The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-05-05
aHM1N1sceNcEs OF WASHINGTON

and one of tho early Chaplains of Con
gress. has just been published
After great deal of talking and writing,
and controversy about the permanent seat
Of Congress, under the present Constitution,
it WAS determined that Philadelphia should
be honored with its presence for ten wears
and afterwards its p'rman mt location
should be in the city Of Washington, where
it now is. In the meantime the Federal
City was in building, and the Legislature
of Pennsylvania voted sum Of money
to build a house for the President, perhaps
with some hope that this might help to
keep the seat OF the General Government
i'll the capital, for Philadelphia was then
considered ~ the capital Of the Sta,e--
What was lately the University Of Prnsyl
vana was the structure erected for the
purpose. But as soon as General Wash
ington saw its dimensions. and good
while before it was finished, he l:: i. be
known that he would not occupy. aud
should certainly not 60 TO the expense of
purchasing suitable furniture for such a
dwelling; for it is to be understood. in
those days Of stern Rcpuhlranisn,, nobody
thought of Congress furnishing tho Prcsi
dents house; or if perchancc snch n
thought dill enter into some aristucra;ic
head, it was too unpopular to lc ui,ercd.--
President Washington, therefore, rented
house Of Mr.. Rohcr, Morris, in Mmkc,
street. between Fifth and Sixth streets, on
the South side, and furnished j, han,!somcl
but not gorgeously. There he lived with
Mrs. Washington, Mr.. Lear, his Private
Secretary, and his wife, and Mrs. Washing
toms grandson Gusts, making n part Of
the family. Young Gusts had private
tutor employed by the President, who WAS
engaged to attend on his pupil one hour in
the winter mornings. before breakfast. and
who then commonly hreakflstcd with the
President and his family. The President
ate Indian cakes for breakfast, ana arcr
the Virginia fashion, although buckwl,ea,
cakes were generally on the table.
Washington's dining parties were enter
tanned i'll n very handsome style. His
weekly dining day, for company, was Thurs
day, and his dining hour was always i
o'clock in the afternoon His rule was to
allow five minutes for the variation Of clocks
snd watches, and then 60 to the table. hc
present or absent whoever might. H.
Ha,> ,1
the outward door, and always exactly ,ccn
lated. When tagging members Of Con
gress came in, as they often dill, after til.
guests had sat down to dinner, the prvs
dents only apology was gentlemen, Tor
slr) we are too punctual for you. have
cook who never asks whether the com
pany has come but whether the hour has
come The company usually assembled ia
the drawing room about fifteen or twenty
minutes before dinner, and the President,
spoke to every guest personally on enter
ing the room. lie has always dressed in ~
suit of black, his hair powdered, and tied
in black queue behind, with very cl.
giant dress sword, which he wore with in
imitable grace. MIS-. Washington often,
but not always. dincd with the company,
eat at the head of the table, and il, as Was
occasionally the case, there were o'her
ladies present, they sat a, the foot OF the
table, and was expected to be quietly a,
tentive to all the guests
The President himself sat half way from
the head TO the foot Of the table, and on
that side he would place Mrs. Washington.
though distant from him, on his right hand.
lie always, unless clegyman were present
at bis own table, asked blessing in a stand
ng posture. II a cler gyman were prescn,
he was requested both to ask blessing
aud TO return thanks after dinner. The
centre Of the table contained five or six
large silver or plated walters, those Of the
ends circular, or rather oval on one side. 50
as to make the arrangem ent correspond
with tho oval shape ofthe table. Tn. wait
ers between the end pieces were in the form
paral|elograms, the end about one third
part of the length ofthe sides and the whole
oftllese walters were filed with alabastcr fir
ures, taken from tho ancient my.ho locy
but none Of them such as to offend, in The
smallest degree, against decacy. On the
outside Of the oval formed 10y the waiter
were placed the various dishes, always
without covers; and outside the dishes were
the plate. A small roll o. bread, enclosed in
anapkin, was laid by the side OF each plate.
The president, it is believed generally
dined on one dish, and that of simple kind
If offered something, either in the first or
second course was very rich, lis usual ,e
ply was, "that is too good for me-" He
bad silver pint cup or mug Of beer, placed
by his plate, which lie drank while dining
Il