WHITE HOUSE DINNERS. They Aro Magnificent, Elaborate and Perfect Functions. Description of a State Dinner Given by tiie I'reniilent to the lllp lomntN It en ill in 1; at • Washington. [Special Washington Letter.] There will be no more diplomatic din ners at the white house during this sea sou. The social customs of nations are amusing and ridiculous to men who do not believe in any sort of temperance. ! During the next eight or nine months the president of the United States will probably be able to maintain friendly relations with the diplomatic repre sentatives of foreign nations in this city without giving them meat and drink. During each winter season, i however, it is expected that tiie prcsi- | dent shall give a series of dinners, I which are served after dark, where food of the most costly kind in great abun- j dance is served and washed down with gallons of champagne and other wines. The diplomatic dinners at the white house have made trouble on more than one occasion. A familiar instance was that of the British minister Merry, who made a great row because some other lady was taken into the table by Thomas Jefferson before Mrs. Merry. During tiie Garfield administration Mrs. Blaine actually left the president's board in anger because she had not the place to which she considered herself ! entitled. The plan adopted of making the order of precedence among the diplomats depend simply on length of service here is an admirable solution of the problem on the whole. The various ambassadors and min isters located in Washington give din ners to the secretary of state and the assistant secretary. They also enter tain our senators and representatives in a similar manner. The president gives receptions and dinners to the members of the supreme court and to the senators and representatives during the entire ante-Lenten season. At the diplomatic dinner at the white | house the British ambassador is given j the seat of honor because he is regarded as the dean of the diplomatic corps, on account of liis seniority of rank by con tinuous service at this capital. The president offers his arm to the wife of the British ambassador and leads the way to the dining-room, followed by the diplomats and the ladi.es of their families. The president stands beside his seat in the middle of one side of the long table, and remains standing, until ell of the ladies and gentlemen have found their way to their respective places. All then take their seats and the banquet begins. When the guests arrive at the white house they are escorted upstairs, the gentlemen going to the library and the ladies to one of the larger bedrooms in order to remove their wraps. Present ly they go down to the large east room, where the president and his wife are found awaiting to receive them. Promptly at eight o'clock the steward of the white house opens the door of the state dining-room and bows to the president, who thereupon leads the pro cession to the table. Before going downstairs to dinner each one of the gentlemen finds on a table in the library an envelope ad dressed to himself, unsealed, with the American eagle in gold stamped on the envelope. Within the envelope each gentleman discovers a card with bev eled and gilded edges, bearing the name of the lady whom he is to take into din ner. On the back of the card is a dia gram of the table with the seats num bered. Two numbers are struck out \ SIR JULIAN PAUNCEPOTE. (British Ambassador to the the United States.) with a pen, t!Tus indicating to the gen tleman receiving the card where he and his partner for the evening are to sit at the table. Thus it is practically impos sible for any error to be made in seat ing the guests at these big banquets. The last president's reception was in definitely postponed because of the sinking of the battle ship Maine, Where by so many of our sailors lost their lives. That dreadful catastrophe shocked the civilzed world, and it caused thrills of horror in this city. There was such a spontaneous burst of sentiment that even society quailed before it, and all social affairs were brought to a sudden termination. Thus it happened that the social rounds were stopped at the white house; and, now that Lent is here, they will not be resumed during the pres ent season. It is not generally known that, it is the duty of the president to accept ati invitation to dine with an ambassador, but that it is beneath his dignity to dine with a minister plenipotentiary. Am bassadors are the incarnation of their sovereigns. The British ambassador 'represents Queen Victoria, and for that reason he may personally call upon the president 011 official business at the white house. But the minister from Turkey or from China cannot call thus ipon the president. On the contrary, lie ministers must transact all of their Uplomatie business with our depart ment of state. The ambassadors out rank all other diplomats. In like manner. Ambassador Hay may nave audience with Queen Victoria, in stead of depending upon the British for eign office for consideration. Mr. Hay, as our ambassador to Great Britain, represents the president of this repub lic. When Mr. Bayard was our min ister, before the ambassadorship was created, he could not have audience with the queen; but as soon a* he had been promoted to be an ambassador he became a greater personage. It may be well to remember that all of our ambassadors to foreign countries are men of superior ability ami sa gacity. The same may be said of the ambassadors who are sent by foreign countries to this capital. In all emer gencies an ambassador must represent th j head of his nation. Therefore it is necessary that each ambassador should possess intellectual ability and educa tional acquirements which are prac tically equal to those of the sovereign or president at the head of his govern ment. A case in point concerning ministers occurred recently. The Spanish min ister to this country, Senor De Lome, committed a grave breach of courtesy. He was invited to the department of state to make an explanation or an apology. He did not respond, but left this country without delay, lie could not have gone to see our president about the matter, because only an am bassador has that privilege, while a MR. WU TING FANG. (Chinese Jlinister to the United States.) minister has not. Consequently, with • out making any explanation or apology ' for his cowardly and treacherous con duct, he hastily packed his household effects and miserably sneaked out of our national capital. While here he had been honored with the respect of the administration. With typical Span ish cunning and cowardice he bowed low, smiled and demeaned himself aa one who sought the friendship of this country and who appreciated the le niency of our nation. At the same time he was writing insolent and coarse al lusions to our president in his oflicia! communications, as well as to his per sonal friends in Spain. But to return to the white house din ners. They are paid for out of the con tingent fund which congress supplies When state dinners are given the presi dent and his guests sit at table about 21/2 hours. They have their trained waiters slowly changing their dijmei and rapidly filling their glasses. Thert is a waiter for every one present, and constant attention is paid by these sable servitors. For 2% hours they eat. drink and talk. There are no toasts, for the state dinners are not banquets. But they talk on all sorts of topics, jusl as your neighbors will talk informally when you have them to dinner in youi home. When they are finally throng! j with this long feeding and drinking I they get into cabs and carriages, drivt to their homes, goto bed and sleep oil the effects of their gormandizing. Thai is the plain and wholesome truth of tli« matter. These state dinners are gorgeous af fairs. The table service of the white house would do credit to any monarch. Between the president and his wife, in the center of the table, is a great big golden vase, filled with the rarest of flowers. Candelabra of gold and sil ver make radiant the brilliantly gilded and decorated room. There are scores of wax candles, and there are hundreds of little bits of electric lights, half hidden with foliage. The forks, knives and spoons are pure gold and pure silver. The china ware is of the most costly character, and all of it is hand painted. So you see, when our president enteretains, these important personages he does it in royal style. Now, whether our presidents enjoy this sort of tiling or not, is a question which cannot be determined. If any president does not enjoy such social functions, it would be inexceeding bad taste for him to sny so. Afterwards his guests would feel different, and some of them might even decline invitations. Ex-presidents are also reticent. It is J well. Whether this sort of procedure is I rigiit or not, is another question. The j custom of social and costly entertain ment is very ancient. Away back in Biblical times, we read of social inter- J changes of costly courtesies. It is re- I corded that the queen of Sheba traveled [ many miles, bringing tokens of admira : tion to the court of King Solomon. The j royal lady was superbly entertained. In the early days of our republic the j white house entertainments were very I simple, but they have increased in bril | liancy and costliness, as the nation ha* j increased in population and in wealth. ; Whether these state dinners are right or wrong, since it seems to be necessary to keep up the custom, we may at least i take pride in the fact that our presi ( dent does the grand act with as much | magnificence as a king or emperor. SMITH D. FRY. In l'lillfliielpkin. I Mother —What is the matter, mj dear? Married Daughter (In tears)—Charles has become so irregular in his habits! lie went out after dinner and didn't come home last night until nine o'clock —X. V. World. Dlmsii; reenble for All. | Gowper—l don't know how it is, but wherever 1 go there is sure to be some | thing disagreeable. Stickin— And wherever you go that'* : just what everybody else says. —Boston ! Transscriy CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 1898 POWDERLY IS CONFIRMED. TIIII Srimtr Kntlllro III* Appointment al C'omiiiiSHioiier of Immigration Air. Iluiuia Deniea that There Was a Itar- K»tu Mailt, In 'UU. Washington, March 17. —T. V. Pow derly was confirmed by the senate in executive session yesterday by si vote of 41! to 'JO. Senator Chandler was the only republican who cast his vote against confirmation, w'nile a large number of democrats voted for him. The vote was preceded by a sharp de bate in which the question whether Mr. I'owderly had made a trade with the republicans in the last campaign was discussed. Senators Teller and Stewart attacked Mr. I'owdorly's rec ord 011 the financial question and Sen ator Stewart read a letter from Mr. I'owderly written during the campaign of 1592 in which he had declared his ad herence to the cause of bimetallism, and denounced those of the labor ele ment who had aligned themselves on the republican side as rendering them selves liable to the charge of being made the subjects of bribery. Mr. Stewart contended that I'owderly had placed himself in the same catogory in which he had previously sought to place others, by his course in the cam paign of 1 v.M$. Senator llanna made a brief speech in which he asserted that Mr. Pow derly's support of the republican ticket in the late campaign was not the result of any collusion or bargain. "Mr. I'owderly,"' lie said, "came to us without any solicitation on our part. We did not go after him and we did not promise him anything." Furthermore, he said, he was not originally a supporter of I'owderly for the position of commissioner of immi gration, having another candidate for the office. This fact ought to be suffi cient evidence, Mr. llaona thought, to convince the most skeptical that there had been no bargain that Mr. I'owder ly should have the office as the result of his services in the campaign. Mr. Chandler made another speech in opposition, reading protests from la bor organizations, and declaring that the republican party could not afford to appoint to so important an office a man so distasteful to the labor element. Mr. Fairbanks closed the debate in Mr. Powderly's behalf, defending his record in the office and his character as a man. A WEAK PROTEST. Spaniards Make One to Our Government In Kecaril to the Assembling of War Ships at Key Went. Washington, March 17.—The main development in the Spanish situation yesterday was in connection with the representations submitted by the Spanish government to the state de partment concerning the assembling of a large fleet of American warships at Key West, the war preparations and the influence which these might have on the approaching elections in Cuba. These representations were in line with the semi-official utterances re cently accredited to a high official con versant with the views of the Spanish cabinet. While these representations cannot properly lie regarded as a pro test against the acts of the United States government, they may be set down as a remonstrance calculated to have an effect in European court cir cles. Not, however, being a technical protest, the statement has not called forth any official rejoinder on the part of the state department, for it is lack ing in tangible accusations, being rath er an argumentative presentation of alleged Spanish grievances. The Fern sailed for Havana from Key West yesterday. She goes tore lieve the Montgomery as a home for the officers engaged in supervising the wrecking operations at Havana. WITH MILITARY HONORS. Remains of Gen. Hotterrans are I.aiil in tiie Tomb. Los Angeles, Cal., March 17.—The funeral of ( Jen. W. S. Rosecrans yester day was one of the most impressive this city has ever witnessed. Thou sands assembled to honor the dead war rior. liusiness was interrupted during the ceremonies. The remains were removed from the city hall, where they had been lying in state, to the cathedral, where Bishop Montgomery officiated at the services. A huge procession of G. A. U. men, Confederate veterans and militia es corted the remains from the church tc tiie cemetery. Following them came the hearse and directly behind it a riderless horse was led. The services at the church were brief. At the con clusion of the services, one of the in fantry companies fired a salute of three volleys over the tomb, taps were sounded and the warrior was left to his rest. FLOODS IN MICHIGAN. Kuginj,' Klvpm CaiiHP (ireat Damage in the Vicinity of Saginaw. Saginaw, Mich., March 17. —The Sag inaw river is flooded to a height not hitherto reached since ISS4. The Shia wasse, Cass and lesser tributary rivers are flooded to their utmost capacity. Travel was suspended yesterday over the Mackinaw street bridge. The water has not reached the floor of that bridge yet. but the protecting piles are submerged. In some streets the side walks and pavements are weighted by iron and the police have closed the streets to traffic. Between Saginaw and Hay City is an immense lake anil several smaller villages are almost en tirely evacuated. The Michigan Cen tral has had a number of washouts be tween Saginaw and Hay City and can not run trains. Only the Itest are Wanted. Washington, March 17. —Considering the competition offered by the navy and marine corps in the enlistment of recruits, the war department feels that it is doing very well in securing men for the artillery regiments. The ad jutant general's report yesterday was that 230 men had been secured. This is at the rate of SOU per month and about as fast as the men can be prop erly taken care of. The officials want the best men. The reports indicate that every section of the country is contributing to the enlistments aild those from Dallas, Tex., are particular I encouraging. A CHICAGO HORROR. rlirne Men Kllleit. Kigliteen Missing ami ,'tO Maimed an tia«< Ko salt of a Savag** Flrr In a lluMiiim I Hoc If. Chicago. March 17.—1t required just •J) minutes yesterday for one of tin most savage fires Chicago lias seen since the famous cold storage warehouse tire 011 the world's fair grounds in lsns, to take anywhere from 5 to is lives, maim 3D people and reduce the six-story brick building 213-231 Wabash avenue to a pile of blazir.g timber, red hot bricks and twisted ron. The number of dead is in doubt and probably will not be definitely known until the debris of the building is suf ficiently cooled to admit of a search being made for the bodies of those who are undoubtedly in the ruins. This will be two days hence at least. Three men are known to be dead. They are: Samuel A C'ark, bookkeep-r for the Olm stead Scientific Co- Miles A. Smith, salesman for the Olmstead Co. Edward Ilinz, cashier for Sweet, Wallach & Co. The missing, of whom nothing could be learned at a late hour last night and most of whom are without question buried in the wreck of the building, number IS. The building had two elevator shafts, one in front and one in the rear, and reaching from the third story to the roof was a light shaft which gave the flames every chance, and it was be cause of this shaft that the fire spread with such awful rapidity. The building was occupied by a num ber of concerns, some of them employ ing large numbers of people. It is es timated that 100 persons were at work in the building when the fire was dis covered. The origin of the fire is in dispute. By some it is said to have been caused by an explosion of collodion in the wall paper ware rooms of Alfred Peats on the third floor and by others to have been the result of an explosion among some chemicals in the photographic supply house of Sweet, Wallach Co. 011 the sixth floor. Employes of both concerns deny that there was any ex plosion in their vicinity. The sound of the explosion threw the inmates of the building into a panic, and on several lloors a wild stampede began for the stairways and elevators. To add to the panic the men in charge of the elevators ran their cars up to thetopof the building, shouting "Fire" at every floor. When they reached the top both elevators took on a load of frightened women and started for the bottom. The front elevator was in charge of Harry Gleason, a boy. and the rear one was handled by William St. John, a young man. Both of these showed much coolness and bravery and were instrumental in saving many lives. The elevator in the front of the building was in good order, but not calculated to produce much speed. Gleason made one trip to the sixth floor, carried down a load of women, anil although the smoke was rolling through the building in dense clouds, lie started up again. At the fourth floor he stopped to take on a crowd of girls from the rooms of the National Music Co.. being assisted in his work by Miss Katlierine Carney, the fore woman. A man attempted to force his way into the elevator, but Gleason sho7ed him back into the hall that the women might have the first chance. The man never came out and probably met death in the flames. After reaching the bottom with his load of girls Gleason was about to start up again when the supports of the elevator machinery at the top of the shaft caught tire and, seeing that they would give way before his slow elevator could make another trip, Gleason gave it up. At the rear St. John did equally good work, but was not able to make more than one trip, as the fire swept through that portion of the building before it attacked the front. In less than ten minutes after the explosion that started the fire all escape for the in mates by the stairs and elevators was cut off. There remained only the win dows and the single fire escape, a nar row iron thing not over 18 inches wide. This was speedily covered with a string of people. Many of those who could not reach the fire escape made their way to the front windows and it was out of these that Clark, Smith and Binz hurled themselves to death. Clark was bookkeeper for the Olm stead Scientific Co. on the seventh floor and remained to put the books in the safe. He might have escaped had he run upon the first alarm. He was first seen at one of the seventh story win dows and a few minutes after showed himself in a window of the sixth floor. The fire was close upon him, the floors and walls behind him were crashing down, and it was certain death to re main where he was. There was no possibility of help and he took his only chance. Three seconds later he was dead on the pavement below. Miles A. Smith, a salesman for the Olmstead Co., also leaped from a win dow in the sixth floor, lie hesitated some time before taking the leap. He was killed, his body being horribly mangled. Fruit Crops Kuineii. San Francisco, March 17.—A heavy frost occurred in the southern part of this state Tuesday night and serious damage was sustained by the fruit in dustry. Beports from Stockton, Fresno and Sacramento are to the effect that the apricot, peach and almond crops are ruined. Steamer unil All llanils Lost. Lowestoft, Eng., March 17. The bark British Princess, from Leitli for Liverpool, was toweil in here Wednes day with her bows stove, having been in collision at a. 111. off Gibbard light ship with an unknown steamer. The steamer sank within three minutes with all on board. Keueheil a High Mark. Washington, March 17.-—The receipts from customs yesterday amounted to 81,319,737. This is the highest point by nearly $3(15,000 that the customs have reached since the new tariff act went into effect. A DEFI FROM SPAIN'. Will Never P«y Indemnity Nor Permit Intervention. A Bemi-OfHelal Aanounceiiieiit U Made at Madrid that Shown I In* T«nipor of the Doim in the Pres ent CririiH. Madrid, March 18.—The following semi-official note was issued here yes terday: "The report of the Spanish commis sion on the Maine is not yet known, but tiit- statements of several officers who have made a close examination of the scene of the disaster, show that it was indisputably due to an interna: ac cident. American assertions to the contrary are therefore deplored in offi cial quarters as tending to mislead pub lic opinion and render the situation still more difficult from the standpoint of maintaining' friendly relations be tween the two countries. It may be regarded as certain that should the American technical commission pre sent a report declaring the disaster to be due to an external explosion, the public here will refuse to accept such a finding, and any demand for an in demnity based thereon will be indig nantly repelled by Spain." Washington, March IS.—The semi official statement given out at Madrid advancing the government view that a demand for indemnity based on Span ish responsibility for the Maine ex plosion would be indignantly repelled by Spain, attracts much interest in official circles. There has been little doubt for some time that Spain was preparing for the contingency of an adverse report by the American court >f inquiry and to that end was prepar ing to offset it by making clear the government's policy of standing by the report of the Spanish commission. The report of the latter body was due in Madrid on Wednesday, and while its conclusions are not officially known it is a foregone conclusion that it will find that the Maine disaster was an ac cident. resulting in internal explosion. This was foreshadowed in the advance utterances of ( apt. Peral, head of the Spanish commission, who stated pub licly several days ago that the theory of external explosion was untenable. Along with the semi-official state ment from Madrid that a demand for indemnity will be indignantly repelled, is the further statement from reliable sources that Spain has made it clear to the authorities here that interven tion may lead to war. The prospects of such intervention appear to be seriously entertained by Spain and strong efforts have been made to avert it bv showing that the condition of the reeoncentrados did not warrant the step, and also that it would threaten to end all prospects of further pacific negotiations. A STRATEGIC MEASURE. licmoviil of ltuttlc.Hlil]H from Florida Wutorn to Hampton Koad* 1M TIIIIH !>«•- scrihtMl hy Naval Official*. Washington, March 18.—The event of Thursday in official circles was the issue of an order for the formation of a new squadron of naval vessels to be stationed at Hampton ltoads. The squadron in the beginning will consist of five ships, ail the bestof their types. Two of them —the battleships Massa ehusets and Texas —are withdrawn from the present North Atlantic fleet at Key West and Tortugas. In ordering this movement the navy department is not animated by any purpose of yielding to representations that may have come from the Spanish minister. On the contrary the forma tion of the new squadron was brought about by purely strategic considera tions, although it appears from na ture of the force so far under onto rendezvous at Hampton Roads, .nit this strategy is of the defensive nature. The new squadron cannot be called a '-flying squadron" because the asso ciation of heavy attleships with fleet cruisers like Brooklyn, Columbia and Minneastfns reduces the available speed of JJprwhole to the speed of the slowest vessel and the squadron could not do much "flying - " in the naval sense. In place of the cruiser New York the people of Key West will look upon the big monitor Puritan, supposedly the most powerful ship in smooth water in the world. She will have to assist her on guard the double-turreted monitor Miantonomali and the monitor Am phitrite. BRUCE IS DEAD. A I-eader of the Colored Kaee I'aM.neH from Hart lily I.ife. Washington, March 18.—Blanche K. Bruce, registrar of the treasury, died Thursday. He was born a slave in Vir ginia in 1841, taught school for a time in Hannibal, Mo., and later became a student at Oberlin. In 18(S'J he became a planter in Mississippi, was elected sheriff of his county, and subsequent ly superintendent of education. In 1877 he was elected United States sen ator as a republican, and served until March :i, 1881. He was a member of every republican national convention held since 1808. In IXBI he was ap pi inted by President Garfield registrar of the treasury, and later was appoint ed recorder of deeds of the District of Columbia. About six months ago ho was again appointed registrar of the treasury by President McKinley. Next after Fred Douglass, Mr. I truce has long been re garded as the most conspicuous man of his race. The I'irnt Money p«tie4 •* li* olaas Llqnor store, and invites MM trade OF Hot*)*, Rcstanranta, We shall carry none bat the best I »s» lean and Imported WHISKIES, BRANDIES. GINS AND WINES, BOTTLED ALE, CHAMPA6IIE, Ela, Chotee Bae et Bottled Goods. redOttle* to my ltrp tee ef ltaeaas I mmm eoastaatl? ia stock a fell nae rf CIGARS AND TOBAOCa IV reel ul BllMerd Beoas la MM helllli* ML C*LL AJO> RXI ME A. A. MoDONALD, FBOPBIKTOB, MUTOMIVM. TJL. &F. X. BLUMLE,? X EMFOBIUIi, RA. X •VV Settler at ead Dealer T» FT & WINES, j? & WHISKIES, m And Liquors of All Kinds. < ■ Q The beat of foods always J5 w carried tn stook and every- 93 rf thing warranted aa repreaenb- j K Especial Attention Pal d ** R ii nail Order a. < | W EMPORIUM, PA. 3 j / GO TO I SJ. A- siflsler's,i 1 Breed Street, Enperlaa, Re., l J Where yea can get an jttlnf fee want ta C C the line of F \ Groceries, / l Provisions, 112 / FLOUR, SALT HEATS, > ( SMOKED HEATS, \ ) CANNED GOC3B, ETC., > ) Tua, Fralti, Confectionery, ) S Irttui CB4 Clfiri. v \ Ooetfa Dellyered Free any / / Place laa Town. S c CIII 131 SEE EE 1» GET NUCHA C IZII P. * E. BENT \ BBFOKIVB Bottling Works, IOHN McDONALD, Proprietor, ■aar 9. AM. Depot, Emperluaa, FA. Bottler end Shipper ef Rochester Lager Beer, BEST 1113)8 IF ETTOM. The Maanffccturar ef SefS Drliki end Dealer la Gholoi Wines aed Fure Liquor* We keep none bnt the very beat Ewsr and are prepared to fill Orders mm short notice. Private families aerved iailv If deaLrad. JOHN MoDONALD. '• end Trade-Marls OBTAIN? ! at J all IW lent business conducted far MODIRATt Fltl. ioun orrioc is owoerr* U. 8. PaTiNTOrrio* Jsnd wocaniccurg yniaai ia leu time than these, < remote from Was Mas tea. .... J Send model, drawing or photo., with deserlp- Jlloo. Wo advise, if patentable or Dot, free Of