The Lincoln County herald., 1872-10-02
The Royal Stables.
Grants Equine Palace and How II was
Built In Direct Violation Of Law.

washington correspondence OF the Cincinnati
COMMERCIAL.
l took advantage, yesterday, Of the
absence Of the President and bis borses.
to visit his stable in the rear of the
white house, about which 80 much is
being said just now. There have been
some extravagant descriptions of this
stable, and an compelled to admit that
tits an extravagsnt stable. That it was
built without law with money illegally
taken from the treasury, with mosey,
indeed, that was appropriated for other
purposes, would naturally give the i'm.
presslsn that il was an economical, tenn
porary affair, erected to comply with tho
demands Of the present executive for
increased stable room, a mere make shift
until such time ss Congress sould make
the necessary appropriation. But this is
not the character Of General Grants sta.
bio. The manner Of building it, aud the
excuse for it, az we'll as some other facts,
are as follows: The old stable, o very
modest brick building. which was sufi.
eisntIy large to accommodate President
Lincoln's horses, as we'll a. President
Johnson's, with some room to spare,
stood nosr the site of the new State de
partmsnt building, which is now being
erected, and which will be, by the way,
if the plans are carried out, the hand
somest public building IN the country,
always excepting tho national capitol
Grants immense stud Of horses required
more room, and his instincts suggested
that a place where he should necessarily
spend much time ought to be on erander
scale than the old stable. Congress was
in session. The appropriation had been
made, and the site selected for the new
STATE department building. The stable
was really no. in the way. If it was the
fact was known when the site was Sc
lec,ed, and there was plenty Of time to
ask for an appropriation for the new
stable, but it was not done. Instead Of
this, while Congress was still in session,
in total violation OF the law which pro
hbits the use Of money for one purpose,
which has been appropriated for another,
and without even the advice or authority
of the committee Of public buildings
and grounds of Congress, the new stable
was begun, and it was flushed in due
time.
One of the highest officers Of the gov
ernmeut said be didn't care q damn if it
was built without law and in positive
violation of the statutes; that it was
needed, and that Congress was taken ad
vantage Of on purpose that "if.it had
been proposed to build stable for the
white house costing $4,000, Congress
would never havo authorized it," and
that "now it was built nobody would say
anything about it." The money was, il
IS generally supposed, taken from the
appropriation for the State department
At any rate, it has never been accounted
for, and no record appears regarding it
As for the stable itself, il is an extremely
handsome and costly structure. Tn.
material i, Philadelphia pressed brick
with Seneca stone trimmings. The win
dows are as elaborate, extensive aud nu
merous as those Of almost any privat.
mansion in the city. The roofis Of slate
and highly ornamentsd, and an elat ora't
cupola surmounts a stable which, ia al
respects. is probably not surpassed il
the country. The doors and walls are o
natural wood, oiled and polished, witt
ornate fastenings and hinges the STALL
are made Of the same materials as !h'
doors there are rollers to each stall t
prevent the blooded horses from iujur
ing themselves by rubbing against tn
hard wood there are the most improved
, systems of supplying the horses will
hay aad grain; water and gas on ever
floor there are rooms for buggies an
for carriages, there are rooms for har
ness, and there are elegant acconmods
, t,ous for the coachmen and their fam
lies. Altogether one views the stabl
and its apartments with feeling akin
9 regret that lie is not q blooded horse be
9 longing to the President Of the Unite
3 States, that he may thus occupy sue
charming quarters. As to the capacit
of the stable, no fault can be found wit
that. There are in all thirteen stall'
seven of the ordinary kind and six boz
, stalls, ten or twelve feet square. wit
doors aud windows like any ordinary be
room,
!. Now all of this is not to be taken .
criticism against the costly style 10 whic
this stab is built and equipped. Whett
|, = er it is too good or toe bad for the Pre-
:" ident of the United States is not q ques
l.. ton for me to discuss. My own ide'
D. would be 10 favor Of having as handson
a stable for the executive mansion as tt
present one, with q residence to CORE
pond; but what is complained Of is th
i. was built aud paid for in violation
law, when there was no necessity for i
Congress was 10 session and might ha'
made the appropriation. 1t was not eve
asked to do it. The old stable mig
have been used during the sumu'
W months while the President was at Lor
Branch, and Congress might have be'
asked at the next session for the aPpr
4. priation. 1t would no doubt have boz
made if the facts warranted, but it is u
likely that $4,000 would have be-
,;,an and this /. vhv the effort was q