Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1872-10-05
GRANTS STABLE.
How 1T CAME TO DE BUILr-A DIRECT Vio-
LATIoS OF LAW.

GRANTS STABLE.
How IT CAME TO DE BUILr-A DIRECT VIo-
LATIoS OF LAW.
Correspondence Cine cnnati Commercial
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 1872.
/ took advantage yesterday of
| tho absence of tho President an d
his horses to visit tho stable in the
rear of the White House, about
which 30 much is being said just
now. There have been some ex
travagant descriptions of this sta
BILE, but l am impelled to admit
that it is an oxtravagant stable.
That it WAS built without law, with
money illegally taken from the
Treasury-with money, indeed,
that was appropriated for other
purposes-would naturally give tho
impression that it was an cconom-
ical, temporary affair, erected to
comply with the demands of the
present Executive for moro stable
room, q mere makeshift until such
time as Congress could mako the
necessary appropriation. Butthis
is not the character Of General
Grants stable. The manner Of
building it, and tho excuse for it,
as well as some other facts, are as
follows:
THE OLD STABLE,
a very modest brick building,which
was sufficiently large to accommo-
dace President Lincoln's horses, as
we'll as President Johnson's with
some room to spare, stood near tho
site oftho new State Department
building, which is now being erect
cd, and which will be, by the way,
if tho plans are carried out, the
handsomcst public building in tho
country, always excepting the Ma
tional Capitol. Grants immense
stud of horses required more room,
and his instincts suggested that
place where he should necessarily
spend much timo ought to be on a
grandcr scale than the old stable.
Congress was in session. The ap-
preparation had been made, and
the site SOLICITED for the new State
Department building. The stable
was really not in the way. If it
was, the fact was known when tho
sito was selected, and there was
plenty of time to ask for an appro-
priation for a new stable, but it
was not done. Instead of this,
while Congress was ill in session,
in total violation of the law which
prohibits tho use of money for ono
purpose which had been approhria-
ted for another, and without even
the advice or authority of the Com
mittcos of Public Buildings and
Grounds of Congress, the new sta
Bile was begun, and it was finished
in due time.
One of the highest officers of the
Government said he didn't "care a
damn if it was built without law
and in positive violation of the
statutes; that it was needed, and
that Congress was taken advantage
of on purpose" that "ifit had been
proposed to build n new stable for
tho White House costing $4,000
Congress would never have au-
thorizcd it," and that "now it was
built nobody will say anything
about it," The money was, it is
generally supposed, taken from the
appropriation for the State Depart.
mcnt. At any rate, it has never
been accounted for, and no record
appears regarding it. AS for the
stable itself, it is an extremely
HANDSOME AND COSTLY STRUCTURE.
The material is Philadelphia
pressed brick, with Seneca stone
trimmings. The windows are as
elaborate, extensive and numerous
as those of almost any private
mansion in the city. The roof is
slate, and highly ornamented, and
an elaborate cupalo surmounts n
stable which, in all respects, is
probably not surpassed in the coun-
try. The doors and walls of natur-
al wood, oiled and polished, with
ornate fastenings and hinges; the
stalls are made of the same mater
ials as the doors there are rollers
to each stall to prevent the blood
cd horses from injuring themselves
by rubbing against the hard wood;
there are the most improved sys.
tens Of supplying the horses with
hay and grain water and gas arc
on every floor; there are loafing
rooms for the grooms and coach
men there are rooms for buggics
and for carriages there are rooms
for harness, and there are elegant
accommodations for the coachmcn
End their farailies. Altogether, one
views t,.e stable an5 its apartments
with q feeling akin 10 reg-et that
he is not o bloodcd horse belong
ing To the President Of the United
States, that he may thus occupy
such charming quarters, As TO the
capacity Of the stable. no faglt can
lrI ....tl f1..f T1.nro a~o -.