Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-07-23
THE WHITE HOUSE.
THE DAILY LIFE OF PRESIDENT GAR
FIELDS FAMILY.
The Eoms Eabfts CT the Chief Magistrate
Of the Eepublic-Per
scnal Notes
WAsnrNaroN. JulY lO. lS8I.

SCnal koLeS
WASHINGTON, July 10, 1881.
The morning of July % our chief citizen
sat down to an cary breakfast in the COSY
family dining room OF the peoples palace
on Pennsylvania avenue. There were at
table with him his two elder sons, Harry
and James his Private Secretary, j. SIAN
lev Brown; his Telegraphio Secretary, 0.
L. Judd, and Dr.. W. H. Hawkes., late of
Helena, Mont, but now the classical tutor
of his boys. TIE last.named gentleman
sat at his right baud. He is bachelor Of
perhaps 81, and is favocite guest The
second son, Jimmie, sat at his fathers
left. MIR. Brown aud Dir. Judd, beth
Young men, are daily meal-time guests,
because their respective functions require
their all-day presence at the Executive
mansion, though their lodgings are else
where. Mrs. Garfield and Molhe,. the
fourteen. year old daughter, were at Long
Branch, but were to meet the President
and party at Jersey City early IN the after
noon, to proceed ON the New England trip.
Ilwio and Abram, the lit lie boys, lad gone
to Ohio the previous Friday from Long
Branch with Mrs. DR.. Boynton. wife Of the
Presidents Cleveland cousin In anticipa-
ton of the
REST AND ENJOYMENT
Before him, the brsakfast-host, always
cheerful, talsative man at table, was un
usually buoyans in mood. Though he did
not converse about the trip, its anticipa-
ton had evidently inspired him with happy
thoughts While he was dressing that
morning Jimmie had come into his room,
and with run placed his hands on the
middle of the bed, and made a handspring
over it. Tnrnipg to his father, he said
Wouldn't ycu like TO be able to do
that p "0n, guess I could, if tried, +"
the President answered, always proud OF
his physical vigor and suppleness. Alter
a bis Of bantecing back and forth he ac-
complished the feat as neatly as his six
teen. year.old boy had done. In the came
merry mood the meal began and ended.
Mr.. Brown, the private secretary, had just
returned from hasty trip to England, and
the President had many things to ask him
about his experiences and observations
while he was gone. DID you happen to
hear any EngIishman jest while you were
over there?" he inquired. Mr. Brown
eonldn't remember to have done so, and
then General Garfield who is the autocrat
of his own breakfast table, and with IN
conscious and pardonabIe egotism absorbs
the conversation, always leaving some
thing worthy of remembrance in the list
eners mind, launched off into
A sPRIGH1LY DISCUSSION
On the gravity of the English character,
He ate of the meal with hearty appetite,
and when it was over Secretary Blaine,
who was not going with him to New
England, called with his own carriage to
take him to the depot, and they had an
intimately personal, almost affacsionate,
conversation on the way, the President
dwelling with pleasure on the friendly re-
lations that had from tins first prevailed
among all who met around the Cabinet
table. DR.. Hawkes., who was one one Of
the excursion party, followed in carriage
with Harry and James, while MIR. Brown
and Mr. Judd, who were to remain on
duty at the mansion, repaired to their re-
soective desks Such Of the Cabinet Off
GERS and their wives as were to be OF the
company met the White House party at
| the depot You know the tragedy which
| startled the world on that fair July morn
| ing. The swift lightning has told you how
the smitten, wounded President but one
| hourlater, yingproue ina police ambulance,
! was brought back to the stately home
| he had lett. You know all about that
! southwest chamber august swllh pain
heroically borne you know about the
/ watchers there, the quartet OF distinguished
medical attendants, the stately visitors
! who come and go at the mansion, the
sympathetic, serious faces OF the Cabinet
/ ladies' lowering by turns about A1rs. Car
! field ia her great trial, the eohort of press
representatives gliding in and out on their
! great mission OF conveying the latest intel
| lgence from the sick chamber to fifty mill
ions OF sympathizing peopie-aN these
! features are more vivid in yonr minds just
now than the normal condition Of tnat
representative American home. IL may
! re st your hearts and mine to forget these
sad details a little while in taking over the
accustomed order Of the household, broken
il upon first by Mrs. Gariield's illness, then
by TINS later, heavier bloy, but TO be re-
suned, please God, in happy days to come.
MEAL HOURS AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Under the present Administration have
been as follows Breakfast at $50, lunch
at u, dinner at ), and supper at T. When
the dinner hour was frat changed from $50
it was placed at o'clock, but this brought
1t too near the lunch hour aud it was SET at
8 When General Garfield was in Congress
a late dinner was unavoidable, but IN the
new life they were glad to be able to fix
upon an hour better suited both to the
aged mother and to the young children Of
the household. The state dining. room IS
only used on very special occasions the
| family dining. room Is not unlike thai IN
any geutleman's house for size and location.
| It is on the main floor, and runs north and
south, at right angles to the direction OF
| the mansion The Presidents seat Is mid
| way the length OF the table on lts west
! side, and Mrs Garfield sits opposite,
with Harry, her eldest living child,
| a decided mother-boy as near
| her as the presence OF almost constant
| guests will permit, while jimmie sits near
! his father, where also Grandma Garfield,
when here, has az honored place. She Is
always waited en- frat, whoever else may
be present. Mollie sits at the north end
OF the table, and the two younger boys are
arranged little promiscuously, according
to the elastic size of the hospitable family
circle Harry is tall and graceful, with
medium brown hair and the regular fea-
lures of his mother. The down of man
hood, carefully cherished and coaxed, after
the manner OF is year-old young gentle
men, appears on his cheeks. Jimmie is
nearly or quite as tall as his brother, and
broader. shouldered, with the Saxon hair
and large features of his father, whom he
bids fair to resemble strongly in person
and intellect hlollie has the dark brown
hair of her mother, but not her slender,