LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 00017633^50 a- L . i « ~r <%, v* * ' <-. .A" X -fcflMB. '. -V., •->, ^ ,0o. V v <- \ o O x ,00 ,^\ * . o- c ?y «, *L .'V s * £» .U O # 9 N ' \V . -V. * 8 I 1 v. ♦* %■ Mmht Iftatanj of % INSIDE HISTORY OF THE WHITE HOUSE The Complete History of the Domestic and Official Life in Washington of the Nation's Presidents and their Families By GILSON WILLETS Author of "The Rulers of the World at Home," "The Workers of the Nation," "Recent Histories of the United States. Russia, Japan and China," Etc BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRODUCTIONS NEW YORK THE CHRISTIAN HERALD LOUIS KLOPSCH, Proprietor BIBLE HOUSE COPYRIGHT, 1908, BY LOUIS KLOPSCH // Sriitntftan TO THAT DEARLY LOVED "FIRST LADY" OF MINE OWN WHITE HOUSE, B?att Ufanfcnwr Wtilrfa WHOSE DEVOTION HATH MADE POSSIBLE THE PEACEFUL, CLOISTERED DAYS NECESSARY TO THE PRODUC- TION OF THIS WORK, I DEDICATE THIS 'Kttfltto Iftslorg of % IMjtt* fintg*' INTRODUCTION NEW YEAR'S DAY, 1909, will mark the one hundredth and eighth anniversary of the formal opening of the White House, at Washington, as the official home of the President of the United States. President John Adams, having taken possession of the newly-built "President's House" in November of 1800, held a public reception on the first day of January following, and thus on New Year's Day of 1801 occurred the official "housewarming" of this now most historic and most important dwelling in the land of the patriots who fought for and won the privilege of erecting it as a home for their own independent ruler. On the fourth of March next, Theodore Roosevelt will bid farewell to the White House, and his successor will take his place within those walls as the twenty-seventh President of the United States. Upon these momentous events the attention of the popula- tion of each and every State and Territory in the Union, the attention of the whole people from Atlantic to Pacific, and from the Great Lakes to Rio Grande, will be fixed. What season more propitious, then, what occasion more opportune than the present for receiving in our homes this story of the one build- ing to which, more than any other building in the land, we are peculiarly and deeply attached? It seems, indeed, the timeliest of seasons for augmenting one's collection of books by this Inside; History of the White House. This is Presidential Year. It is the year in which we elect a new Chief Executive of the nation. And, following the elec- tion, the time comes when, with profound regret, we say adieu to one of the most extraordinary Presidents in our country's io Introduction history, while at the same time we welcome, with sincere con- gratulations, the inauguration and entrance to the White House of that forceful man who, for the next four years, will perform the arduous duties of the country's twenty-seventh Chief Magistrate. So is this the season when, by reason of the great events in connection with the Presidency, we become naturally and deeply interested in the most exalted office within the gift of the people ; in the different men who, through a century and more, have held that office ; in the man who at present holds that post ; in the man who is soon to succeed the incumbent of to-day ; and, above all, in the official and domestic life of each and every one of the masters and mistresses of the White House in the one hundred and eight years of its existence. The biography of the Presidents is perpetuated in many volumes already published. The present work is, therefore, by no means merely a series of biographical sketches of the lives of the Presidents. In this book the Presidents and their families are looked at and written about from a new viewpoint. The aim of the present work is to give the citizens of this country a complete account of the daily life, both domestic and official — how they worked, how they played — of the twenty-six Presi- dents and of the members of their families while they occupied the White House. This work, then, is the White House Life of the Presidents, their wives, their children and grandchildren — a record of the doings and sayings, from 1800 to the present time, of all the tenants who have had their fleeting day within that white walled home in Washington which is now, and ever has been, of pro- found interest to the American patriot. In the breast of the patriotic American the love of these three things is dominant : Love for the flag that protects him ; love for the Chief Magistrate whose duty it is to keep that flag aloft ; love for the building, the White House, that shelters the President of all the people. To those who so love the man and the house around whom and around which the government of Introduction i i this country revolves; this book will, it is reasonably believed, make strong appeal both to heart and brain. For in these pages will be found all the facts relating to every phase of official, social and family life of the men, women and children who have occupied that house at the National Capital over which our flag floats and in which our elected Chief Executive of to-day executes the laws for the benefit of eighty millions. Every one of the thousands of pilgrims who visit the White House yearly, every one of the millions who read about the White House in book or paper, feels some sense of ownership in this building, be his proprietary interest ever so infinitesimal. Lives there a youth who, upon seeing a picture of the White House, has not found his imagination carrying him into that beautiful building as President of the United States ? Within those walls all stand equal; save on the State occasions when the Rules of official precedence prevail. This is far and away the most hospitable dwelling in America. Here have been entertained more people than in any other house in the land. Ten thousand persons have passed through its rooms and shaken hands with the President on a New Year's Day. These are some suggestions of the associations, many and varied, that afford material upon which the present historian has drawn for the facts contained in the ensuing pages. Compared to a human being, the White House, as a build- ing, is the body ; the home created within that body is the soul. Man built the White House, the body ; but women have ever made the home which is its soul. How men built the house, how women brought soul into it, is here related in detail. The visible, tangible results of the home-making efforts of the women of the White House are manifest in the furniture, the decorations, the paintings, as placed there during the various administrations. Descriptions of the historical articles that stand upon the floors and that hang upon or decorate the walls, are given. And having described the scene, the setting, this work then proceeds to relate the comedies, dramas, tragedies, enacted by 12 Introduction those who have dwelt amid the surroundings named. Here is revealed the life of the masters and mistresses of the White House as they lived it from day to day. The myriad memories of the mansion have each their place in these pages. Here is reproduced the humor and wit of the State dinner ; the romance and marriage and honeymoon of Presidents, their brides, their sons, their daughters ; here are accounts of fun and frolic on festive occasions — on Thanksgivings, at Christmas-tides and at receptions; here are the stories of historical ceremonies that have taken place in the White House; here are depicted occa- sions first of gaiety, then of gloom, of alternate exaltation and depression, that marked important periods in the life of the White House tenants ; here is set forth the tastes of the dwellers within this home — their habits, their mornings, noons and nights. In short, here is the intimate, personal, human and heart story of the Presidential home, hearth, fireside, a story embody- ing both the public and private life of the Presidents and their families at the Executive Mansion during twenty-six adminis- trations. Our twenty-six Presidents are here shown as husbands, fathers and grandfathers and White House hosts, rather than as statesmen. Not one of these Presidents came from west of the Mississippi. Eighteen of them were lawyers, the remain- ing eight being farmers, public officials or soldiers. But this work does not deal with sectional feelings or politics or policies ; it does not picture White House life according to administra- tions, but rather by events and personalities. It is not the Republican nor the Democrat that is here written about, but just the story of the man who was or is the President, together with the story of the woman who acted as mistress of the White House and as hostess of the nation. The personalities of our "First Gentlemen" and of our "First Ladies" have each their place between these covers. The business of Government as conducted at the White House is told in the chapters giving facts about the Presidents' secre- Introduction 13 taries; about the Presidential mail and presents sent to the Chief Executives; about the Secret Service force that guards the "First Gentleman;" about Cabinet meetings, and about White House employes. Every important room within the mansion, with the furni- ture contained in it, is described. A glimpse is given of the White House collection of portraits, with the stories told by the artists who painted the pictures. The mansion was burned by the British in 1814 — and an account of that dreadful time is here set forth. How is the White House maintained? The facts relating to the maintenance of buildings and grounds, are included. Who was born in the White House? Who was christened there ? Who married there ? Who died there ? All these questions are answered. Here may be found the details as to matters of entertaining, etiquette and precedence, early-day "drawing-rooms" and levees, latter-day receptions and musicales. Facts about the serving of private and public dinners and other meals, and the stories of the kitchen and dining-room, will probably be of particular interest to the "First Lady" in each household in our country. Then, as to callers at the White House, and the guests who have slept within those walls — here are stories of the expe- riences of many of these, from the Prince of Wales and Prince Henry of Germany, down to Jefferson's farm manager and McKinley's farmer friend and Roosevelt's rough-rider friend. And Sunday, and the use of the Bible at the White House, together with the church-going and charities of the White House tenants — to these important phases of life in the Execu- tive Mansion are devoted three chapters. In conclusion, the last chapter contains all the facts in which the nation is at present interested concerning the successor to Theodore Roosevelt, the twenty-seventh President of the United States, and his family. Many authorities have here been drawn upon for data. Wherever feasible, the text has been strengthened and the 14 Introduction facts emphasized by quoting the actual words of the authorities, including accounts written by visitors to the White House, con- temporaneous press despatches, letters of the Presidents and letters of their wives and relatives, messages of the Presidents, various biographies, Government documents, official reports, and, in the case of one President at least, namely, John Quincy Adams, facts are here given in the form of extracts from the only diary of a President that has come down to us. The author submits this Inside History of the; White House to the public in the hope that those who read it will be inspired with as much of the spirit of patriotism as he gained in wntmg **■ GILSON WILLETS. November, 1908. • CONTENTS CHAPTER I Over a Century of the White House. — The three great periods of White House history — Opening the White House in 1800 — Various changes in the White House — Money spent on the President's home — N. P. Willis describes the White House of seventy years ago — The White House of the Civil War — The President's house to-day — White House facts of history — How the White House got its name 25 CHAPTER II The First, Second and Third White Houses. — The "President's house," 1800 to 1814 — The first letter written in the "Presi- dent's house" — The Executive Mansion, 1814 to 1902 — The White House, 1902 to date — White House centennial day — Architects' report after the "restoration." 41 CHAPTER m White House Life of the Roosevelts. — Roosevelt's informal inauguration — Roosevelt as a man and a public official — The stupendous labors of a President — President Roosevelt's day's work at the White House — Mr. Roosevelt's work-room — The Roosevelt method of work — Declining a third term — Mrs. Roosevelt at the White House — Mrs. Roosevelt as "First Lady" — Mrs. Roosevelt as White House hostess — Mrs. Roosevelt as wife and mother 60 CHAPTER IV Inaugurations — Washington to Buchanan. — John Adams first to live in the White House — Jefferson first to be inaugurated in Washington — Madison and Monroe welcomed in Washing- ton — John Quincy Adams takes his father's place — Andrew Jackson moves in — Van Buren and the two Harrisons — From Tyler to Pierce — Buchanan wears his Lancaster suit ... 79 CHAPTER V Inaugurations — Lincoln to Roosevelt. — Johnson enters sadly; Grant proudly — Hayes only President taking the oath in the White House — Garfield and Arthur inaugurations — Cleveland to Roosevelt, first days in Washington 90 16 Contents CHAPTER VI PAGE Early "First Gentlemen" and Their Daily Routine. — First of the "First Gentlemen" in the White House — Jefferson polished despite "simplicity" — John Quincy Adams the scholar — "Old Hickory" in a rocking-chair — Van Buren the President serene — "Rough and ready" Taylor — President Fillmore a physical marvel — President Pierce eulogized by admirers . 99 CHAPTER VH Later "First Gentlemen" and Their Day's Work. — Lincoln always accessible — Grant always a soldier — President Hayes the hospitable — Garfield's social and business habits — Arthur, handsomest of Presidents — Benjamin Harrison a tremendous worker — Cleveland's autobiography — McKinley's daily routine 107 CHAPTER VIU "First Ladies" and Presidents' Widows. — Presidents who mar- ried widows — Three living widows of the Presidents — Mrs. Garfield living in Pasadena — Mrs. Benjamin Harrison living in Indianapolis — Mrs. Cleveland living in Princeton — Pensions drawn by Presidents' Widows 119 CHAPTER DC Early White House Hostesses. — The reign of Dolly Madison — Mrs. Monroe an accomplished woman — Mrs. John Quincy Adams a "brilliant ornament" — The first and second Mrs. Tyler — Mrs. James K. Polk both religious and charitable . 126 CHAPTER X Later White House Hostesses. — Mrs. U. S. Grant loved official life — Mrs. Hayes and Mrs. Garfield — The first Mrs. Benjamin Harrison — Mrs. Grover Cleveland a second Dolly Madison — Mrs. McKinley an invalid "First Lady" 137 CHAPTER XI Relatives as "First Ladies." — Jefferson's granddaughter does the honors — Jackson's "First Ladies" — President Van Buren's daughter-in-law presides — Harrison and Tyler families — Offi- cial ladies under Taylor, Fillmore and Buchanan — Johnson's daughter and Arthur's sister as hostesses 146 CHAPTER XH Secretaries to the Presidents. — President Roosevelt's secre- tary — How Mr. Loeb handles the White House business — McKinley's secretary, George B. Cortelyou — Lincoln's private secretary, John Hay — President Grant's secretary. Horace Porter — Other notable White House secretaries — The social secretary at the White House 158 Contents 17 CHAPTER Xm PAGE Letters and Gifts for the Presidents. — How President Roose- velt's mail is handled — President McKinley's enormous corre- spondence — Gifts sent to the White House — Presents received by Mr. Roosevelt — Jackson, Grant and McKinley received strange presents — Mighty cheeses at the President's house . 167 CHAPTER XPV Employes and Clerical Staff. — Colonel Crook, paymaster — Fifty years in government service — Captain Pendel's forty years as doorkeeper — Chief messenger and chief intelligence officer — Duties of the stewards — The corps of waiters 175 CHAPTER XV Secret Service and Military Aides. — Guards at the New Year's reception — How Harrison and Cleveland were "Secret Serv- iced" — The White House military aides 183 CHAPTER XVI Presidential Messages and Cabinets. — In the Cabinet Room with President Roosevelt — Cleveland's official family — Andrew Jackson's "kitchen cabinet" 190 CHAPTER XVH Public and Private Rooms. — The famous East Room — The Blue Room — The Red and Green Rooms — The State dining-room — The Roosevelt bedrooms — Private dining-room and library — Cost of furniture and a historic desk 195 CHAPTER XVm White House Portraits and Painters. — Roosevelt as a "sitter" — McKinley sits for the "court painter" — Artist Carpenter lives with President Lincoln — Portraits in the home of the Presi- dent — Pictures in various rooms — Portraits of the "First Ladies" 203 CHAPTER XIX Maintenance of Building and Grounds. — Congressional appro- priations for maintenance — Light, heat and water — "Presi- dent's park," terraces and conservatories 214 CHAPTER XX Three Alarms of Fire. — When the British burned the White House — When the White House stables were burned — Burn- ing of the White House conservatories 218 18 Contents CHAPTER XXI PAGE Babies of the White House. — Birth of a granddaughter to Gen- eral Grant — Three girls born in the White House — Other births in the President's house — Christened in the Green, Red and East Rooms 227 CHAPTER XXH Child Life at the President's House. — The Roosevelt children — How Grant joined in children's pleasures — President Cleve- land's babies — Lincoln's way with children — President Tyler played forfeits . 234 CHAPTER XXm Sons of the Presidents. — Well-known Presidents' sons — Lin- coln's son once a White House tenant — A distinguished son of General Grant — Two sons of President Garfield — A son of President Tyler 239 CHAPTER XXTV Daughters of the Presidents. — President Roosevelt's daughter "Princess Alice" — Another Roosevelt daughter — "The daugh- ter of the nation," Nellie Grant — President Tyler's daughter . 246 CHAPTER XXV Grandchildren of the Executive Mansion. — A grandson of President Grant — Grandchildren in Benjamin Harrison's term — A granddaughter of Jackson's time 255 CHAPTER XXVI Brides of the White House. — Fourteen newly-wedded White House couples — Early White House weddings — When Presi- dent Hayes gave the bride away — Marriage of four sons of Presidents — Marriage of four daughters of Presidents . . 263 CHAPTER XXVH Bridegroom-Presidents. — The only President who married in the White House — Mrs. Cleveland as a bride — President Tyler brings a bride to Washington — President Hayes' silver wedding 271 CHAPTER XXVm Romance of Nellie Grant. — General Grant's daughter a White House bride — Nellie Grant's wedding ceremony — Doorkeeper Pendel's story of the Grant nuptials 281 CHAPTER XXLX Romance of Alice Roosevelt. — The Roosevelt-Longworth wed- ding ceremony — Alice Roosevelt cut the wedding cake with a sabre — Presents from Kings to "Princess Alice" . . . 286 Contents 19 CHAPTER XXX PAGE Entertaining at the White House. — Music at the White House — The White House piano — Dancing and other amuse- ments — The question of temperance 289 CHAPTER XXXI Etiquette and Precedence. — Washington's conception of official etiquette — Jefferson's simple social forms — The order of pre- cedence to-day 297 CHAPTER XXXH Early-Day "Drawing-Rooms" and Levees. — President Monroe's "drawing-rooms" — President J. Q. Adams as the nation's host — President Van Buren's "drawing-room" — President Polk holds a levee — President Fillmore receives in the morning < 302 CHAPTER XXXm Latter-Day Receptions and Handshaking. — President McKin- ley's card receptions — President Roosevelt receives thou- sands — President Lincoln's "monster" reception — How Presi- dent Hayes entertained — Handshaking by the Presidents — Lincoln blisters his fingers at a reception 308 CHAPTER XXXIV Holidays at the White House — Christmas at the Executive Mansion — New Year's day and the great reception — A White House program on New Year's day — First New Year's recep- tion in the "Presidents' house" — N.-P. Willis describes Presi- dent Tyler's New Year's reception — Cleveland's first and last New Year's receptions — Fourth of July at the White House — Washington's Birthday a gala occasion — Washington's Birth- day observed by Cleveland — The Easter Monday egg rolling 318 CHAPTER XXXV Dinners and Other Meals. — Luncheons, formal and informal — Arrangements for dinners at the White House — President Roosevelt's dinners — President McKinley's dinner arrange- ments — A State dinner when Hayes was host — Brilliant din- ner party given by President Monroe 334 CHAPTER XXXVI At the Table and in the Kitchen. — What the President eats — The White House kitchen — The wonderful china service . 341 20 Contents CHAPTER XXXVH PAGE Calling on the President. — The unwritten law of the White House — How President McKinley received callers — Lincoln's gentleness with White House callers — Grant made rigid White House rules — Grant forbids usher to lie for him .... 346 CHAPTER XXXVm Notable Visitors at the White House. — Author of The Simple Life visits President Roosevelt — McKinley entertains his farm manager — Washington Irving meets Dolly Madison — Irving the guest of President Fillmore — Thackeray received at the White House — James Fenimore Cooper a guest of President Monroe — Captain Marryat visits Van Buren — Charles Dickens .at the Executive Mansion 354 CHAPTER XXXIX Royal and Titled Guests. — President Roosevelt's titled visitors — President Tyler's titled guest — A Bonaparte entertained by Lincoln — Grant receives the King of the Sandwich Islands — Grand Duke Alexis visits Grant — Queen of Hawaii guest of President Johnson — The Infanta Eulalie received by President Cleveland 367 [CHAPTER XL Prince of Wales and General Lafayette. — Prince of Wales guest of President Buchanan — Details of His Highness' reception — General Lafayette guest of President J. Q. Adams 277 CHAPTER XLI When Diplomats Pay Their R.espects. — Receiving a newly arrived foreign envoy — Receiving the first foreign minister — Annual grand reception to the Diplomatic Corps — Annual din- ner for the envoys of all nations — Visit of the first Japanese Embassy — Korean and Turkish diplomats at the White House — A famous Russian minister and his American wife 382 CHAPTER XLH Sunday and the Bible at the White House. — How Mr. Roose- velt spends his Sundays — President McKinley spent the day with his wife — President McKinley fond of singing hymns — Lincoln listens spellbound to a hymn — The great liberator quotes the Bible — Grant talks on the Bible — How Grant regretted Sunday battles — Cleveland's view of the Bible — Cleveland on Christian citizenship 395 Contents 21 CHAPTER XLIH PAGE Church-Going of the Presidents. — The White House churches — President Roosevelt at various churches — How President McKinley worshiped — Four Presidents as church members — How Lincoln blessed the churches 403 CHAPTER XLIV Charities of the White House Tenants. — How Mr. Roosevelt helped the Chinese famine sufferers — Hayes and Cleveland per- formed kindly services — M r s. McKinley's kindly activities as "First Lady" — Mrs. Hay.^. helped the destitute — President Arthur's family helped children 413 CHAPTER XLV Recreations of the Presidents. — President Roosevelt's outdoor pastimes in Washington — President McKinley's daily walks — Grover Cleveland on the outdoor life — President Jackson lends his riding horse to a friend 421 CHAPTER XLVI Presidential Horses, Carriages and Stables — President Roose- velt's ten horses — Stables of Washington, Arthur and Cleve- land — Mrs. McKinley's traps attracted attention — How Presi- dent Grant bought his finest trotter — President Grant's patience with his coachman — Thomas Jefferson's equipages — President Jackson's eccentric and historical vehicles — General Taylor's war horse , ' 429 CHAPTER XLVE Presidential Farewells to the White House. — Jefferson said farewell with tears of joy — Jackson's return to his beloved "Hermitage" — Van Buren leaves democratically on foot — President Tyler exchanges White House for hotel — President Johnson smiles while his friends weep — President Hayes' last hours in the White House — When the "Baby McKees" went away with Harrison — When Grant revisited the White .House — Benjamin Harrison a visitor where he once was Master : . . 436 CHAPTER XLVm Died in the White House. — The death of President Harrison — The first White House funeral — The death of President Taylor — The passing of three White House mistresses — Death of Lincoln's son, "Tad" — Other deaths in the White House . 447 22 Contents CHAPTER XLK PAGE Passing of the Three Martyred Presidents. — The passing of Lincoln — Mr. Lincoln's last moments in the White House — President Lincoln's funeral — The passing of Garfield and McKinley — The news of Garfield received at the White House — How McKinley met martyrdom — News of McKin- ley's death received at the White House 455 CHAPTER L Our Twenty-seventh President. — Taft not a stranger at the White House — Mr. Taft's career — Mr. Taft's qualifications for the Presidency — How Mr. Taft trained to be Chief Executive — Mr. Taft's hard labor and his hard working secre- tary — At school and in college — Mrs. Taft, thirty-third "First Lady" — Mrs. Taft as wife and mother — Some characteristics of Mrs. Taft — Elder son of the Tafts — The younger son — Miss Helen Taft, new "daughter of the White House" — The home life of the Tafts — The Tafts as church members — Mr. Taft's outdoor recreations — Some of Mr. Taft's characteris- tics — Mr. Taft's brother and mother — The Vice-President- elect and Mrs. Sherman 464 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Gilson Willets Frontispiece Presidents from Washington to Fillmore 36 Presidents from Pierce to Roosevelt 37 Ladies of the White House . 56 Ladies of the White House 57 The Roosevelt Family 67 The White House Before the Recent Alterations .... 77 The White House as it was in 1800 77 Miss Belle Hagner, Secretary to Mrs. Roosevelt ... . . 87 Mr. Wm. Loeb, Jr., Secretary to President Roosevelt ... 87 Historic Gifts to Washington, Grant and Lincoln ... 98 President and Mrs. McKinley 115 The Famous White House Tulip Beds in Spring Time . . 134 Easter Monday on the White House Grounds 151 Egg Rolling on Easter Monday 151 The Model White House Kitchen 170 The President's Private Family Dining Room 170 Cut Glass Service Used at the White House Table . . . 188 The Famous New Decorated China Service 188 The Patriotic State Dining Room Sideboard in the White House . T 205 Interior of the White House Stables 223 Some of the White House Pets 242 Ready for a Morning Ride 242 Army and Navy New Year's Callers at the White House . 260 The President's Public Reception on New Year's Day . . 260 In the Spacious White House Corridors 277 The White House and Executive Office Building .... 277 The Executive Office Building 295 Interior View of the Main Office 295 The Cabinet Room with its Historical Portraits . . . . 314 The President's Private Office 314 President Roosevelt at His Desk 332 The President's Room 349 A Corner in the White House Library 349 2A Illustrations PAGE Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Longworth 359 The White House as it is To-day 373 The Spacious and Imposing State Dining Room 384 The East Room Decorated for Public Functions .... 390 The Historically Famous East Room 407 The Main Hall of the White House 407 The Simple Colonial Blue Room 425 The Red Room of the White House 444 The Green Room of the White House 466 Mr. and Mrs. Taft and Family 475 Note — The photographs used in the Inside History of the White House are copyrighted by Clinedinst, Washington, D. C. INSIDE HISTORY OF THE WHITE HOUSE CHAPTER I Over A Century of the White House THE people of the United States are more attached to the White House and its associations than to any other building in America. So intimated President Roosevelt in his message to Congress in 1902, when he reported that "the White House has now been restored to what it was planned to be by Washington." As a result of that restoration of the historical structure six years ago, by which all the disfiguring and incongruous addi- tions and changes of a century were eliminated, the White House of to-day stands and looks and is as it was meant to be as originally conceived by "The Father of His Country." Thousands of pilgrims from every State in the Union, hun- dreds of tourists from every country in the world, visit the White House in the course of each year. To them the build- ing and grounds form a sort of Mecca to which they are drawn through much reading, day by day, of the dramas, comedies and tragedies enacted within its beloved walls. The people's interest in the White House is quite different from their interest in the Capitol building. They hold the Cap- itol in awe because of the business transacted there, because of the laws enacted there affecting the whole nation, Their in- 26 Inside; History op* the; White House terest in the Capitol is an interest of the brain. But the com- mon interest in the White House is a heart interest. The Cap- itol is, in a sense, the ofhce of the nation. But the White House is the national hearthstone where gather the members at the First Family of The Land. Ever since the White House was opened to the public for the first time, by President John Adams, one hundred and eight years ago, the people of this country have read of the joys and griefs ; the births, marriages and deaths ; the festivi- ties and the mournings ; the love and laughter and daily life of the men and women who, each for a brief time, have been its tenants. And so, the White House, through its associations, has become invested with a deep human interest for all the people all the time. And it is this human side of the residence of the "First Gentleman" and "First Lady," in its various aspects and kaleidoscopic changes, that is set forth in the fol- lowing pages. Every patriotic person in the country loves his President next to his flag. Each one of us likes to read what the Presi- dent does day by day, how he looks, how he spends his time, how he passes the Sabbath, where he worships, what recrea- tions he takes, how he treats his guests and what he says to them. Each one of us likes to know the details of the domes- tic, as well as the private life, of the "First Lady" and the other members of the President's family. We like to know of the tastes and habits of the wife and daughter and son of the Chief Executive, how they conduct themselves at receptions, and how, in a thousand and one ways, they endear themselves to the people from coast to coast. Scenes of sorrow and scenes of joy within the White House are equally interesting, each in their way, to the heart of the American. And it is such infor- mation concerning the Presidents and their families, and a description of such scenes within the Executive Mansion that are described in the ensuing chapters. The three chief events of human life are birth, marriage and death. The White House has had its share of each of Over a Century oe the White House 27 these events, and a record of each such happening is here in- v eluded. Every entertainment in the White House is more or less an historical event. The scenes and incidents inseparable from such entertainments, whether pathetic, tragic or amus- ing, are part of this history. If any distinguished American, man or woman, visits the White House; if any foreign visitor, royal or titled, is enter- tained in the mansion of the President, every act of such guest or visitor has peculiar interest to the public. Hence the com- ings and goings of notable guests are here chronicled. In particular when the guest at the White House happens to be a near relative of the President, we like to read the story of how such relative was received. President Garfield's mother was a notable figure at her son's reception and welcome at the White House on the day of inauguration, and the touching in- cident of Garfield giving his aged mother his first kiss as Presi- dent of the United States was described everywhere in the press ; and the nation loved Garfield all the better for that act. Buchanan's niece, Miss Harriet Lane, acted as the "First Lady" during her uncle's administration, and the nation learned to love her. President Cleveland's sister, Miss Rose Cleveland, acted for a time as "First Lady," and everything she did and said became of real interest to the public. And as for the visit of a father of a President to the White House — the first Presi- dent's father that, we are told, visited his son in the White House was Mr. Fillmore's aged parent. When he appeared at one of the levees people could not believe that the tall, erect gentleman was actually an octogenarian. Mention of the foregoing Presidential relatives and their presence at the White House and the interest taken in them by Americans, suggest the hundreds of such incidents that are to be set forth in this book in detail. The Three Great Periods of White House History Now as to the story of the White House itself. The his- tory of the one hundred and eight years of the existence of the 28 Inside; History of the White House Presidential mansion in Washington is divided into three periods, thus : The first period covers the story of the first White House at the time it was called the "President's House," from 1800 when President John Adams moved into the house, to the burning of the house by the British in 1814. The second period deals with the White House in all the years from its restoration in 18 18 (though the work was not completed until 1829), to its remodeling in 1902, during which time it was known officially as the Executive Mansion. The third period embraces the immediate past and the present — from 1902, when the building was remodeled under direction of President Roose- velt, to the present time when the twenty-seventh President is about to take possession of it. A description of the White House, as a building, in each of the three periods named, is given in the following chapter. The present chapter contains an historical summary of the century and more of White House and Presidential life in-, eluded in the three great periods of the existence of the mansion. Opening the White House in i 800 George C. Evans, in his book on Washington, referring to the completion of the mansion now known as the White House, tells us that : The corner-stone of the President's House was laid October 13, 1792, and that of the Capitol September 18, 1793. The work on these important buildings was carried on as rapidly as the meagre appropriations of Congress would al- low. Had it not been for gifts and loans made by Maryland and Virginia, it is doubtful if they would have been ready for occupancy at the appointed time, 1800. However, the White House was so far finished that the President's family could live in it. A confidential letter from Mrs. John Adams to her daugh- ter (probably the first letter ever written in the White House) gives a graphic description of her sensations upon entering the "wilderness city," and the bleak appearance of the empty "castle" to which they were ushered. It was cold and damp, Over a Century oe the White House 29 and the principal stairs had not been put up. There were twenty rooms, each twenty-two feet high ; but only six of these were habitable. There were no looking-glasses, except "dwarfs" and the East Room, which measured eighty-two by forty feet, was used to hang the family wash to dry. Mrs. Adams sums tip the list of her grievances by saying: "If they will put up some bells and let me have wood enough to keep up fires, I design to be pleased." Although not able "to see wood for trees," fuel was scarce and had risen in price from four dollars to nine dollars a cord. Various Changes in th" White House "The Palace" was the name given occasionally to the White House by its first tenants. "But," we are informed by one his- torian writing in a Munsey publication, "conditions changed as Washington developed from a wilderness into a rich and hand- some city, as the nation grew in wealth and numbers, as the business of the Executive Office increased, and as the railroads began to bring vast throngs of politicians, office-seekers and sightseers with a claim, real or fancied, upon the time and attention of the republic's chief servant, the President. As a result, the White House became unequal to the demand upon it." As the public's demands upon the President's house in- creased, his family and his home life were correspondingly en- croached upon. As early as Jackson's day, as quoted above, there were complaints of lack of room for the reception of visitors. These complaints continued intermittantly right down to the administration of President Roosevelt, when, as al- ready recorded, the White House was at last enlarged by two wings and by other improvements and accommodations, to meet modern requirements. Money Spent on the President's Home Much money has been spent upon this abode of the Presi- dents, though Congress has more than once been called "nig- 30 Inside History of the White House gardly" in respect to appropriations for its maintenance. How- ever, the architects, who remodeled the building only a few years ago, Messrs. McKim, Mead and White, after a careful study of the structure, said that, way back in the time when the nation was in its infancy, those who planned the White House performed their work on "a scale that is adequate to the purposes even to-day." Its elegance, its roominess, its dignity, are characteristics of this historical building that were given to it, not by any latter- day architect, but by the original architect and builders over a hundred years ago. One member of Congress, in delivering an address on the White House in 1840, said of it, with some- thing more than patriotic zeal, that "it is a Palace as splendid as that of the Caesar's, and as richly adorned as the proudest Asiatic mansion, the building alone costing $333,207 previous to its destruction by the British, and $301,496.25 more since that time to the present (1840) date." In every decade, and with the incoming of each new Presi- dent, more and more money has been appropriated to "run the White House" until to-day the budget for White House ex- penses amounts to an average of one thousand dollars a week. A source of continual expense, it is recorded, is the fact that the mansion, being constructed of Virginia freestone, ex- ceedingly porous, a thick coat of white lead has to be applied every ten years to prevent dampness from penetrating to the interior. By some historians, and by certain tenants of the White House, too, it has been stated that despite all the money lav- ished upon the home of the Presidents, it was not until Presi- dent Roosevelt remodeled the building that it was made en- tirely sanitary and healthful. When President William Henry Harrison died there, and later when President Taylor passed away within its walls, the newspapers, and even the windows of the Presidents named, declared the White House to be "in a dangerously unsanitary state." The daughter of Senator Benton, of Missouri, Mrs. Fremont, writes of precautions taken CUT GLASS SERVICE USED AT THE WHITE HOUSE TABLE THE FAMOUS NEW DECORATED CHINA SERVICE Over a Century oE the White House 31 by President Van Buren against sickness in the White House, saying : "Mr. Van Buren had the glass screen put quite across that windy entrance hall, and great wood fires made a struggle against the chill of the house, but it was so badly underdrained that in all long rains the floors of kitchens and cellars were ac- tually under water. N. P. Willis Describes the White House of Seventy- Years Ago An account of the White House as it was in 1840, when the famous American poet, N. P. Willis, visited it, is found in that author's "American Scenes," in which it is stated that : "The residence of the Chief Magistrate of the United States resembles the country seat of an English nobleman, in its architecture and size ; but it is to be regretted that the paral- lel ceases when we come to the grounds. By itself it is a com- modious and creditable building, serving its purpose without too much state for a republican country, yet likely, as long as the country exists without primogeniture and rank, to be suf- ficiently superior to all other dwelling houses to mark it as the residence of the nation's chief. "The President's House stands near the centre of an area of some twenty acres, occupying a very advantageous eleva- tion, open to the view of the Potomac and about forty-four feet above high water, and possessing from its balcony one of the loveliest prospects in our country — the junction of the two branches of the Potomac which border the District and the swelling and varied shores beyond the States of Maryland and Virginia. The building is 170 feet front and 86 deep, and is built of white freestone, with Ionic pilasters, comprehending two lofty stories, with a stone balustrade. The north front is ornamented with a portico sustained by four Ionic columns, with three columns of projection, the outer intercolumniation affording a shelter for carriages to drive under. The garden front on the river is varied by what is called a rusticated base- 32 Inside History of the White House ment story, in the Ionic style, and by a semicircular projecting colonnade of six columns, with two spacious and airy flights of steps leading to a balustrade on the level of the principal story. "The interior of the President's House is well disposed and possesses one superb reception room and two oval drawing- rooms (one in each story) of very beautiful proportions. The other rooms are not remarkable, and there is an inequality in the furniture of the whole house (owing to the unwillingness and piecemeal manner with which Congress votes any moneys for its decoration) which destroys its effect as a comfortable dwelling. The oval rooms are carpeted with Gobelin tapestry, worked with the National emblems, and are altogether in a more consistent style than the other parts of the house. It is to be hoped that Congress will not always consider the furni- ture of the President's House as the scapegoat of all sumptuary and aristocratic sins, and that we shall soon be able to intro- duce strangers not only to a comfortable and well-appointed, but to a properly served and nicely kept, Presidential Mansion." The White House of the Civil War One description of the White House as it was during and right after the Civil War, tells of the entrance of President Johnson to the mansion, following the assassination of Lincoln. From this account we learn that the White House itself was "in anything but an inviting condition." Soldiers had tramped over the Brussels carpets, and guards had slept on the sofas till all the furniture on the first floor was worn and soiled. In the spring of 1866 an appropriation of $30,000 was made to re- furnish the mansion, and under the wise, economical care of Mrs. Patterson, President Johnson's daughter, this sum pro- duced a simple but elegant result. Only necessary changes were made. Old wall paper was brightened by adding gilt panels and ornaments, and the interior was pronounced hand- somer than ever. Several fine paintings of former Presidents, which were lying in the dust of the garret, were, by order of Mr. Johnson, brought down, set in new frames, and placed upon the Over a Century oe the White House 33 walls as the most appropriate decoration. It was not until after the war that the White House grounds were graded, the stone embankment, which rose several feet above the level of the street, removed, and the present iron fence substituted. The President's House To-day As already stated, President Roosevelt rebuilt the White House in 1902, his orders being executed in such a way that the building was restored to conform to its original design, though two wings were added, one being used as the Temporary Executive Offices, the other for use on social occasions. These changes and improvements were made at a cost of over $600,- 000. Thus President Roosevelt has done more for the White House than any of his predecessors. Yet each President, from Adams down, made certain changes, each according to his notion of what the Executive Mansion should look like and stand for. As the architects who worked under Mr. Roosevelt's direc- tion said, "it was necessary to reconstruct the interior of the White House from basement to attic, in order to secure com- fort, safety and necessary sanitary conditions." And now experts declare that the long standing problem of an appropriate home for the President is settled for years to come. White House Facts of History In 1900, was celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of the opening of the White House, all Washington joining in the festivities- On that occasion many speeches were made by public officials, and no end of Government reports were printed, from which we glean the following information : In pursuance of law, in May, 1800, the archives and general offices of the Federal Government were removed to Washing- ton. On May 28, 1800, a notice was posted on the office door of the Secretary of State in Philadelphia, the old capital, of which the following is a copy : "The office of the Department of State will be removed this 34 Inside History of the White House day from Philadelphia. All letters and applications are there- fore to be addressed to that Department at the city of Wash- ington from this date." President Adams had left Philadelphia the preceding day, and made the journey to Washington overland. The books, papers, furniture, etc., of the Government were brought by water transportation and landed at one of the wharves and thence carted to the several offices. Washington was then a mere village and poorly prepared to entertain the officers of the Government, although the number was small. The em- ployees for the first year in the new city, apportioned among the Departments, were as follows : State Department, 8 clerks ; Treasury Department, 75 ; War Department, 17 ; Navy Depart- ment, 16, and Post Office Department, 10; making in all 126 clerks. The total sum paid in salaries in that year was $125,881. The population of Washington was estimated to be about 3,000. The statistics show that on May 15, 1800, there were 199 brick and 253 framed houses in the city. Under an enactment of Congress George Washington appointed commissioners to take charge of the laying out of Washington city as a national capital for all time. The com- missioners thus named employed Major l'Enfant, a French engineer and a friend of Thomas Jefferson, to lay out the city. He adopted the plan of Versailles, the seat of the Government of France, as a basis for his work. The admirable location of the Capitol and the White House is due to him- Further information of historic interest, given in Govern- ment documents, include these facts about the work, from time to time, on the White House : The architect of the White House was James Hoban, a native of Dublin, Ireland, whose plans were selected as the result of a competition which closed on July 15, 1792. Hoban's design called for a central building with wings ; but his original drawings have been lost, and only the plans for the main build- ing remain. Hoban superintended both the erection of the White House and its restoration after it was burned by the ■ PRESIDENTS FROM WASHINGTON TO FILLMORE I ( ;i oboi W isiiing row .' John An im» 1 I HOM \< .li I i KRSON i Jamb m \m~..\ 5 James Mok rob 6 JOHN QuiNCY Adams t As [>bew Jackson B M. Van Hi -i: kn ( .» W. II. I [arribok 10 John Tyler li James K. Polk 12 L. Taylor 18 Millard Fillmore CHAPTER II The First, Second and Third White Houses « AS STATED in the foregoing chapter, the White House, considered simply as a structure, may be divided his- ^ torically into three periods. These periods may, for the sake of convenience, be said to embrace what may be called the first, second and third White Houses, thus : First, The President's House — 1800 to 1814, from its for- mal opening under President John Adams to its burning by the British, when Madison was President. Second, The Executive Mansion — 1818 to 1902- This per- iod, covers the rebuilding of the structure, after the fire, and all the administrations down to Roosevelt. Third, The White House — 1902 to the present time. This period begins with the remodeling, or, more properly, the restoration of the building, and involves a description of the structure as it now stands and as President Roosevelt's succes- sor, the twenty-seventh President of the United States, will find it. The "President's House"— J800 to 18H Though George Washington died one year before the com- pletion of the White House, it was he who, more than any other man, brought his influence to bear upon its location, its construction and its architecture. Fully nine years before John Adams took possession of the "President's House," and eight years previous to Washington's death, Washington sent a mes- sage to the Second Congress, then sitting in Philadelphia (December 13, 1791), reading as follows: .{2 [nsidB History of thk White Housk "Gentlemen of the Senate and of the House of Representa- tives, I place before you the plan of a city that has been laid out within the District of ten miles square, which was fixed upon for the Permanent Seat of the Government of the United States. G. Washington/' The District referred to is now known as the District of Columbia. Of the work of Washington in establishing the National Capita] at Washington in the District of Columbia, selecting the sites for the Houses of Congress and the residence of the ['resident, a better understanding may be attained by the reader in the reminder that Washington's original profession was that of a surveyor and that all his life he was deeply interested in this held of work. It is not surprising, therefore, that those who were in power at the end of the Eighteenth Century, knowing Washington's fitness for the task of establishing a "Federal City," left the responsibility for the work largely with Wash-, ington. Plans were called for in a competition open to all architects. The winner in this competition was the architect, James Hoban, referred to in the previous chapter as the builder of the White House. He received $500 as the First Prize, "for the best plans submitted in the contest for the construction of a resi- dence for the Chief Executive." His design, Hoban admitted, was founded on the lines of the then newly-built mansion of the Duke of Leinster, in Dublin, Ireland (Hoban's native city,) the architect referring to the Duke's mansion as "a splendid example of Greek architecture." It is not necessary here to dwell upon the details of the original work of constructing the White House. Our story begins properly with the entrance of President John Adams to the nearly completed structure, in November, 1800. A description of the White House, as it was at that time, appeared in The Christian Herald, a few years ago, the account being written, the present writer believes, either by Mrs. Avery, or by Mrs. Abby G. Baker, of Washington, the The First, Second and Third White; Houses 43 last-named being one of the foremost living authorities in the country on all matters pertaining to White House and Presi- dential life, extracts from her articles in The Christian Herald being used as authoritative statements in several different chapters in this history. In the particular account here in question we find it recorded that, in 1800, the Executive Mansion at Washington was a great unfinished building, standing in the midst of a sparsely settled district. In coming to take possession of it, President and Mrs. Adams had to drive over in a conveyance from Balti- more. The driver lost his way, and when they finally arrived at the new capital of the nation and the house which was being built for the President to live in, it was night, and the servants could hardly find lights enough to make the great rooms dis- tinguishable. They looked "exceedingly barn-like" to Mrs. Adams, in their unfinished and unfurnished state, and were pretty uncomfortable too, from the fact that she could not get enough firewood to keep them warm. That was in the fall of 1800. By New Year's, 1801, the downstairs rooms were still unfinished and unfurnished. Mrs. Adams was using the East Room, which was then designated "the banqueting hall," in which to dry the household linen, and the State parlors were so in the name only. The First Letter Written in the President's House A letter written by Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams, is alluded to briefly in the foregoing chapter- It is named as probably the first letter ever written in the White House. The full text of that letter is here given, with extracts from another letter written by Mrs. Adams within a few weeks of the first one. As human documents these letters are intensely interesting, and are of great value historically, since they embody a most graphic description of the White House as it was when it first became the residence of the Chief Magistrate. Mrs. Adams' first letter is dated November 21, 1800, and reads : "Woods are all you see from Baltimore until you reach the 44 Inside History oe the White House city, which is only so in name. Here and there is a small cot, without a glass window, interspersed amongst the forests, through which you travel miles without seeing any human being. In the city there are buildings enough, if they were compact and finished, to accommodate Congress and those attached to it ; but as they are, and scattered as they are, I see no great comfort for them. The river, which runs up to Alex- andria, is in full view of my window, and I see the vessels as they pass and repass. The house is upon a grand and superb scale, requiring about thirty servants to attend and keep the apartments in proper order, and perform the ordinary busi- ness of the house and stables ; an establishment very well pro- portioned to the President's salary. The work of lighting the apartments, from the kitchen to parlors and chambers, is a tax indeed ; and the fires we are obliged to keep to secure us from daily agues are another very cheering comfort. To assist us in this great castle, and render less attendance necessary, bells are wholly wanting, not one single bell being hung through the- whole house, and promises are all you can obtain. This is so great an inconvenience that I do not know wtiat to do, nor how to do. The ladies from Georgetown and in the city have, many of them, visited me. Yesterday I returned fifteen visits — but such a place as Georgetown appears — why our Milton is beau- tiful. But no comparisons; if they will put me up some bells, and let me have wood enough to keep fires, I design to be pleased. I could content myself almost anywhere three months ; but, surrounded with forests, can you believe that wood is not to be had, because people cannot be found to cut and cart it? Briesler entered into a contract with a man to supply him with wood. A small part, a few cords only, has he been able to get. Most of that was expended to dry the walls of the house before we came in, and yesterday the man told him it was impossible for him to procure it to be cut and carted. He has had recourse to coals ; but we cannot get grates and set in. We have, indeed, come into a new country. "The house is made habitable, but there is not a single apart- The; First, Second and Third White; Housed 45 ment finished, and all withinside, except the plastering, has been done since Briesler came. We have not the least fence, yard, or other convenience, without, and the great unfinished audience-room I make a drying-room of, to hang up the clothes in. The principal stairs are not up, and will not be this winter. Six chambers are made comfortable; two are occu- pied by the President and Mr. Shaw ; two lower rooms for a common parlor, and one for a levee room. Upstairs there is the oval room, which is designed for the drawing-room, and has the crimson furniture in it. It is a very handsome room now; but when completed, it will be beautiful.' If the twelve years in which this place has been considered as the future seat of government had been improved, as they would have been in New England, very many of the present inconveniences would have been removed. It is a beautiful spot, capable of every improvement, and the more I view it, the more I am delighted with it. "Since I sat down to write, I have been called down to a servant from Mount Vernon, with a billet from Major Custis, and a haunch of venison, and a kind congratulatory letter from Mrs. Lewis, upon my arrival in the city, with Mrs. Washing- ton's love, inviting me to Mount Vernon, where, health per- mitting, I will go, before I leave this place-" In a second letter, Mrs. Adams writes : "Briesler procured nine cords of wood; between six and seven of that was kindly burnt up to dry the walls of the house, which ought to have been done by the Commissioners, but which, if left to them, would have remained undone to this day. "The vessel which has my clothes and other matters, is not arrived. The ladies are impatient for a drawing-room ; I have no looking glasses but dwarfs for this house; nor a twentieth part lamps enough to light it. Many things were stolen, many more broken by the removal ; amongst the number, my tea china is more than half missing. Georgetown affords nothing. My rooms are very pleasant and warm whilst the doors of the hall are closed. 4 <. Inside History of the White House •' You can scarcely believe it that here in this wilderness city, I should find my time so occupied as it is. My visitors, some of them, come three and four miles. The return of one of them is the work of one day; most of the ladies reside in George- town, or in scattered parts of the city at two and three miles distance. "We have all been very well as yet; if we can by any means get wood, we shall not let our fires go out, but it is at a price indeed ; from four dollars it has risen to nine. Some say it will fall, but there must be more industry than is to be found here to bring half enough to the market for the consumption of the inhabitants."' This first White House, or President's House, was destroyed in 1814, when vandals of. the British Army burned it and other public buildings — a full account of this being contained in the chapters headed "Fire Alarms" and in "Wives of the Early Presidents," and in "Portraits and Painters." The Executive Mansion— J SI 4 to 1902 The rebuilding of the White House after its burning in 1814, up to its final completion in 1829, increases one's admira- tion for its architectural beauties, and for its designer and builder, Hoban. It should be stated here, however, that the building was not totally destroyed by the fire, the official accounts stating that "the vaulting that supports some of the floors is very little, if at all weakened by the burning, and parts of the walls, arches and columns are in a state requiring a small expense to pre- serve them." Congress voted, nevertheless, the sum of $500,000 for "rebuilding and repairing the public buildings," the larger part of which money was spent on the Executive Mansion. For his magnificent work in "rebuilding and repairing" the Executive Mansion, Architect Hoban received a salary of $1,600 a year: while his Chief Inspector received $1,500; his clerk $4 a day; his foreman, $3.75, and his overseer, $2. The First, Second and Third White Houses 47 The first President to live in the rebuilt mansion was James Monroe, who formally opened his official residence on January 1, 1818, when the public was received at the New Year's recep- tion. Concerning the facts relating to Mr. Monroe's entrance to the newly restored mansion, two accounts have come down to us, the first being an entry in the diary of John Quincy Adams, dated September 20, 1817, and reading: "The President, James Monroe, returned last Wednesday from a tour of nearly four months to the eastern and western parts of the United States. He is in the President's house, which is so far restored from the effects of the British visit in 1814, that it is now for the first time habitable. But he is apprehensive of the effects of the fresh painting and plas- tering, and very desirous of visiting his family at his seat in Virginia. He is, therefore, going again to leave the city in two or three days, but said his absence would only be for a short time." The second account was printed in the National Intelli- gencer on January 2, 1818, in which is related the story of the formal opening of the mansion at the New Year's reception, thus : "The charming weather of yesterday contributed to enliven the reciprocal salutations of kindness and good wishes which are customary at every return of New Year's Day. The Presi- dent's house, for the first time since its re-aerification, was thrown open for the general reception of visitors. It was thronged from twelve to three o'clock by an unusually large concourse of ladies and gentlemen, among whom were to be found the Senators, Representatives, heads of Departments, Foreign Ministers, and many of our distinguished citizens, resi- dents and strangers. It was gratifying to be able once more to salute the President of the United States with the compliments of the season in his appropriate residence ; and the continuance of this truly Republican custom has given, as far as we have heard, very general satisfaction. The Marine Corps turned out on the occasion and made a fine appearance." 4 x [nside History of the White House The White House— 1902 to Date In the preceding chapter it is related that complaints of the limitations of the White House, both for entertaining and for the transaction of business, occurred in all administrations even as far back as Jackson's time. When President Roosevelt became the tenant of the Mansion, he at once took steps for the enlarging and remodeling of the White House, and suc- ceeded in accomplishing what is called officially "The Res- toration." Mr. Roosevelt secured an appropriation of some $600,000, from Congress, for the purpose of restoring the White House to an appearance as near as possible to the original design as approved by George Washington. Messrs. McKim, Mead and White, famous architects of New York, were placed in charge of the work, in the spring of 1902, with directions to complete the work in four months. This they did very successfully. Temporary Executive Offices were added — completed on Sep- tember 30, and occupied about October 15. The family apart- ments of the President were re-occupied on the fourth of November; the first official function in the restored White House occurred on December 18, when a Cabinet Dinner was given; and at the New Year's reception, January 1, 1903, the new White House was re-opened to the public. When the architects sent their report of the completed work to the President, that document was promptly transmitted to Congress by the President, with the following comments show- ing his appreciation of the work done : "Through a wise provision of the Congress at its last ses- sion, the White House, which had become disfigured by incon- gruous additions and changes, has now been restored to what it was planned to be by Washington. In making the restora- tions the utmost care has been exercised to come as near as pos- sible to the early plans and to supplement these plans by a care- ful study of such buildings as that of the University of Vir- ginia, which was built by Jefferson. The White House is the property of the nation, and so far as is compatible with living The; First, Second and Third White; Houses 49 therein it should be kept as it originally was, for the same reasons that we keep Mount Vernon as it originally was. The stately simplicity of the architecture is an expression of the character of the period in which it was built, and is in accord with the purposes it was designed to serve. It is a good thing to preserve such buildings as historic monuments which keep alive our sense of continuity with the nation's past." White House Centennial Day After the lapse of a hundred years, the city of Washington fittingly celebrated "Centennial Day" — December 12, 1900 — this being the one hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the seat of national government at Washington and the opening of the White House, following the transfer of the National Capital from Philadelphia. The event was observed by a reception at the White House, a parade at the Capitol, and commemorative exercises in both houses of Congress. The programme began with a morning reception at the Executive Mansion to the Governors of the States and Terri- tories by President McKinley, followed by a display of the model and drawings of the proposed enlargement of the mansion. Three addresses were delivered that morning at the Execu- tive Mansion (the first formal addresses ever delivered in that place.) One of the speeches in question was delivered by the Hon. Henry B. E. MacFarland, of Washington. His remarks con- cerning the White House are well worth quoting, thus : "Every President, except George Washington, has per- formed the duties of his great office, the greatest in the world, within these White House walls. Simply to mention the names of John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, and James Madi- son, and then of Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant, brings before the mind a throng of great deeds done in this very house. Think of the expansion of the country by successive acts of the Presidents, beginning with Jefferson ! Think of the negotia- 50 Inside History of the White House tions with foreign powers, of the war-making and of the peace- making, of the formation of far-reaching policies, and of all the dealings with Congress by President after President! Think what went on here under President Lincoln alone, when the eyes of the whole world were for the first time fixed upon the Capitol of the United States. "One hundred years ago the District of Columbia became the permanent seat of the Government of the United States. For the first time the young nation had a capital, after twenty- four years of wandering from one State to another. By July, 1800, the six Executive Departments of that day were all in full working order here. By November, President Adams, after a visit of inspection in June, was occupying this house, and Congress was in session preparatory to the regular session in December." Architect's Report After the Restoration ( )n the twenty-fifth of February, 1903, the architects, who had so successfully accomplished the restoration of the White House, sent their report to President Roosevelt. From that document we gain instructive information regarding the struc- tural conditions in the White House, together with enlightening information about the ground floor, the main floor, the elevator and the main stairway. That part of the Architects relating to "Rooms and Furni- ture" (not given in this chapter), will be found in the chapter under that head, while a description of the new Executive Offices is given in the chapter following this one, headed : "President and Mrs. Roosevelt's White House Life." Messrs. McKim, Mead and White, in the report in ques- tion, gave the following facts : On making as careful an examination of the White House as was possible while the house was occupied, it was found that the entire lower floor was used for house service. The prin- cipal rooms at the southeast corner were occupied by the laun- dry ; the central rooms on either side of the main corridor were The First, Second and Third White Houses 5 1 used for the heating and mechanical plants ; the kitchens occu- pied the northwest corner ; and much of the remainder of this floor was occupied by storerooms and servants' bedrooms. Of the floors of the first story, those under the main hall, the private dining-room, and pantry, were found to be in good condition. The floor under the central portion of the East Room showed marked settlement, due to over-loading and to hanging heating coils to the ceiling underneath. The base of the room gave evidence of the settlement of the floor, and the same was true in the Green and the Blue rooms. The floor of the State dining-room, while not showing settlement, was so insufficiently supported as to cause the dishes on the sideboards to rattle when the waiters were serving, and the plastering below was badly cracked from excessive vibration. At large receptions, when potted plants were brought in from the greenhouses, and when the house was filled with people, it was the custom to put shores under the floors of the East Room, the State Dining-room and the main hall at both ends for safety. In many places, where the plaster was removed, evidence of the fire of 1814 were visible- Also cut into the stonework were found many names, evidently of workmen employed on the construction. The heating chamber, which contained the coils of the heat- ing apparatus, had been built into the main corridor. The fresh air duct and the heat mains were suspended from the corridor ceiling, the masonry arches having been cut away in conse- quence. The whole ground floor was in bad condition; there was about it a general air of dilapidation, and the wood-work particularly was out of repair. There was scarcely a room in the house in which the plaster was in good condition. In a number of instances as many as five layers of paper were found, and when the paper was removed the plaster came also. The second floor showed such a degree of settlement as to make an entire new floor necessary. The floors of the rooms 52 Insidiv History of this White Housk heretofore devoted to the offices, also the library, were so insuf- ficient that steel beams were required. The enlargement of the State Dining-room by the removal of the north wall of the room, which wall carried the floor beams of the upper stories, made it necessary to build a heavy steel truss in the attic, from which the second floor is suspended. The attic, occupied by servants, was reached only by the elevator. It is true that from the attic there was a narrow winding stairway leading to a mezzanine floor adjacent to the elevator ; and from this mezzanine floor a swinging iron ladder let down from a trapdoor directly in front of the elevator — a most dangerous arrangement in case of fire. The roof drainage had been carried through the roof, and thence on top of the attic floor to central points, descending to the ground through the house itself. The conductors were troughs hollowed out of logs. These troughs have been replaced with wrought iron pipes, carried down along the exter- nal walls. The roof itself which, under a fresh coat of paint, appeared in good condition, was found to be in such bad shape as to require almost entire renewal. At first it was thought that the old heating apparatus could remain, at least in large part- Upon further examination, how- ever, it was found that only by the removal of all the duct work and heating coils, which were suspended from the ceilings throughout the ground floor, could this floor be made available for any uses other than those of service. The removal of ducts, etc., involved lowering the boiler and placing all pipes and ducts in trenches under the floor. The change necessitated a large unexpected expenditure, but in return the finely propor- tioned room under the Blue Room has become a rception room for guests of honor, and ample dressing-room accommodations not only for these guests, but for all the guests at public recep- tions have been added. The electric wiring was not only old, defective and obsolete, but actually dangerous, as in many places beams and studding were found charred for a considerable distance about the wires The First, Second and Third White Houses 53 where the insulation had completely worn off. Where wires had carried through wood joists a porcelain insulating tube is usually placed through the beam and the wire threaded through that, but in the White House, in very many cases, the only pro- tection was the insulation on the wire itself, and that had been worn off by contact with the rough timber. The entire wiring system is now in accordance with the very best modern practice, all wires being run inside wrought iron pipes, so that if at any future time the wires should be burnt out or in any way dam- aged they can be withdrawn and new ones put in. A new standpipe with fire hose has been provided, running from the ground floor to the attic and carried outside the house to a point which is accessible to the city fire department, so that in case of fire the attic of the house has the same protection as a modern office building. In short, it was necessary to reconstruct the interior of the White House from basement to attic, in order to secure com- fort, safety and necessary sanitary conditions. The East and West terraces are first found on a plan drawn by Latrobe in 1807. The West Terrace had degenerated into workshops connected with the numerous greenhouses that had been constructed from time to time in such manner as not only to take away from it light and air, but entirely to conceal it. The East Terrace was removed some time prior to 1870. This terrace has been rebuilt in a substantial manner, with the addi- tion of a porte-cochere opposite the Treasury Department. In excavating for the new terrace wing the foundations of the old one were discovered. A semicircular drive leads to this new entrance, which now is used on all occasions of large enter- tainments. The porte-cochere, which is glassed-in during the winter, is flanked by watchmen's quarters, thus doing away with the small wooden pavilion in the grounds- The East Ter- race is occupied by coatrooms containing boxes for 2,500 wraps, umbrella stands and other conveniences, thus doing away with the necessity of pressing into service as cloakrooms the main hall and the State and Private dining-rooms. 54 Inside History of the White House In the house proper, more than one-half of the lower floor is given up to dressing-rooms, with toilet rooms attached, con- veniences heretofore entirely lacking. The removal of the pipes from the corridor gives a spacious passageway, dignified by the fine architectural features constructed by Hoban. Dec- orated with portraits and plants, and furnished with sofas and large chairs, this corridor is made comfortable for those who wish to wait for an opportunity to enter the line formed for the receptions. A stone floor has been laid, and a broad and easy flight of stone stairs leads to the main floor of the house. The kitchens have not been changed materially, but a new refrigerating room and many other conveniences have been added. The West Terrace wing now accommodates the Laundry and Ironing rooms, the maids' dining-room, and separate quar- ters for men and women servants. The removal of the greenhouses, besides adding materially to the healthfulness of the White House, has restored to the south front of the building that sense of dignity of which, dur- ing the past forty years, it had been deprived by the various encroachments. The fine colonnades on the south fronts of the terraces, now restored, once more give to the White House the long base from which the main structure rises with great architectural effect. The main floor is devoted to what may be termed the State Apartments, as opposed to the rooms given over to the family life of the President's household. The only family room on this floor is the Private Dining-room, and even to this the public has access on formal occasions. Every room on this floor has been completely remade and refurnished. In connection with the elevator it is interesting to note that a part of the oak wood work in the new elevator-car was made from roof trusses of the Old South Church in Boston, which, in its day, sheltered the Boston Tea Party. Mr. Norcross had the timbers in his yard since the time he replaced the old roof of the church with a new one. LADIES OF THE WHITE HOUSE i M w: i ii v Washington _' Mrs. .I"mn An wis .i Martha Jefferson Randolph l I >. P. M ID1SON ."> \lli-. \mh;i h .1 ic h-"\ 6 Louisa Cai hi bine Ad \ms 18 Mits. Martin Van Hirkn : Angelina Van Bi -hen s Mits. I.ktitia Christian Tvi.kr ii Miis James K. Polk hi Mrs Robert Tyler 11 Mrs. James Monroe 12 Mrs. Franklin Pierce LADIES OF THE WHITE HOUSE 14 Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant 15 Mrs. Nellte Grant Sartoris 16 Lucretia Randolph Garfield 17 Lucy Webb Hayes 18 Harriet Lane Johnston 19 Mrs. Benjamin Harrison Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt 20 Martha Johnson Patterson 21 Mks. Millard Fillmore 22 Mrs. Andrew Johnson 23 Mrs. William McKinley 24 Mrs. Abraham Lincoln 25 Mrs. Grover Cleveland The; First, Second and Third White; Houses 59 The main stairway to the second story is of Joliet stone, and consists of a broad flight from the main floor to the landing, where it divides into two flights- The railing is of forged iron and brass, with hand rail covered with velvet. A double gate of wrought iron, which rolls back into pockets in the walls, has been placed at the foot of the staircase. CHAPTER III White House Life of the Roosevelts THEODORE ROOSEVELT entered the White House for the first time as President of the United States, the twenty-sixth Chief Executive, on the fourteenth day of September, 1901, ten days after taking the oath, at Buffalo, fol- lowing the death of Mr. McKinley. The day after his entrance to the Executive Mansion, Mr. Roosevelt was joined by Mrs. Roosevelt, and later by all the six Roosevelt children — two daughters and four sons — namely, Alice, Ethel, Theodore, Jr., Kermit, Quentin and Archie. The new President's first official act in his new home in Washington was to issue a notice that no official entertainments would take place in the White House for nearly four months — not till New Year's Day, 1902, the intervening time to be regarded as a period of national mourning. Mr. Roosevelt also gave an order that not until one month had elapsed follow- ing the death of Mr. McKinley, would any official organiza- tions be received at the White House. The President also ordered that the flag of the mansion remain for a time at half mast, and that all heads of the Departments of the Government use mourning paper- Such were the sad conditions under which Theodore Roose- velt entered the White House to take up the difficult task of being the Chief Magistrate of the nation. (All information concerning the White House life of Presi- dent and Mrs. Roosevelt not related in this chapter, will be found in other chapters right through to the end of this work. Their children, the marriage of their daughter Alice, the story White; House Liee oe the Roosevelts 6r of their daughter Ethel, their horses and carriages, the Presi- dent's secretary, his recreations, the family church-going and their manner of spending Sunday, Mr. Roosevelt's way with his Cabinet, the huge mail and vast number of gifts that reach the President, the Secret Service — all these matters, and many Other incidents of White House life under President Roosevelt, will be found in the various chapters containing heads indica- tive of the branch of information desired.) Roosevelt's Informal Inauguration One of the best accounts of Mr. Roosevelt's informal inau- guration, that is, the taking of the oath in Buffalo, is found in Merwins' History of Our Own Times, thus : When President McKinley's condition became grave, on September 12, word was sent at once to Mr. Roosevelt. He was in the Adirondack woods when the news reached the Tahawus Club, and his exact whereabouts were not discovered until late in the afternoon of September 13. A little after one o'clock the next morning he left Tahawus and was driven over dark mountain roads thirty-five miles to North Creek, where a train was waiting. He reached Buffalo the afternoon of the same day, going straight to the Milburn house to pay homage to the dead President. He then went to the home of his friend, Ansley Wilcox. Present in Mr. Wilcox's library were all but two of Presi- dent McKinley's Cabinet and a few friends and newspaper men. The moment was one of profound emotion. Mr. Root, the Secretary of War, turned to Mr. Roosevelt and said brokenly : "I have been required on behalf of the Cabinet of the late President, at least in behalf of those who are present in Buf- falo — all except two — to request that, for reasons affecting the Administration and the Government, you take the constitu- tional office of President of the United States." It was with a noticeable effort that Mr. Roosevelt replied. "I shall take the oath at once," he said, "in response to your request ; and in this hour of deep and terrible national bereave- 62 Inside History of the White House ment I wish to state that it shall be my aim to continue abso- lutely unbroken the policy of President McKinley for the peace and prosperity of our beloved country." Judge John R. Hazel, of the United States District Court, then administered the Presidential oath of office. Roosevelt as a Man and a Public Official At the time he took the oath of office as President of the United States, Mr. Roosevelt was described as five feet nine yj inches tall, and weighing 200 pounds. He was stockily built, was stout and had a thick neck. He has blue-gray eyes, brown hair and mustache. Mr. Roosevelt at the time he entered the White House was the youngest President in the country's history, his age being then only forty-three. In Merwin's history above mentioned, we find that he was born in New York City, on October 27, 1858, being descended from seven generations of prominent citizens. As a lad his health was poor, but while going through his course at Harvard, he entered into athletics and developed a rugged physique- His fondness for athletic sports, marked at this time, continued in after life, and seldom did many months pass that he did not find the opportunity to spend at least a week or two in the open. After leaving Harvard he traveled for a time, studied law for a few months, and then plunged into municipal politics. For several years he was active as an assemblyman in New York City, and in 1886 he ran for Mayor and was defeated. President Harrison started Mr. Roosevelt on his national career by appointing him Civil Service Commissioner, an office which he retained under Presi- dent Cleveland's second administration until he resigned it to become President of the New York Police Commission. His efforts to reform the Police Department of the metropolis were vigorous and in small degree effective at the time. As assist- ant Secretary of the Navy in the first McKinley administra- tion, Mr. Roosevelt helped to prepare for the conflict with vSpain. Whits House Life of the Roosfvflts 63 Upon declaration of War, Mr. Roosevelt resigned his posi- tion in the Navy Department and at once gathered several hun- dred of the finest riders and most daring fighters in the coun- try, forming them into a regiment which became famous as the "Rough Riders." After seeing active service on the battle- fields of Cuba at Santiago, Mr. Roosevelt returned to the United States — to become Governor of the State of New York. After his term as Governor he was nominated for Vice-Presi- dent of the United States, on the Republican ticket with Mr. McKinley, and was elected. All the world knows now, how the bullet fired from the pistol of the McKinley's assassin made vacant the office of President, and how Mr. Roosevelt forth- with, after having served only a few months as Vice-President, became the Chief Executive- One anecdote of Mr. Roosevelt's earlier life tells how eager J he was even then to "reform the whole world." President Benjamin Harrison appointed him Civil Service Commissioner, as already stated. Every few days Mr. Roosevelt would visit Mr. Harrison and ask for his O. K. to various measures devised for reforming the Civil Service. At last Mr. Harrison said to him : "Roosevelt, Rome was not built in a day, nor is it possible to reform the whole world in the space of twenty-four hours. Attempt only one thing at a time and carry it out in an orderly, temperate fashion." Years passed and Benjamin Harrison, as ex-President of the United States, was called upon to address a missionary meeting at Carnegie Hall, in New York City. Mr. Roosevelt, then Governor of the Empire State, was present at the meeting. Mr. Harrison, at the conclusion of his speech, presented Mr. Roosevelt and in the course of his introduction said : "I first became acquainted with Governor Roosevelt as a J young man who was eager to reform the whole world between sunrise and sunset." But it was just by such eagerness and readiness to reform and improve and build up and make better, and the ability to 64 Inside History of the White House carry out his schemes, that enabled Mr. Roosevelt to take the helm with a firm hand when he was called to take the Cap- taincy of the great Ship of State. The Stupendous Labors of a President President Roosevelt himself describes the enormous amount of work that devolves upon a President from the very moment he enters upon his duties at the White House. In an introduc- tion of one edition of his literary works, Mr. Roosevelt says : "In the whole world there is probably no other ruler, cer- tainly no other ruler under free institutions, whose power com- pares with that of a President of this country. An immense addition to his burdens is caused by well-meaning but thought- less people who ask him to do what he cannot possibly do. For the first few weeks after he is inaugurated, a President receives an average of fifteen hundred letters a day. His mail is so enormous that often he cannot read one letter in a hundred, and rarely can he read one letter in twenty. Even his Secretary' can read only a small fraction of the mail. "When I came into office I was swamped with demands for positions and for pensions, notes of warning and advice, and request for charity, not to speak of letters from cranks, which are always numerous in my mail. Requests for pecuniary aid received in a single fortnight would, if complied with, have eaten up considerably more than my four years' salary. The labor of the office as immense, the ceaseless worry and harass- ing anxiety are beyond description. "One rather sad feature of the life of a President is the difficulty of making friends, because almost inevitably after a while the friend thinks there is some office he would like, applies for it, and when the President is obliged to refuse, feels that he has been injured" President Roosevelt's Day's Work at the "White House President Roosevelt, we are told in an article -in Frank Leslie's Weekly, "does as much work as two Presidents might White; House Life of thf Roosfvflts 65 be expected to do." Not only does he keep every Cabinet Officer busy bringing in reports about this and about that, but he reaches out in the various Departments of Government and takes a hand in more matters which interest him than Presi- dents are wont to do. More than this, he takes upon himself the personal care of outside matters to a great extent, such, for instance, as straightening out the tangle of the Panama Canal, settling a coal strike, inspecting submarine boats and men-of- war, inquiring into conditions at Ellis Island and other immi- gration stations, bringing about peace between Russia and Japan, and many other affairs "not down on the programme for a President." Mr. Roosevelt does, indeed, utilize every fragment of time for some good and useful purpose. On more than one occa- sion he has received the Washington correspondents and talked to them while the barber shaved him, at the White House, inci- dents of the kind taking their place in the current annals of the Presidential Mansion as "Barber Chair Interviews." In describing a day's work of the President, a New York World correspondent tells us that : "On a certain Wednesday in the spring of 1908, President Roosevelt discussed the Wall Street panic with his Cabinet, held conferences with Secretaries Root and Cortelyou, heard the interview to the correspondents while being shaved. He received a delegation of clergymen who regard the decrease of Protestant churches in New York as a 'serious menace to American citizenship', and promised to do everything in his power to bring about a revival of religious interest here. On Wednesday also news came to him of the winning of his fight for the Japanese schoolboys through the action of the San Fran- cisco Board of Education, together with a vote of the Harvard overseers sustaining his position on football. Religion, finance, intercollegiate sports, world politics — the White House interest in a day surveys mankind from Colon to Cathay." James Creelman, the correspondent of Pearson's Maga- zine, once had a long talk with the President at the White 66 Inside History of the White House House, and upon the subject of the hard work performed by Mr. Roosevelt the correspondent wrote that the President walked over to a cartoon drawing- sent to him by a Western artist. It represented an old, gray-haired, shaggy farmer reading a book by lamplight, his feet, in homespun stockings, resting on a chair — an idyl of the hard-working, earnest pioneer farm country. The President looked at the picture lovingly. "That's the old boy I'm working for in the White House," he said, drawing a deep breath and throwing back his soldier head. "I'm working for him all the time. The future of this nation rests upon him. He will never ask to have the laws set aside. He will never use dynamite as an argument. He's the true American." John Morley, one of the President's distinguished visitors from England, lived two days in the White House, after which he wrote this of Mr. Roosevelt : "I have seen two tremendous works of nature in America. One is Niagara Falls and the other is the President of the United States." Mr. Roosevelt's Work-Room With the restoration of the White House in 1902, by McKim, Mead and White, the problem of providing Executive Offices for the President outside of the main building, was solved by utilizing a space to the west of the mansion upon which a low addition was made to the main building and called the Temporary Executive Offices. These offices in this west wing are now the President's work-rooms. In making their report to the President, the architects gave the following facts about the Temporary Executive Offices : Obviously the first was to find some place other than the White House for the Executive Offices. Every suggestion for the location of a permanent office building was open to some objection that seemed insuperable. No location outside the White House grounds could be decided upon and secured in the short time available. To construct within those grounds a Copyright by Underwood & Underwood THE ROOSEVELT FAMILY White; House Liee oe the Roosevelts 69 building sufficiently large and imposing to stand as permanent offices would be to detract from the White House itself so ser- iously as to be absolutely out of the question. The one possible solution, therefore, was to occupy the only available space with a temporary building, which should be comfortable within and inconspicuous in appearance, leaving Congress at its leisure to take up seriously the question of a permanent, adequate and thoroughly dignified office for the Chief Executive. The report then goes on to say that: "The problem of the location of a permanent building for the offices of the Presi- dent involves many considerations as to the amount of accom- modation needed and the scope and variety of the functions to be carried on in such a building. Provision for temporary quarters for the Executive Offices is comparatively a simple matter. A building of brick, one-story high, and containing from 50 to 75 per cent, more room than the offices now occupy, can be constructed in the grounds of the White House, oppo- site the entrance to the Navy Department. The building would take the place now occupied by a brick wall which screens a number of hot-houses and forcing beds for plants, functions which may well be provided for elsewhere, in connection with the propagating gardens." The temporary office building to-day includes : A Cabinet room ; President's office and retiring room ; offices for two sec- retaries ; a telegraph and a telephone room ; a large room for stenographers ; a room for the press ; a main hall to be fitted for a reception-room, and file rooms and closets in the basement. Congress stipulated that the walls should be sufficient to carry a second story, and increased the appropriation by $10,000 for this purpose. Accordingly the walls were strength- ened to meet this requirement. Thus Temporary Executive Offices were constructed and thus they stand to-day as the busy work-shops of the busiest ruler on earth. The secretarial and clerical force in these work-rooms con- sist of the Secretary to the President, Mr. William Loeb, Jr. ; jo Inside History oe the White House two Assistant Secretaries, Mr. Maurice C. Latta, and Mr. Rudolph Forster ; two executive clerks, Colonel Crook and Mr. Young ; eight stenographers, six telegraphers, nine messengers, one chief doorkeeper and nine assistant doorkeepers. The Roosevelt Method of "Work A most interesting phase of the President's method of labor is set forth by William Bayard Hale, in the New York Times, his article being condensed in current Literature, beginning with a description of the Presidential workshop as follows : "The inner room, thirty feet square, is almost destitute of ornament. It contains a fireplace, a big desk, a few books, an art nouveau lamp, a few vases of flowers, a tiny clock on the mantel, and on the walls a rather poor oil portrait of Lincoln, a photograph of a big bear, and a framed autograph copy of the late Senator Ingall's well-known sonnet on 'Opportunity.' There is a globe in one corner, and the divan, chairs and desk are mahogany. The trim of the room is ivory white, the cur- tains are olive, the walls are covered with olive burlap, and the windows overlook the White House grounds toward the south, including the tennis court, and in the distance the Potomac, the Washington Monument and the Virginia Hills. This is the President's office. So severe is the room that very few busi- ness men indeed have not its superior in decoration, if not in simple comfort. "The President's patience and orderliness — especially the President's orderliness, is one of his most marked characteris- tics. His mind is orderly, and its contents are thoroughly arranged. He goes through every day on a time-table which an engineer could not follow more carefully. He does not look n] at the clock, but seems to have a sub-conscious sense of the passing of time, and he works off a crowd with the precision and regularity of a machine, and without the loss of a second or the waste of a single motion. Yet there is no appearance of haste, and his interviews do not seem to carry away a feel- ing of having been rushed. His powers of concentration and of White House Liee oe the Rooseveets 71 the immediate transference of his whole attention from one sub- ject to another are also very impressive. "The President ends each day apparently as fresh as he began it. Yet in spite of his tirelessness, he is not a heavy eater. The pleasures of the table appeal to him not at all, and he is notably abstemious in food." Declining a Third Term From the very day on which Mr. Roosevelt was elected to serve what was called a second term at the White House, he announced most emphatically that he would, under no condi- tions, become a candidate for a third term. This announce- ment he reiterated again and again, in language as follows : "I am deeply sensible of the honor done me by the American people in thus expressing their confidence in what I have done, and have tried to do. I appreciate to the full the solemn responsibility this confidence imposes upon me, and I shall do all that in my power lies not to forfeit it. On the fourth of March next I shall have served three-and-a-half years, and these, three-and-a-half years constitute my first term. The wise custom which limits the President to two terms regards the substance and not the form, and under no circumstances will I be a candidate for or accept another nomination." It has been reported that one reason for Mr. Roosevelt's adhering thus firmly to his negative decision, was the fear frequently expressed by Mrs. Roosevelt that her husband's life was in danger because of threats of assassination. It was ^ said that out of respect to these feelings of his wife, Mr. Roosevelt made his attitude in the matter of a third term all the more emphatic. Writing to his friend, William Sewall, a Maine woods guide, Mr. Roosevelt tells of his enjoyment in performing the work he was called upon to do in the White House. In the course of that letter, written after the nomination of William Howard Taft, the President wrote : "I hope Mrs- Roosevelt will be better now that the strain v -]2 Inside History of the White House of the Presidential nomination is off. As for me, I thoroughly enjoy the job and never felt more vigorous as far as the work of the office is concerned. But it's some different from the work in the back-woods and plains that you and I have done together in the past. "I said I wouldn't accept another term and I believe the people think my word is good. I should be mighty sorry to have them think anything else. I believe in being a strong President and making the most of the office and using it with- out regard to the little, feeble, snarling men who yell about executive usurpation. ''I also believe it is not a good thing for any man to hold it too long. My ambition is, no matter in however humble a man- ner, and no matter how far off, to travel in the footsteps of Washington and Lincoln." Mrs. Roosevelt at the White House The present Mrs. Roosevelt was Edith Kermit Carew, and J is the President's second wife. She was a friend of Mr. Roosevelt's first wife, who was Miss Alice Lee, of Boston, and who died in 1884, leaving an infant daughter. That daughter is now Mrs. Nicholas Longworth, who attracted the attention of the entire world upon her marriage, as Miss Alice Roose- velt, to a member of Congress from Ohio. Mrs. Roosevelt loves flowers and surrounds herself and her friends with them at all times. She takes a personal interest in the White House conservatories, though the green-houses are not now connected with the White House as in the days of former "First Ladies." To various charitable institutions, to debutantes, to church fairs and the like, Mrs. Roosevelt is almost invariably the first to send flowers. She sees to it that on all State occasions, and especially at State dinners, the rooms and corridors are filled with flowers and palms — though it should be explained that most of the White House plants come now, not from the conservatories, but rather from what is called the Propagating Gardens. White; House Liee oe the Roosevelts j$ Mrs. Roosevelt never has permitted her servants at the White House to wear livery aside from the coach and foot / man. Ordinary evening dress is all that the waiters are called upon to don for evening receptions and dinners. At receptions held in the afternoon the servants wear Tuxedo coats. On all formal occasions the waiters wear white gloves. Most of the male "help" in the White House, is colored, this applying to the present steward, the waiters and other servants in charge of keeping clean the rooms and corridors. White serving maids, however, are preferred by Mrs. Roosevelt. She employs an English Governess. Mrs. Roosevelt as "First Lady" From several different articles which appeared in The Christian Herald, among them the writings of Mrs. Abby G. Baker, of Washington, we glean the following interesting facts relating to the coming of Mrs. Roosevelt to the White House, and to her charm as "First Lady" : "Clad in deep mourning, Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt entered the Executive Mansion, September 26, under sadder circum- stances than have ever marked the installation of a Lady of the White House — although no one forgets how profoundly sor- \J rowful were the times which called for Mrs. Lincoln's suc- cessor, nor of how the people grieved when Garfield died. With public buildings everywhere swathed in black, flags all over the Union flying at half-mast, a whole nation bowed in woe, herself as its representative wearing garments of grief, our "First Lady" needed some marks of cheer to greet her entrance into her new home ; and one is glad to know that these were not lacking. Her husband met her at the door and led her to the dining-room, where a cozy luncheon was ready. With her came two of the children, Ethel and Kermit, and her house- keeper and her maid from Oyster Bay; so there was much to make her at home in her new abode. "The household has always been a very happy one. At Oyster Bay and in the Governor's Mansion at Albany, Mrs. vy n/ 74 Inside History of the White House Roosevelt sought to preserve the simplicity and privacy of the typical, democratic American home. Father and mother were comrades for their children ; the little folks were jolly as jolly could be, guests were welcomed with hearty hospitality. Ap- pointments of the house were daintiness and comfort combined. "At Oyster Bay, Mrs. Roosevelt was fond of going about in a walking skirt, and playing with her children. She is brown-eyed, brown-haired and rosy. It is a cause of con- gratulation to all Americans that the beautiful home-life of the McKinleys will be followed by that of another pair of wedded lovers, whose devotion to each other has made marriage the blessed relation it should ever be. Mr. and Mrs. Roosevelt are the youngest couple who ever entered the White House; and with their troop of happy children they will doubtless make a merry place of the historic dwelling. "A number of changes are under way in the mansion. The big, canopied bedsteads have been relegated to the attic, and pretty white bedsteads have been placed in the rooms on the south side of the building, which will be occupied by the Roose- velt children. Much furniture from the house at Oyster Bay has been brought to the White House. Mrs. Roosevelt will look personally after the ways of her household, and giving much time to the education of her children. Her first instruc- tions to Secretary Cortelyou were for announcement to be made to ladies in official and social circles that, out of respect to the memory of the late President, no calls formal or informal would be expected until after October 15." "Mrs. Roosevelt," a later article said, "fills her position with gracious hospitality that is felt and appreciated throughout the country. It is she who sets the social activities in motion when, soon after Congress convenes in December, she begins receiv- ing calls. Everybody who is in the official circle leaves cards at the White House, and many who are not in it, for both the President and Mrs. Roosevelt have scores of friends among 'the cave-dwellers', as the permanent residents of the town are called. The "First Lady's" duties are not light, nor are those Whits House Life; of the; Roose;ve;l,ts 75 of any of the women who come under the broad term 'official'. Their mornings are filled with subscription musicales, recitals, board and committee meetings of every kind, to say nothing of home duties. There are luncheons and teas, and never-ending calls. Then the nights are taken up with dinner parties and other forms of entertainment." Mrs, Roosevelt as White House Hostess Mrs. Roosevelt has been, from the first, an indefatigable hostess. All entertainments called for by official etiquette, all social observances demanded of her in her capacity as the President's wife, she has performed to the letter and with "good measure." Even before the social season begins she has been in the habit of holding afternoon receptions for the mem- bers of the Diplomatic Corps and for the ladies of the Embas- sies and Legations. Sometimes, at these afternoon receptions, Mrs. Roosevelt has entertained representatives, both men and women, of no less than thirty to forty different nations. Mrs. Roosevelt's musicales, a conspicuous feature of her entertain- ing arrangements at the White House, are described in the chapter on "Entertaining," under "Music at the White House." From press reports we learn that Mrs. Roosevelt "has in- troduced many pretty customs relative to the women of the Cabinet, one of the most sentimental being the presentation to each one of a beautiful bunch of flowers just before each reception, to be carried during the receiving hours. Hand- shaking is thus obviated to a great extent, and the flowers are always selected to correspond with each woman's gown." Mrs. Roosevelt meets the wives of the Cabinet officials in the Green Parlor at the White House every Tuesday morning at eleven o'clock, and for an hour there is a general exchange of views upon social obligations. Mrs. Roosevelt as "Wife and Mother The present "First Lady" has never neglected her purely domestic duties, despite the heavy drain on her time in an j6 Inside History of the White House official way. She is, it is written by Margaret B. Downing, "an exquisite needlewoman. All the baby clothes of her five children were fashioned by her own skilful fingers, and she still loves to make dainty little waists and lingerie for Miss Ethel. Her daughter has been taught to sew and embroider and to knot and crochet, and, like her mother, she is nearly always busy with some little fancy articles, when she sits with her parents in the evenings, and when she visits her friends for the day." Concerning the favorite hobby of the present mistress of the Presidential Mansion, we learn that she is fond of collect- ing old china, of which she has a fine assortment. In the East Corridor of the ground floor of the mansion is what is prob- ably the most historic collection of porcelain and china in this country. It comprises some of the table ware which was owned by all of the Presidents from Washington to Roosevelt. The collection was made under Mrs. Roosevelt's supervision by Mrs. Abby G. Baker, and was one of the most notable things which has been accomplished by any mistress of the mansion. Facts relating to the children of the Roosevelt family are given in the chapter on "Child Life," "Daughters," "Brides," and "Romance of Alice Roosevelt." THE WHITE HOUSE, BEFORE THE RECENT ALTERATIONS THE WHITE HOUSE, AS IT WAS IN 1800 CHAPTER IV Inaugurations — Washington to Buchanan THE ceremony of inauguration of a President of the United States begins at the White House, while the vital feature, the oath, has usually been a part of the imposing scene at the Capitol. Nearly every incoming President has first driven to the White House, there to be formally received by the outgoing President, after which ceremony the two Presidents have, as a rule, driven together to the Capitol. According to the custom long prevailing, on "leaving the White House for the Capitol, the outgoing and incoming Presi- dents are escorted by the military, the regulars predominating, and on coming from the Capitol, not only by the military, but the thousands of men who comprise the societies and political clubs, thereby emphasizing that all recognize him as President as well as commander-in-chief of the armed force of the Republic, and this procession is reviewed by the newly installed executive." In this chapter and the one following will be found brief reference to the inauguration and welcome to the White House of each new President, beginning with John Adams, the first President to live in the President's House, as it was then called, in Washington. George Washington's inauguration took place in New York, and therefore an account of his first day as President of the United States does not properly belong in this history. John Adams First to Live in the White House President John Adams took possession of the White House late in 1800, and on New Year's Day, 1801, held his first public 80 Inside History of the White House reception, this being what may properly be called the first formal opening of the President's House to the public. Previous to that November day when he first entered the White House, however, President John Adams arrived" in Washington and lived first at the Union Tavern in Georgetown, and later at Tunnicliffs Hotel in Washington. This was in the summer of 1800. His first formal appearance in Washington was on June 3, when he entered the city and was met by a large body of citizens on horseback, and was escorted thus to the tavern mentioned. These comprise the principal facts relating to the entrance of John Adams to the White House. Jefferson First to be Inaugurated in Washington "Mr. Jefferson had sent to Virginia for a carriage and four horses, but the condition of the roads was such that they had not arrived, and he seems to have made the best of an awkward situation by going alone on horseback, and thereby setting an- example of what is still known as 'J e ff ers °rri a n simplicity' ". Such is the popular story in relation to Jefferson's move- ments on the day of inauguration- By many historians this story is said not to be strictly in accordance with the facts, though exactly what the facts were seem to be hazy, and any attempt to discover whether Mr. Jefferson really did ride alone to the Capitol only leads to confusion. It is related that John Davis, the English schoolmaster who first told the unfounded tale of Jefferson's riding alone to the Capitol to be inaugurated as President, and hitching his horse to the palisades, wrote of Washington in 1802, what may well be believed : "There were no objects to catch the eye but a forlorn pilgrim forcing his way through the grass that overruns the streets, or a cow ruminat- ing on a bank." He says the village was surrounded by "end- less and almost impenetrable woods." One account of Mr. Jefferson's inauguration is found in the National Intelligencer for March 6, 1801, in which these facts are stated : "At an early hour on Wednesday the City of Washington Inaugurations — Washington to Buchanan 8i presented a spectacle of uncommon animation, occasioned by the addition to its usual population of a large body of citizens from adjacent districts. "At twelve o'clock Thomas Jefferson, attended by a num- ber of his fellow-citizens, among whom were many members of Congress, repaired to the Capitol. His dress was, as usual, that of a plain citizen, without any distinctive badge of office. "He entered the Capitol under a discharge of artillery. On his entry into the Senate Chamber, there were assembled the Senate and the Members of the House of Representatives. The members rose and Mr. Burr left the Chair of the Senate, which Mr. Jefferson took. "After a few minutes of silence, Mr. Jefferson rose and delivered his address before the largest concourse of citizens ever assembled here. After seating himself for a short period, he again rose and approached the clerk's table, where the oath of office was administered by the Chief Justice ; after which he returned to his lodgings, accompanied by the Vice-President, Chief- Justice and heads of Departments, where he was waited upon by a number of distinguished citizens. "As soon as he withdrew, a discharge of artillery was made. The remainder of the day was devoted to festivity, and at night there was a pretty general illumination." Madison and Monroe Welcomed in "Washington Mr. Willetts must refer to President Madison's first inaugu- ration here as Mrs. Madison could by no possibility have "begun" her brilliant career at Mr. Monroe's reception. I judge it is the Madison first inauguration as he also describes the gown worn by Mrs. Madison the same as given by Single- ton in her story of the White House on page 56, vol. 1. He is inaccurate, however, in speaking of this reception at the White House ; it was given at Mr. Madison's Washington residence. President Monroe's welcome to the White House was equally notable in a social way, "the President being the life of the party." 82 Inside History of the White House John Quincy Adams Takes His Father's Place John Quincy Adams, eldest son of John Adams, came to the White House to continue his remarkably systematic mode of life and to leave the mansion finally with great reluctance, all according to this entry in his diary : "My rising hour has ranged from four to quarter past seven, the average being about half-past five, and the changes regu- lated by the time of my retirement to bed, which has varied from half-past ten to one A.M., which happened only once — the day of the last drawing-room. My usual time of retirement is half- past eleven ; giving six hours to the bed. On rising, I light my lamp by the remnant of fire in the bed-chamber, dress and repair to my cabinet, where I make my fire, and sit down to writing till between nine and ten. After breakfast I read the morning National Intelligencer and Journal, and from eleven A.M. to four P.M. receive visitors, transact business with the heads of Departments, and send messages to one or both Houses of Congress. My riding on horseback has been interrupted almost the whole month by the weather and the snow and ice. From four, I walk an hour and a quarter, till half-past five ; dine and pass one or two hours in the bed-chamber or nursery ; then write again in my cabinet till the time for repose. This routine has now become so habitual to me that it forms part of the com- fort of my existence, and I look forward with great solicitude to the time when it must be totally changed. I never go abroad, unless to visit a sick friend. But a large dinner-party once a week, a drawing-room once a fortnight, and the daily visitors, eight or ten, sometimes twelve or fifteen, keep me in con- sant intercourse with the world, and furnish constant employ- ment, the oppressiveness of which is much relieved by its variety. This is a happy condition of life, which within five weeks or more must close." Andrew Jackson Moves In It is recorded of the rough and ready Andrew Jackson that, before his nomination for the Presidency, and while having in Inaugurations — Washington to Buchanan 83 mind the culture of the Presidents who had up to that time occu- pied the White House, made this impulsive remark : "Do you people suppose I'm such a fool as to think myself fit to be President of the United States ? No, sir ! I know what I'm fit for. I can lead a body of men in a rough way. But I'm not the man for President." Yet so popular was "Old Hickory," the newly elected Presi- dent that, men "came on horseback for hundreds of miles, horsemen galloped up and down Pennsylvania Avenue with hickory bark bridles, hickory stirrups, and carrying hickory clubs; women wore necklaces of hickory nuts and carried hickory brooms." As Jackson's carriage passed, men yelled "Go it Andy, we put you there!" and similar greetings, and cheered for "Old Hickory." Jackson seemed pleased, and smiled and bowed to right and left. Jackson was known as the "People's President," and the day of his inauguration was known as "People's Day." At the reception at the White House the crowd was dense, and so greatly were the guests in one another's way that "they broke much of the crockery in the house. Fully twenty thousand persons assembled in and around the White House. One of the best newspaper accounts of this welcome of President Jack- son to his official home, says : "The rush of people to this place (Washington) is unpre- cedented. Where the multitude slumbered last night is incon- ceivable, unless it were on their mother earth, curtained by the unbroken sky. The morning was ushered in by a salute of thirteen guns. At eleven, the breathing mass were around the Capitol, dense and wide. At about twelve, a rending shout announced the presence of the General. He appeared in the eastern portico, which, from its elevation, rendered the cere- mony extremely conspicuous and imposing. Order being reclaimed, the oath was administered, when another shout went up from the multitude. After a dignified bow, the President commenced his address. His manner was simple and emphatic. His voice was distinct and audible at a considerable distance. 84 Inside History of the White House The address being finished, another acclamation rent the air. There was now a general rush among the foremost to reach the President's hand. But his excellency withdrawing into the Capitol with his suite, the crowd was soon seen moving down the avenue towards the President's house. Here followed a scene of the most nondescript character. High and low, old and young, black and white, poured in one solid column into this spacious mansion. Here was the corpulent epicure grunting and sweating for breath — the dandy wishing he had no toes — the miser hunting for his pocketbook — the courtier looking for his watch — and the office-seeker." Van Buren and the Two Harrisons Martin Van Buren, of New York, the eighth President, was received in Washington with honors no less great than those which were heaped upon his predecessor, Mr. Andrew Jackson. Yet the crowd at the White House numbered fewer persons and was orderly. A more spectacular scene occurred, however, when Mr. Van Buren's successor, William Henry Harrison, came to the White House in 1841. Mr. Harrison had been elected over Van Buren after a stirring campaign in which he owed much of his success to having been lauded as the hero of Tippecanoe, where he had defeated the Indians in a severe battle. "Presi- dent Harrison, on the day of his welcome to the White House, rode in the midst of a hollow square of his friends, mounted on a white horse, and followed by a motley procession, in which men wearing coon-skin caps and hauling wagons on which were displayed log cabins." Forty-eight years later, the grandson of William Henry Harrison, Benjamin Harrison, entered the doors of the White House to perform the duties of Chief Executive with ability as great as those displayed by his grandfather during the latter's short period in office. One interesting incident of President Benjamin Harrison's incumbency occurred at the time he was notified of his nomina- Inaugurations — Washington to Buchanan 85 tion to serve a second term as President. The Committee called upon the President at the White House, and the scene, as described in the press of the day, was one of gayety, if not hilarity : "On this occasion the crowd was democratic- Mrs. Harri- son's illness prevented her attendance, but everybody else was •there. Baby McKee, wearing a white flannel suit with blue stockings, with his German nurse, stood within reaching dis- tance of the file of Cabinet officers. The steward was near by, members of both houses of Congress were scattered just outside the horseshoe formed by the notification committee, and several hundred invited guests crowded about. "When the speeches were ended, things went wild — for the White House. The President shook hands with all, while Elliott F. Shepard gave three cheers, standing with both feet on one of the elegant chairs. Members of the Cabinet then took turns passing lemonade and salad in the State Dining- room, while Senators, Supreme Court Judges, and pretty young ladies kept up a. cross-fire of jokes and good-natured repartee. "President Harrison was as easy-going as anyone. He danced Baby McKee in the air, and came out into the corridor, and personally invited some of the loiterers to come in and have some luncheon. It was a general jollification. "Afterward the inevitable man with a camera came along. No one interfered, and he planted his apparatus just in front of the mansion and insisted on photographing everybody. In the general joy that filled the Presidential mansion, no objection was made, and the entire party lined up on the porch and had their pictures taken." From Tyler to Pierce The inaugurations of Presidents Tyler and Fillmore were very sorrowful events, of course, owing to the death of Presi- dents Harrison and Taylor, by which the two Vice-Presidents became, each in turn, suddenly the official head of the nation. 86 Inside History of the White House President Polk's inauguration and the reception following passed off without the occurrence of anything extraordinary. President Taylor was not at all fond of pomp or show or of the lighter features of social life, yet he was obliged to attend the Inaugural Ball held in his honor, a picturesque account of which in the press, reads : "Night is come and 'the moon looks with a watery eye upon the world'. There is a small staircase, like a hencoop on an angle of sixty degrees, into which loads of living beauty are tumbled with great want of ceremony. There is no regular place, shelves, partitions, or tickets, for overcoats or dresses. You crowd on, descend a staircase of some twenty steps into a saloon which has been built of wood for the occasion — spacious and elegant, but somewhat too crowded by the great mass rush- ing through it. The walls are ornamented with various designs, draped with flags, etc., and large chandeliers suspended from the canvas ceiling, keep up perpetual showers of falling tallow as the candles grow awkwardly wicked. "General Taylor entered about eleven, and was received with considerable enthusiasm, though not as much as I had expected. He marched through the centre the whole length of the saloon, bowing on each side. He was leaning on the arm of Mayor Seaton and Speaker Winthrop. He afterward went round the outside of the saloon, shaking hands with the ladies." Buchanan Wears His Lancaster Suit When James Buchanan was called to the Presidency, he was living at Wheatlands, near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. With him, when he arrived at the White House, was his nephew, Col- onel Lane, who also acted as his private secretary; and Miss Harriet Lane, his beautiful niece, who was destined to make a great name for herself as mistress of the White House. After the ceremonies at the Capitol, on the day of Mr. Buchanan's inauguration, the outgoing Chief Executive, Mr. Pierce, accompanied President Buchanan back to the White House, where they bade each other farewell. Then, all during Inaugurations — Washington to Buchanan 89 the remainder of the day, a great concourse of people gathered at the White House, where the Mayor of Washington delivered an address of welcome, to which the President replied in hearty vein. At the Inaugural Ball held in the evening of this great day in his life, President Buchanan patriotically wore the suit made by a tailor of his home town, a suit that has become famous through frequent mention in history as the "Lancaster Suit" The President's clothes are described in a newspaper of Buchanan's time, thus : "When Mr. Buchanan delivers his address, he will be dressed in a coat made by Mr. Metzger, of Lancaster, lined with black satin, the stitching of which is somehow to represent the thirty-one States, with the 'Keystone' in the centre." CHAPTER V Inaugurations — Lincoln to Roosevelt AT THE time of his first election to the Presidency, Abra- ham Lincoln told a friend that one night he looked into the mirror and saw a "ghostly face." He said that he told his wife of the incident, and that she regarded it as an omen of evil, but that it was "Abraham's duty to go to Wash- ington, whether for better or for worse." "My wife was worried about it," said Lincoln. "She thought it was a 'sign' that I was to be elected to a second term of office, and that the paleness of one of the faces was an omen that I should not live through a second term." The day of his first inauguration came and Lincoln was welcomed to the White House as no President was ever wel- comed before, thousands joining in the festivities. Four years later came his second inauguration, at which he spoke the now famous lines : "With malice toward none ; with charity for all ; with firm- ness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in ; to bind up the nation's wounds ; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphans — to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations." This second inauguration is best described by Mrs. Shelby M. Cullom, wife of Senator Cullom, as given in an interview with Margaret B. Downing. In this interview Mrs. Cullom gives a number of most interesting facts, as follows i "I came to Washington in time to witness the second inau- Inaugurations — Lincoln to Roosevext 91 guration of Lincoln. Mr. Cullom and I were neighbors of the Lincolns in Springfield, and I knew both very well. I am often surprised to remember that we Springfielders were proud of the reputation which Lincoln had as a lawyer and public speaker, but we had no conception of his grand attributes, and we fully demonstrated the old saying about the prophet being great everywhere save at home. But local pride urged us to see every feature of that inaugural parade, and to attend the ceremonies at the Capital. It was something to represent the President's home town in Congress, though I must confess that no great attention was paid us at the Capital. "We were one of that memorable throng which pressed into the great edifice, almost at the risk of suffocation. I saw every detail of the ceremony of taking the oath of office, and we heard part of the inaugural address. But I wished to get to the window reserved for us by a friend on the avenue, so we left early. As the carriage containing the President came before our window, I noted the exalted look which Mr. Lincoln wore. Many who saw the procession have remarked the same thing. It was the look of a man inspired, of one who saw far into the future and realized what the pageant meant and would mean to the future generations. It was the first time that anything about Lincoln impressed me as remarkable. His face wore what might be described as the most peaceful, sublime and prophetic look which a human countenance could assume. Turning to Mr. Cullom, I said that at last I could see what men meant about the sublimity of the President's character. The look reminded me of what a martyr's face must wear when he is about to lay down his life for his convictions. / "That evening we attended the reception given at the White House by the new President. In this detail I remark another of those remarkable evolutions of Washington, socially and politically. Instead of the magnificent function called the inau- guration ball, at which thousands and thousands of dollars are spent on flowers and music and toilets and bunting adornments, the only festivity was a reception given at the White House. 92 Inside History oi- the White House In the days just before the peace of Appomatox, few had the heart for elaborate ceremonial or gay attire, and those who attended the reception which Lincoln extended to the official and social world wore for the most part the same clothes in which they had viewed the inaugural procession. The Presi- dent, I remember, was identically attired with perhaps a fresh white lawn tie and a flower for his lapel. He was in high spirits that night and both Mr. Cullom and I had a little chat and talked over our old neighbors at home. This occasion was memorable, not only to me, as the first large reception I had attended in Washington, but as the last large official function at which Mr. Lincoln entertained." Johnson Enters Sadly, Grant Proudly On June 19, following the death of President Lincoln, Andrew Johnson entered the White House to finish the term of his predecessor as President of the United States, a Wash- ington newspaper recording the fact of Mr. Johnson's arrival, thus: "The family of the President consisting of Mrs. Johnson and their daughter, Mrs. Patterson (the new mistress of the White House), and Andy, Jr., (who is expected to supply the place of the frolicsome Tad Lincoln), arrived here yesterday, in a special train." General U. S. Grant came to the White House proudly, as the youngest President to occupy the mansion up to that time. Grant was then only forty-seven and he held the record for youth among Presidents until the coming of Mr. Roose- velt at the age of forty-three. Other youthful Presidents were Franklin Pierce and James A. Garfield, age forty-nine ; and Grover Cleveland, age forty-eight. Hayes — Only President Taking the Oath in the White House A peculiar feature of President Hayes' inauguration was that he took the oath of office within the White House, the only Inaugurations — Lincoln to Roosevelt 93 President in history sworn in actually inside the historic man- sion. Nearly all other Presidents took the oath at the Capitol ; while, in the case of Vice-Presidents suddenly called to the high office by the death of a President, the oath was taken wherever they happened to be at the time. In the case of Mr. Hayes' inauguration, the fourth of March fell on Sunday, and instead of postponing the ceremony of the oath until Monday, Mr. Hayes took the oath in advance, Saturday evening, following a dinner at the White House, the new President going through this necessary ceremony in the Red Room. The dinner that preceded the taking of the oath was given by President Grant, thirty-six guests being present. At the conclusion of the banquet, Mr. Hayes was escorted into the Red Room by President Grant and Secretary Fish, where Chief Justice Waite administered the oath. Mr. Hayes did not use a Bible for the purpose, as had his predecessors, but was sworn in by the uplifting of his hand. A report of the ceremony says : "At the time the oath was administered, the Red Room was profusely decorated with flowers, and the table in the centre, near which the new President stood, was covered with rare plants. The principal wall decoration of this room is the life- size group of General Grant and his family, painted by Coggswell in 1867." Garfield and Arthur Inaugurations A sight that elicited prolonged cheering on the part of the onlooking crowd at President Garfield's inauguration, was that of the President turning to his mother and kissing her and saying : "It's all because of you, mother." In describing the coming of the Garfields to the White House, one reporter wrote : "The White House grounds put on a gala dress. Lines of streamers and signal flags ran from tree to tree across the semi- circular drive to the entrance and across the lawn itself, lighting 94 Inside History op the White House up the grounds with their gay colors. The columns of the portico were decorated with evergreen, and in the pediment of the portico was a large glass star which blazed out to-night in the red, white and blue. In front of the White House grounds, a large stand was erected from which President Garfield, after the Inaugural ceremony, reviewed the procession. It is a plain wooden stand, no better than those erected for spectators, except that it is surmounted with a wooden eagle. ''General Garfield was more than prompt, so much so that he reached the Capitol with President Hayes, half an hour before the latter's term expired. General Garfield's escort, the Cleve- land Cavalry, were formed in front of the White House at an early hour and awaited the coming of the two Presidents. About eleven o'clock two four-in-hand carriages drove into the White House grounds, the fine bays of the first being driven by Albert, the Presidential coachman, who has held office now under several Administrations. General Garfield and President Hayes stepped into this carriage and took the back seat, Presi- dent Hayes being on the right. Opposite to them sat Senators Anthony and Bayard of the Senate Committee of Arrangements. The second carriage was taken by Vice-President-elect Arthur, who was accompanied by Senator Pendleton, another member of the Committee. The procession then started at the sound of a signal gun-" Of President Arthur's inauguration, a very simple cere- mony following the death of President Garfield, we learn that in accordance with the dispatch received from the Cabinet in regard to taking the oath of office, messengers were sent to the different judges of the Supreme Court. The first to put in an appearance was Judge John R. Brady, who was closely fol- lowed by Justice Donohue. The party, comprising the Vice- President and the judges named, besides District Attorney Rollins, and Elihu Root, and the eldest son of the new Presi- dent, assembled in the front parlor of No. 123 Lexington Avenue (General Arthur's residence), where the oath of office was administered. Inaugurations — Lincoln to Roosevelt 95 Cleveland to Roosevelt — First Days in Washington President Cleveland, on the day of his inauguration, was received at the White House by President Arthur, and together the two drove to the Capitol, the coachman being Albert Haw- kins, who had driven White House carriages for Grant, and Hayes and Garfield. After the usual ceremonies at the Capitol, President Cleve- land returned to the White House and reviewed the military procession, which, on this occasion, included some 25,000 troops. Then followed a lunch in the White House, given by Mr. Arthur, the last entertainment of an official character given by the outgoing President. Doorkeeper Pendel, who had served as a White House attache longer even than the coachman already mentioned, Hawkins, relates the story of the coming of President Cleveland to the White House for his second term, after the lapse of four years during which President Harrison was the occupant of the mansion. In his book, Thirty-six Years in the White House, Mr. Pendel says : "The fourth of March on which Mr. Cleveland took the oath of office for the second time was one of the most blustering days imaginable. It was very cold and bleak. The first thing I did that night when I came on duty was to take a prescription out for one of the President's children, who was somewhat indis- posed. Four years previous to that I had escorted Mrs. Cleve- land to her carriage. It was pouring rain, and I had the pleas- ure of shaking hands with her and bidding her good-bye. Now I stood at the Blue Parlor door and let her in — the same door out of which she had gone four years before — and had a kindly handshake with her. She looked charming, and seemed to be perfectly happy." Concerning the inaugurations of President McKinley and Roosevelt, little need be said here, as these events are still fresh in the minds of readers. It is perhaps sufficient to state that both Mr. McKinley's first and second welcomes at the White House were events of wide interest and of general rejoicing in a 96 Insidr History oe the White House political sense, while the first coming of Mr. Roosevelt to the White House was an occasion of profound sorrow, the mansion being in deep mourning for the martyred President who had just passed to the Great Beyond. \ ^" .* ^.^ ^s CHAPTER VI Early "First Gentlemen" and their Daily Routine THE PERSONALITY, character, habits and methods of work of the various Presidents, as evidenced in their lives in the White House, were, in each instance, the outcome of individual training and previous experience. The most scholarly of all the Presidents was probably John Quincy Adams^ John Adams, Madison, Monroe and Van Buren were polished courtiers. William Henry Harrison, and. Jackson, and Taylor, were more used to rough military camps than to the refinements of court life. Grant remained a soldier to the end, and White House life was irksome to him. Among the wealthiest of the Presidents was Arthur, who was also the handsomest; while among the poorest in worldly goods were t Jefferson and Tyler, Lincoln and Garfield, and Cleveland. , Theodore Roosevelt will live in White House history as the most active of the Presidents. Probably the most dignified of Presidents were the Southerners, including Washington, Jeffer- son, and Madison, all of Virginia. The hardest worker, so far as the routine business of the nation was concerned, was Cleve- land ; while Roosevelt has shown himself to be the greatest of all as an originator of new business, and as a host. The personal appearance and daily life of many of the Presi- dents are given in this and the succeeding chapter. first of the "First Gentlemen" in the White House Though John Adams was the second President, he was the first to occupy the White House as the "First Gentleman" of the nation. J J ioo Inside History of the White House The second President is described as stout, florid, bald, of medium height, large of nose, heavy of expression and a typical "John Bull" in appearance. Mr. Adams' family, it is stated in The Rulers of the World at Home, consisted of his wife and little orphaned grand- daughter, Susanna, who preserved as a treasure of memory that she was the first child to play in the Executive Mansion, although only three years old at the time. The habits of this thrifty Massachusetts President were simple and abstemious. They went to church every Sunday in spite of rain or snow. Their refreshment for lunch was regularly lemonade and oat- cakes ; and when Mr. Adams died he left his children a fortune of $50,000. Mrs. Adams longed for her New England home, and at the end of four months relinquished without a sigh the chilly honor of being the lady of the new, barn-like mansion. Jefferson Polished Despite "Simplicity" Despite all the simplicity that has been described as charac- terizing Jefferson and his life at the White House, he was a gentleman of the old school, polished and trained in the arts of social life. His uncouth dress was simply part of his deter- mination to set an example to others in the matter of practicing simplicity and in eliminating ostentation and class distinction from White House life. Hence it happens that one friend of his described him as "a tall man, with a very red, freckled face and grey neglected hair ; his manners good-natured, frank, and rather friendly, though he had somewhat of a cynical expres- sion of countenance. He wore a blue coat, a thick grey-colored hairy waistcoat, with a red under waistcoat lapped over it, green velveteen breeches with pearl buttons, yarn stockings, and slippers down at the heels." John Qoincy Adams the Scholar President John Quincy Adams, a man of learning, a pro- found student, often said that he preferred his books to the social whirl of official life. At the time of his incumbencv he Early "First Gentlemen" ioi was said to be stockily built, with a large head, high, bald fore- head, bushy eyebrows, large, firm mouth and dark eyes. In the matter of daily habits of life at the White House, John Quincy Adams was in the habit of rising between four and seven, and then walking four miles, and on his return see- ing the sun rise from the northeastern window. He break- fasted at nine, dined at five, and received visitors in the inter- vals. He wrote letters or official papers, read despatches and newspapers in the evening, and went to bed at ten. The diary of this second President Adams is the best author- ity, for the facts relating to his daily routine in the President's House. In May following his inauguration, he wrote in his diary — (and this, so far as we know, is the only diary of a President that has come down to us) — this : "Sunday, May i. — Since my removal to the Presidential Mansion, I rise about five, read two chapters of Scott's Bible and Commentary, and the corresponding Commentary of Hew- lett; then the morning newspapers and public papers from the several Departments ; write seldom and not enough ; breakfast an hour from nine to ten; then have a succession of visitors, upon business in search of a place, solicitors for donations, or for mere curiosity from eleven till between four and five o'clock. The heads of Departments, of course, occupy much of this time. Between four and six I take a walk of three or four miles. Dine from half-past five till seven, and from dark till about eleven I generally pass the evening in my chamber, sign- ing land-grants or blank patents, in the interval of which, for the last ten days, I have brought up three months' arrears in my diary index. About eleven I retire to bed." And a year later, December, 1825 — this : "The life that I lead is more regular than it has perhaps been at any other period. It is established by custom that the Presi- dent of the United States goes not abroad into any private com- panies; and to this usage I conform. I am, therefore, com- pelled to take my exercise, if at all, in the morning before break- fast. I usually rise between five and six — that is, at this time 102 Inside History oe the White House of the year, from an hour and a half to two hours before the sun. I walk by the light of moon or stars or none, about four miles, usually returning home in time to see the sun rise from the eastern chamber of the House. I then make my fire, and read three chapters of the Bible with Scott's and Hewlett's Commentaries. Read papers till nine. Breakfast, and from ten till five P.M. receive a succession of visitors, sometimes without intermission — very seldom with an interval of half an hour — never such as to enable me to undertake any business requiring attention. From five to half-past six we dine ; after which I pass about four hours in my chamber alone, writing in this diary, or reading papers upon some public business — excepting when occasionally interrupted by a visitor. Between eleven and twelve I retire to bed, to rise again at five or six the next morning." "Old Hickory" in a Rocking Chair Andrew Jackson is said to have been tall, lean and angular ; long of face, homely, large-featured and bushy-haired. Mrs. Fremont, the daughter of Senator Benton, of Missouri, gives the following account of her youthful observations in the White House when "Old Hickory" was President : "Among my earliest memories of the White House is the impression that I was to keep still and not fidget, or show pain, even if General Jackson twisted his fingers a little too tightly in my curls ; he liked my father to bring me when they had their talks, and would keep me by him, his hand on my head — for- getting me of course in the interest of discussion — so that some- times his long bony fingers took an unconscious grip that would make me look at my father, but give no other sign. He was sure to praise me afterward if I did not wince, and would pres- ently contrive my being sent off to the nursery to play with the Donelson children. "We would find the President in an upper room, where the tall south windows sent in long breadths of sunshine ; but his big rocking-chair was always drawn close to the large wood- Early "First Gentlemen" 103 fire. Wounds and rheumatism went for much in the look of pain fixed on his thin face. "President Jackson at first had suppers at the general recep- tions, but this had to be given up. He had them, however, for his invited receptions of a thousand or more. It was his wish I should come to one of these great supper-parties ; and I have the beautiful recollection of the whole stately house adorned and ready for the company — (for I was taken early and sent home after a very short stay) — the great wood-fires in every room, the immense number of wax lights softly burning, the stands of camellias and laurestina banked row upon row, the glossy dark-green leaves bringing into full relief their lovely wax-like flowers; after going all through this silent waiting fairyland, we were taken to the State dining-room, where was the gorgeous supper-table shaped like a horseshoe, and covered with every good and glittering thing French skill could devise, and at either end was a monster salmon in waves of meat jelly." Van Buren the President Serene President Van Buren was small and slender. He had large dark eyes, broad high brow and shrewd expression, with curly hair and side-whiskers. His good friend, William Allen Butler, of New York, describes President Van Buren's character thus : "Mr. Van Buren in his personal traits was marked by rare individuality. He was a gentleman, and he cultivated the society of gentlemen. He never had any associates who were vulgar or vicious. He affected the companionship of men of letters, though I think his conclusion was that they are apt to make poor politicians and not the best of friends. Where he acquired the peculiar neatness and polish of manner which he wore so lightly, and which served every turn of domestic, social and political intercourse, I do not know. As far as my early recollections go, it was not indigenous in the social circles of Kinderhook. I do not think it was essentially Dutch. It could hardly be called natural, although it seemed so natural in him. 104 Inside History of the White House It was not put on, for it was never put off. As you saw him once — you saw him always — always punctilious, always polite, always cheerful, always self-possessed- It seemed to any one who studied this phase of his character as if, in some early moment of his destiny, his whole nature had been bathed in a cool, clear and unruffled depth, from which it drew this life- long serenity and self-control." "Rough and Ready" Taylor President Taylor has been described as stout, and of middle height, with swarthy complexion and rugged but kindly face, with a high forehead, keen eyes, dark hair and side-whiskers. While President Taylor occupied the White House, few persons had any difficulty in reaching the Chief Executive. This President was a born host and knew how to make each particular guest at home in the Presidential mansion. When his guests called they would sometimes gather on the White House grounds, each waiting for the President to approach and converse with them in his democratic fashion. One such occasion is described by Frederika Bremer, in a diary of her's subsequently published, in which she says : "The Senator from New Hampshire took Miss Lynch and myself to the White House, just out of the city, where in the park, every Saturday afternoon, there is military music, and the people walk about. The President was out among the crowd. I was introduced to him, and we shook hands. He is kind and agreeable, both in appearance and manner, and was simply, almost negligently dressed. He is universally esteemed for the spotless purity of his character." Another admirer of Taylor's, Mr. D. W. Mitchell, writes of a similar gathering, thus : "Perhaps few scenes in the United States would impress a stranger more favorably than one often to be witnessed at Washington on a summer evening. The military or Marine Band is playing excellent music in the garden of the White House, everybody walking in and out and about without restric- Early "First Gentleman" 105 tion ; the President perhaps strolling over the lawn among the company, ready to shake hands with any one who chooses to introduce himself, or whom any citizen, however humble, may please to introduce. Well-dressed women — amid all the sorts of people assembled, not a poorly-dressed woman is to be seen — public men, clerks, and groups of various kinds, are promenad- ing, while children are gambolling about. Laborers roughly dressed stand or lounge on the grass ; there is no guard, no police; all behaving themselves properly. No one — not the Irish Biddy taking her mistress's children out for an airing, nor the neat negro wench engaged in like manner — fears any annoyance or rudeness from any person. More than once on these occasions I saw General Taylor, and could not but con- clude that he was a plain, good-hearted, honest, hard-working man, of well-balanced mind, favored by circumstances and for- tunate in the enemies whom he had fought and conquered." President Fillmore a Physical Marvel In a tribute paid to Millard Fillmore, one of his visitors at the White House said to him : "Take him for all in all, Millard Fillmore is one of the most remarkable men our country has produced— remarkable for his appearance, remarkable for his fortunes, remarkable for the dignity, the prudence and the wisdom of his Administration." President Fillmore was often asked : "How is it, Mr. Presi- dent, that despite the physical and mental strain of public office, you have retained your health in such a remarkable degree?" Mr. Fillmore possessed a personality abounding in magnetism as the result of his perfect health. Cheerfulness characterized his every moment. And in explanation of these characteristics, he himself wrote, after leaving the White House, saying : "I owe my uninterrupted bodily vigor to an originally strong constitution, to an education on a farm, and to life-long habits of regularity and temperance. Throughout all my public life, I maintained the same regular and systematic habits of living to which I had previously been accustomed. I never allowed 106 Inside History of the White House my usual hours for sleep to be interrupted. The Sabbath I kept as a day of rest. Besides being a religious duty, it was essential to health. On commencing my Presidential career, I found that the Sabbath had been frequently employed by visitors for private interviews with the President. I determined to put an end to this custom, and ordered my doorkeeper to meet all Sunday visitors with an indiscriminate refusal. While Chair- man of the Committee of Ways and Means, and during my entire Presidential term, my labors were always onerous, and often excessive, but I never suffered an hour of sickness through them all." President Pierce Eulogized by Admirers "Mr. Pierce was personally popular, engaging in his man- ners, agreeable in all social intercourse, and generous and kindly in his disposition. He inspired the personal respect and love of all with whom he came in contact. He was exceedingly fond of sport, particularly fishing, and would spend days in his favorite amusement." So wrote one admirer of President Pierce, while another, no less a man than Washington Irving, who was delighted with President Pierce's decision to send Nathaniel Hawthorne, an intimate friend of the President's, to Liverpool to represent the United States as Consul-General at that place, said : "I have become acquainted with the President-elect. He is a quiet gentleman-like man in appearance and manner, and I have conceived a goodwill for him, from finding in the course of our conversation that he has it at heart to take care of Haw- thorne, who was his early fellow-student." CHAPTER VII Later "First Gentlemen" and Their Day's Work Lincoln Always Accessible {{"-|PHE PRESIDENT is accessible to private individuals * who desire to see him on business, and he has also set apart an hour or two on certain days in each week for receiving the friendly visits of the public. The President never accepts invitations to dine, or makes social visits. An invitation by the President is accepted, notwithstanding a previous en- gagement." Thus wrote a Mr. Morrison, following the latter's visits to the White House during which he had a talk with Mr. Lincoln. Years afterward, the late Dr. T. Dewitt Talmage wrote of his meeting with Lincoln at the White House, saying : "We followed into his room a committee who had come to Washington to tell the President how to conduct the war. We do not know who the committee was. The President was the saddest looking man I ever saw. He had a far-away look. He evidently, while standing under the fire of an address which was being made to him, saw the battlefields and hospitals and conflagrations and national bereavement. One of his great trials was that of being subjected to advice by people of all sorts who had no qualification for giving advice. When one of our party asked for his autograph, he cheerfully gave it, asking, 'Is this all I can do for you ?' "At that time he was the most abused man in America. To-day he is the most admired man in all our country's history, with the exception of Washington." 108 Inside History oe the White House Grant Always A Soldier General Grant remained a soldier even in his statesmanship. He was a plain man and he said so. The etiquette of White House life was ever most difficult for him to adhere to. On one occasion he was induced to dance. It was at a State ball and when some asked him to repeat his performance, he replied: "I would rather storm a fort than attempt another dance !" A dress suit was to him a thing to be abhorred. He would never put on such dress unless actually compelled to. Often he would go into the White Lot behind the White House and join the boys who happened to be there playing ball. Of President Grant's daily routine at the White House, the announcement was made, early in his administration, that : "The President has set apart the morning up to ten A.M. to attend to his private business, telegrams and official corre- spondence; from ten to twelve he will receive Senators and Members who may call, and after hearing them, such civilians as may call on general business. From twelve to three the Presi- dent will attend to official business, and at three he will leave the public rooms in the White House, and see no one thereafter on business or political matters. On Sundays, no business is to be transacted, nor any visitors to be admitted to the Executive Mansion." President Hayes the Hospitable President Hayes is described as tall and strongly built, with high, broad forehead. He had brown hair and beard, an aquiline nose and bushy brows. There were two children in the White House in President Hayes' term. These were the President's son Scott, aged five ; and his daughter Fanny, aged eleven. Three grown sons were also members of the household, these being Rutherford, Webb and Birchard. Some idea of the daily life in the White House in Hayes' administration may be gained from the following account, written by a contemporary : Later "First Gentlemen" 109 "It is a household noted for its hospitality, and one gener- ally enlivened by the presence of guests. Mrs. Hayes takes great interest in public matters, has a pride in keeping the house attractive and in superintending its decorations for offi- cial occasions. It is a family simple in its tastes and cordially •united in its members. The sons are young men of most cor- rect and industrious habits, affable, free from frivolity and with- out any of the affectation which so often attaches to the posi- tion which they occupy. The family is regular in its attendance upon church; and the White House on Sunday is as quiet and orderly as any American home. "The President is a most affectionate father, and a day sel- dom passes that he does not devote some time to games with the younger children. He is an exceedingly busy man, rising early and working late. He is a close student of all phases of public affairs and an industrious reader of the histories of pre- vious Administrations. He is a strong and clear talker, and has decided ideas on all questions, which he expresses with force to those with whom he feels free to talk. He frequently walks in the morning, and rides for a time before dinner, and thus, by much exercise in the open air, he maintains his strength for the long siege of each day's listening to the countless applicants, who pass in and out of his room in ceaseless procession for six days of the week. He carries on a large private correspondence and writes his own important message and State papers. Much of this work he performs before breakfast. "Callers on public business are received from ten o'clock, and business hours either for the public or for members of Congress, do not cease till three o'clock. Cabinet officers and members of the press upon urgent business and others by spe- cial appointment are received at any time up to ten o'clock and sometimes as late as eleven o'clock at night. All working days are thus filled with business of the most varied and often per- plexing character. And yet, through it all, the President main- tains unvarying equanimity, and the endless routine does not wear upon him." no Inside History of the White House Garfield's Social and Business Habits Mr. E. V. Simalley years ago wrote a vivid description of White House life, both as to its social and business divisions, under President Garfield. In the course of his remarks, Mr. Smalley has this to say : "The external appearance of the Executive Mansion does not change from Administration to Administration, except that its freestone walls get a fresh coat of white paint now and then. Going up to the portico to-day, I saw in its iron tripod on the wall beyond the carriage drive the empty bombshell in which a pair of swallows built their nest during the war and gave the Western poet, John J. Piatt, a theme for his 'Nests at Wash- ington.' Within the house the carpets and furniture are renewed once in eight or ten years. To my mind the old mahog- any sofas and chairs which were in the State Parlors in Lin- coln's time, were better than anything that has come in their place. At least they were quiet and dignified. "The old staff of servants which President Hayes employed are still on duty. I get a friendly nod from the doorkeeper, and passing to the left from the wide entrance hall into the little cross hall, go up the narrow stairs leading to the offices on the second floor. The door into the East Room is open, and facing it hangs Huntington's new picture of Mrs. Hayes, whose bright happy face looks smilingly down at the scene of her former social triumphs. "But I have only a glimpse of the picture as I go up the stairs. The atmosphere is close and heavy on this stairway and affects one singularly. Perhaps the sighs of the disap- pointed office-seekers who for more than half a century have descended the steps, have permeated the walls and give to the air a quality that defies ventilation. There are crowds in the ante-room and crowds in the upper hall. All these people are eager-eyed, restless and nervous. They want something which the great man in that well-guarded room across the hall can give if he chooses, but which they fear they will not get. "Congressmen and other persons of some note are shown Later "First Gentlemen" hi into the private secretary's office, while the miscellaneous multi- tude impatiently ranges about the ante-room and halls. Beyond this office and down a flight of three steps, is the room where Cabinet meetings are held and where the President receives most of his business calls. Seeing him for the first time since the election, I naturally look for traces of excitement and worry on his face. There are a few additional lines about the eyes, perhaps, but he wears his old robust, hearty, frank look, stands as straight as a soldier, and greets his friends with the same cordial, strong, magnetic grasp of the hand they all remember. In his new situation General Garfield has to learn to be a good listener, for all day long arguments and appeals are poured into his ears. "The routine office work of the White House constantly increases. The early Presidents were not allowed even a pri- vate secretary by law. They had to pay for all clerical assist- ance out of their own salaries. Afterward one secretary was provided for ; then an assistant was added. From Administra- tion to Administration the work- force grew by the addition of clerks, or the detail of Army officers until what is practically a Bureau of Appointments has grown up. Including the Private Secretary there are now seven persons attached to this bureau and their places are no sinecures. Often they are busy until late at night bringing up the day's work. "In length of service the oldest member of the White House staff is Mr. W. L. Crook, the executive agent and disbursing clerk, who dates back to the end of President Lincoln's Admin- istration ; but there is among the servants of the house a man who was appointed by President Fillmore ; he is the fireman, and his name is Herbert; and the principal doorkeeper, Mr. Loeffler, was put in his place by President Grant in 1869. "The exchange reader does his work behind a big screen in the general reception room. The private secretary Mr. Brown and Mr. Headley have a room to themselves with two bay win- dows looking out on the Potomac and the Virginia hills, and a door leading to the President's room. Adjoining is a smaller ii2 Inside History of the White House room where Mr. Pruden, the assistant private secretary, keeps, with the aid of two clerks, the record of appointments and removals in formidable leather-bound volumes like the ledgers in a counting-house. Besides the staff of secretaries and clerks there is what might be called an official staff of servants who are appointed by the President and whose salaries are provided for by Congress in the annual appropriations. It consists of a steward, doorkeeper, four assistant doorkeepers, a messenger, four assistant messengers, two of whom are mounted, a watch- man and a fireman. There is also a telegraph operator detailed from the Signal Service Corps. The other servants of the household, such as the coachman, the cook and the waiters are paid by the President. The repairs and the general good order of the house, its furniture and its conservatory and grounds are attended to by the Commissioner of Public Buildings and Grounds. "The family and social life of the Executive Mansion goes on quite apart from the routine official work, and is measure- ably secluded from it by the big mahogany doors which cut off the portion of the upper hall where the offices are located. There is also a great deal of curiosity in Washington when a new President comes in, to learn how the lady of the White House is going to treat the public. Naturally, the social public is eager to be entertained and honored by opportunities to call and chat and talk afterward about what is going on in the Presidential circle as much as possible. Naturally, too, the wife of a President, while wishing to perform well the duties of her station, is desirous of keeping her family life from being wholly broken up. So there is a conflict of forces going on for a time. Mrs. Hayes settled the question in favor of the public, and gave it, I think, much more of her time than any of her predecessors. Mrs. Garfield seems disposed to draw the line so as to divide her time fairly to herself and her family. She will give only two evenings in the week to receptions, and is, I hear, deter- mined to keep up as much as she can her old home ways — her reading of books and magazines, her oversight of the educa- Later "First Gentlemen" 113 tion of the children and her care of her household and all its inmates. "No one who has a home and appreciates its ties and duties will find fault with her. The hospitality of the White House will, perhaps, be less unlimited than of late, but those who are so fortunate as to enjoy it will be able to do more than exchange a bow and a pleasant phrase with the mistress of the Mansion. If there is less society, there may be more real sociability. The Garfields during their long life in Washington were never at all fond of fashionable society because it was fashionable, but were always exceedingly sociable when sociability was elevated to an intellectual plane. "A President's family belongs so much to the public by cus- tom and necessity that I cannot fairly be accused of overstepping the proper limits of a correspondent's field of observation in thus glancing behind the partitions that separate the official from the domestic part of the Executive Mansion. Perhaps I may safely add that the family is re-united now, the two oldest boys having left their Concord school to finish their preparations for college under the charge of a tutor. They are both to enter the Freshman class at Williams, their father's alma mater, next September. Harry (now, 1908, President of Williams' Col- lege) eldest, whose household name is 'Hal', will be a lawyer if his inclinations do not change during his college course. James (now, 1908, Secretary of the Interior in President Roose- velt's Cabinet), has a taste for mathematics and the practical sciences which point to an active business career. The younger boys, Irwin and Abram, are enjoying themselves famously on their velocipedes or ranging through the big parlors and broad halls of the Mansion. The daughter Mollie may be seen any morning hastening to school with her books under her arm as pretty a picture of youth and health as can be found in Wash- ington. "The new Mistress of the White House shows the quiet dig- nity and grace and the adaptability, to the requirements of a social circle suddenly expanded to a hundred fold, which all ii4 Inside History of the White House her friends knew she would display. And the 'little mother' mingles as much or as little as she pleases in this circle. Her place at the table is beside her son and his arm is always ready for her support. Her room is the pleasantest in the house, with its three windows looking out on the drive, the lawn and the gray walls of the State and War Departments. Among all the occupants of the White House, I question whether there is any one as happy as she. An intelligent observer, and a keen but kindly critic of persons and events, she finds life as full of interest for her as it is devoid of worry or care-" (See Chapter headed "First Ladies" and Presidents' Widows.) Arthur, Handsomest of Presidents President Arthur, handsome and possessing wealth, came to the White House equipped to play the part of President in each and every one of the social duties involved. The niceties of society were things of which he was master. As a man of the world, he insisted upon surroundings of elegance, and it was he who caused the White House rooms to be re-decorated in good taste. His entertainments were sumptuous, some his- torians say, "the most sumptuous" — "dipping deeply into his private means to defray the cost of a mode of life which, as he felt, befitted the dignity of his office." A contemporary wrote of this President that: "In General Arthur we have a new type of man in the White House. There have been Presidents of all kinds. We have had stately Virginia gentlemen of the old school and self- made men from the West. We have had soldiers of several varieties, rural statesmen and frontiersmen, but the 'city man', the metropolitan gentleman, the member of clubs — the type that is represented by the well-bred and well-dressed New Yorker — the quiet man who wears a scarf and a pin in it and prefers a sack coat to the long-tailed frock coat that pervades politics, and a Derby hat to the slouch that seems to be regarded in various quarters of this Union as something no statesman should be without — this is a novel species of President." PRESIDENT AND MRS. McKINLEY Later "First Gentlemen" n? Benjamin Harrison a Tremendous Worker That Benjamin Harrison, during his term as President, con- tinued to work hard, as had always been his habit, is shown in the records of his day's activities, one of which says : "The new President's possessed an enormous capacity and even avidity for work." And another record goes on to say that : "President Harrison's methods of work are cool, systematic and constant. He is a sensitive man, but a man of nervous temperament. He wastes neither time nor energy in fretting, is never fussy, and never in a hurry to finish up things at the last moment. He has not lost a day by illness since he entered the White House. He begins his day's work at nine o'clock and there is little to which he does not give his personal attention." Cleveland's Auto-Biography President Cleveland left the following auto-biography, - though it is written in the third person. It is a brief story of his own career, in which he sums up life-work as follows : "I knew a man who, when quite young, determined to acquire a college education and enter the legal profession. "The door to a college education was inexorably closed against him. "He at once set his heart on studying law without collegiate training. When it soon appeared that even this must be post- poned, he quite cheerfully set about finding any kind of honest work. "After an unsuccessful quest for employment near home he started for the West. He had adversity in abundance. "He had plenty of willingness to work, plenty of faith and a fair stock of perseverance in reserve. He had no misgivings. "After securing a temporary job, he was handed Black- stone's Commentaries and turned loose to browse in the library of a law office. "When, on the first day of his study, all the partners and clerks forgot he was in a corner of the library and locked him ii8 Inside; History oe the White House in during the dinner hour he merely said to himself: 'Some day I will be better remembered'. "He actually enjoyed the adversities. "Even then he was called stubborn. After he had become President of the United States he was still called stubborn, and he is accused of stubbornness to this very day." McKinley's Daily Routine The habits of President and Mrs. McKinley, all during their term in the White House, were invariably characterized by almost Jeffersonian simplicity. They breakfasted at about half- past eight. Some time during the morning Mrs. McKinley would usually take a drive. Lunch, a simple meal, was served in the upper corridor, the guests sitting informally with the fam- ily. After lunch the President would resume work in his pri- vate office, while Mrs. McKinley retired to her private apartments. In the afternoon Mr. McKinley would go for a drive, after which he usually ran through the newspapers, rested a little time, then dressed for dinner. His evenings were as often as possible given to quiet, social pleasures. Quite frequently, too, informal dinners were given in the White House. Except when taking his afternoon drive or walk, Mr. McKinley was rarely seen out of the White House. Referring to Mr. McKinley's even temper and amiability, one correspondent, while this President still lived, wrote : "Of all the men who have occupied the White House, he is almost the only one of whom it can truthfully be said that nobody has ever seen him in a passion. It would be hard to find one who had ever known him to display ill temper or betray irritation. This characteristic of McKinley's is not due to com- plaisance. He has trained himself to it until it has become almost second nature with him; but it is not a natural gift. Years ago he was as impulsive as others ; but for a quarter of a century he has been adapting himself to conditions with which few are confronted. Over a Century of the White House 39 British in 1814. The corner-stone was laid October 13, 1792. Funds for the original construction of the building came from the sale of lots in the Federal City and from the moneys fur- nished by Maryland and Virginia for the construction of Gov- ernment buildings. The house was first occupied by President . and Mrs. John Adams in November, 1800. The first appro- priation from the Treasury for the White House was one of $15,000, made April 24, 1800, to provide furniture; and the first appropriation for repairs was one of like amount, made on March 3, 1807. President Jefferson had his office outside the White House on the site occupied by the present Executive offices ; and in 1819 Congress appropriated $8,137 for enlarging "the offices west of the President's House." The South portico was finished subsequent to 1823, at a cost of $19,000 ; the East Room was fin- ished and furnished by virtue of an appropriation of $25,000 made in 1826; and three years later the North Portico was added, in accordance with the original plan, at an expense of $24,769.25. The White House was first lighted by gas in 1848; and a system of heating and ventilating was installed in 1853. Four years later the stables and conservatory east of the White House were removed to make room for the exten- sion of the Treasury Building. How the White House Got Its Name At variance are the historians as to how the White House came to be so called. One has it that the abode of the Presi- dents got its name from the fact that it happened to be painted white. Another says that Washington so named it in honor of the name borne by the house in which Mrs. Washington passed her girlhood. From the various published accounts bearing on this point, the following are quoted : One writer says : "Its corner-stone was laid October 13, 1792, and in 1796 General Washington named it 'The White House', while in course of construction, in honor of his wife's old home." 40 Inside History of the White House Another has it that