Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-05-23
Anecdotes and "reminiscences of o..
Adamses. VIC

A washington correspondent of III
n. Y. World, furnishes the follow.
"reminiscences of the Adamses, nnss
that one of the family has been brona,L,
freshly to public notice: D'
John Adams the elder was the Hr..
President to occupy the White Hons
When the government removed e.
Washington, in 1890, the Execute
Mansion was not completed, and Mr.
Adams lived for short time in Georna
town, in a small house, which is. ho
ieve, still standing. In November
1900, the President and his wife tool
possession of the White House. and
found it III most uncomfortable STAT
of incomplete grandeur. Mrs. Adams
in a letter to her daughter, thus gives
her impressions of the house and the
city:
The house is upon a grand andsp.
perb scale, requiring about thirty SER
wants to attend and keep the apartments
III proper order, and perform the or.
binary business of the house and sta.
bles-an establishment very well nro.
portioned to the Presidents salary
The lighting of the apartments, from
the kitchen to tho parlors, is a tax IN.
deed, and the fires we are obliged to
keep to secure us from daily agnes !.
another very cheering comfort To as.
sist us in this great castle and render
less attendance necessary, bells are
wholly wanting, not one single one be.
ing hung through the whole house, and
promises are all you can obtain
This is so great an Inconvenience
that | know not what to do or how r.
40. The ladies from Georgetown and
in the city have many OF them visited
me. Yesterday | returned fifteen Wis
its. But such a place as Georgetown
appears Why, our Milton is beauti.
full But no comparison; if they put
me up bells and let me have wood
enough to keep fires | design to be
pleased. But, surrounded with for
ests, can you believe that wood is
not to be had, because people cannot
be found TO cut and cart it,
We have indeed come into a new coun-
try. The house is made habitable, but
there's not a single apartment furnished
and all within side except the plasterlng,
has been done since b. came. We have
not the least fence, yard or convenience
without, and the great unfinished audi
ence-room | make drying room off to
hang up the clothes in. If
the twelve years in which this place has
been considered as the future seat of
had been improved, as
they would have been in New England.
ya,v MANY pf no ,,raSant
es would have been removed 1t is a
beautiful spot, capable of any improve
ment, and the more Iview it the more /
like 1t y
There is a very, very pretty little
story told of the second Adams in his
old age, given me by an eyewitness.
He was always fond of visiting the Sen
ate Chamber-the scene of his former
he became a member of
the lower House. One lovely day in
June he wandered into the old Senate
now the Supreme Court room.
The windows were open facing the east
en park; the birds were singing in the
trees it was, in short, one of those
rare June days, so inspiring to lovers
of nature such as was Mr.. Adams.
While he stood at the clerks desk
looking toward the window, one of the
little pages came up to him, and plac-
ing before him most dlminutive al
bum, asked him for his autograph.
kindly on the little fellow, Mr.
Adams took up Il pen and with scarce
a moments hesitation wrote in the fin
est possible hand these impromptu
lines:
Sure this the album of Queen Nab must be
And writing of proportioned size must clalm
Then bring me bright humming birds from
yonder tree,
From thy wing a pen wherewith to write my
name.
JoHN QUINCY ADAMS.