Agasn
the strips are passed on. The third
time each guest writes the answer:
“Because he or she -.” Thus:
"Why is Winston Churchill like a
piano organ? Because he flies from
pillar to post."—The Gentlewoman.
Experiment With Soya Bean
! First Cargo Arrives at Liverpool
i Where It Is Being Blended with
Flour and Meal.
The first complete cargo of soya
beans that arrived in the United King
1 dom, says a consular report, reached
! Liverpool February 14, 1903, and the
interest in this new industry has
grown apace since then, experiments
being made in various other parts of
England as well as in Liverpool that
range from a blend of soya flour,
made by an expert Liverpool baker
with flour and meal, about, one-fifth
for mixing with flour and one-sixth
for meal, to a soya dog biscuit.
The blending of soya flour above
referred to is desirable by reason of
its demonstrated food value. In
albuminoids soya beans are stated to
be nearly three times as rich as oats
and wheat, and possessed of more
fiber and ash. A few German mill
ers are reported to have mixed soya
and rye flour in experiments in the
making of the black bread of that
country, and local millers here are
experimenting with a blend to im
prove their brown bread.
A vegetable cheese is known to bo
produced from the caseine that the
bean contains, but this has not ad
vanced from the experimental to the
commercial stage.
It is reported that one o: two impor
Liverpool merchants have sent- their
own investigators to Manchuria to
study the products of that country
chiefly the soya bean. It Is also stat
ed that one of the large ship owners
of Liverpool contemplates the intro
duetion of the soya bean Into West
Africa, where soil and labor condi
tlons are thought to be peculiarly fav
a Parallel
growing
and some
crops.
to the British cotton aud gT
movement at its inception, and