Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-08-20
A VERY SHABBY OLD HOUSE.
Meaning that Wbited Sepulcher, the
Executive MarsiOn.
From the Philadelphia Times.

Meaning that Wbited Sepulcher, the
Executive Marsion.
From the Philadelphia Times
The pretentious structure at Wash
ington, whose whiteness has for
nearly century given to it the name
of the White House, by which it is
known throughout the civilized
world, is encompassed without by
malerial breezes from the Potomac
fats and poisoned within by veno-
nous gases from imperfectly trapped
sever connections. To put family
to live in such place is almost as
bad as what was brought to light
few days ago in the lower part of
Walnut street, where several children
had died in one unpleasant dwelling
lowing to the noxious vapors
they were compelled to inhale.
There is more style about
the White House than in the cheap
and gloomy tenement, but foul air,
which is no respector of persons, is
much the same in one as in the
other. When the White House was
built it was a gorgeous structure
for it's day. Its original cost was
over quarter of a million dollars.
Improvements and additions have
since brought it's cost, with that of
the grounds around it, to six or sew
en- times that sum. The house has
been repaired, and tinkered, and
patched. and altered, and mended
until it is now something like an old
pair of boots, which have been half
soled, heeled and footed dozen
times and badly need new tops. All
that it contains in the line of mods
ern improvements has been added in
such fragmentary way that it is
like patches of new cloth on an old
garment. When it was built, modern
ideas of heat and ventilation
and water works were not known.
The Potomac Flats were not
what they are now. They
have incresed in size, in Aatness, and
in malarious potency. To stay in the
White House at night is to risk an
attack of illness As residence it
is no longer useful. To expect the
Chief Magistrate of the nation to
live there is absurd and unreasona>
BILE. 1t has long been known that
tie place is not desirable to stay in,
especially in the summer. For years
it's occupants have found safety and
comfort by going just outside the
city to the Soldiers Home. Recent
Investigations into the plum bing
work of the White House have
shown that there are some objection
able features which would not be
allowed to exist in third>class inn.
Nor is there any site on the whole
twenty five acres of ground in the
White House inclosure on which a
residence for the President and his
family could wisely be erected. Ma
LARA from those pestiferous fats
poisons the whole territory. The
flats are growing worse and worse
every year. It is suggested that
they be drained. The suggestion is
as sound as it is venerable. 1t was
made long, long ago. To drain the
flats decently it can be done only by
filing them up. It would take a
dozen years and cost million'a year.
Some of these days it will have to be
done. Meantime a new Executive
residence is needed. There are
plenty of places in Washington for
it, where the ground is higher and
the air purer. We do not need such
costly building as kings and EN- :.
perors are proud to dwell in. Half
million would pay for one quite
good enough. The Chief Magistrate
of this country has right to home.
Now he has no house of his own to live
in, but only some rooms in an awk>
ward barn of a public building, the
rest of which is made up of Offices
and is a trampiug-ground for the
people of America and all the rest of
creation who choose to 60 there.
The President and his family should
have house in which he and they
may be as private as the humblest
citizen in his own three story brick.
It is an evidence of the phenominal
strength of Mr.. Gar6elds constitu-
ton that he has lived for weeks as
he has in that old house, breathing
the mephitic air waited into his bed
chamber from those villainous flats.
No wonder he wants to be out. Let
us hope he will soon be able to go
where he can breathe almost any
atmosphere. One of the first things
Congress should do when it next
assemblies is to decree the erection
of a new and decent "White House" !"
1t will be an appropriate National
thank offering for the recovery of
the President -,...--r
Tho Doctors Bills.
i WASHINGTON. August 18.-The ex-
penses attending the care of the
President-the fees to the surgeons.