When guests first arrived, they were seated next to Mr. Hearst in the middle of the table. The longer one stayed, the further down the table they went, and you knew it was time to go home when you'd reached the end of the table.
Despite all its grandeur, Hearst thought of the Castle as "the ranch," where things were informal, thus the catsup and mustard on the table. Tour guides sometimes relate that when Winston Churchill visited, Hearst had to send to San Francisco for the good linens and china to serve him on.