Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-01-19
THE DECORATIONS OF THE WHITE nOrsE.

Mrs. Mary Clcmmcr, in n Washington let
ter to the New York Independent, describes
as follows some of the new furniture and
decorations recently put into the Presidents
House;
In the East Room the crystal chandeliers
have been taken apart, every shaft of glass
polished I'LL, when they are lit again they
will blaze like the suo. The new Administer
carpet for the floor, woven in England for it,
was chosen for its gis-light effect; it is Of II
pale lemon colir, baimOniZing with the
white and gold of the room, the hanglngs of
the lofty windows being crimson silk over
lace The Green Room has been left I'M
touched, just IN Mrs. Garfield furnished it,
The Blue R0o.n has been transformed by
new decorations. The walls and ceiling
have been freshly ircscotd The walls are
of silver and gay, with iricze eight feet
wide, with raised decorations and CorniCC
of silver, The base of the room is OF dark
grny, flashing to silver AS it rises, while the
ceiling is set with oyals Of silver with shields
of various coloied metals radiating from the
centres. The carpet is If antique blue and
gray; the furniture is covered with heavy
blue and gold changeablc silk, canvas, and
the hangings on the windows are of the same
stuff, trimmed with heavy bands of plush,
with long fringe at top. The blue room has
always been the most exquisite room in the
White House and has at last, gained n pale
| splendor OF beauty that 1t never wore before.
Its final and consummatc glory is to lie found
in four magnificent sconCes, each with seven
gas jets. The sconces are glass mosaic
On each of the seven arms of the gas Jets is
pendant, made Of five small iridesccnt glass
drops, in each OF which is reflected mimic
picture OF the entire sconce. When these
seven gas jets fare lighted and the light re-
Elected by thousand points Of opalcscent
glass, the splendor Of the scene may be i'm
agined. The Red Room has also been trans.
figured by new wood mantle, Sand by the
addition of soft crimsons and browns TO the
old grayish reds. The ceiling iscovered
with stars of metal on golden background
The frieze suggests the stripes of the national
flag. The walls and wainscoting are in rich
reds, dark at the bottom, flushing into pale
rose ut top. Instead of the small marble
mantle that used to stand here the whole
width of the chimney is now covered by II
mantel OF dark red wood Its uprights are
carved fasces, ending in scrolls. The open
fireplace is encircled by bunds of amber, in
which are set tiles of real glass, which, in
turn, are framed by bands of the mantel-
wood, simply carved. Between the mantel and
the mirror above it is framework OF the
mantcl wood, studded with mosaic of glass
which in the gaslight flash like gems. The
hearth is set with crown tiles. On it stand
large andrOns, curving into the fireplace,
whose blazing logs in the vanished evenings
Of Mrs. Hayes many kindly hearts must re.
call.
Even the shabby and drcary old corridor
leading TO the inner parlors of the White
House has been frightened and bcau,ificd
Masses Of metal of gold, of ivory white
now glow upon the ceiling; the cornice
and frieze are of gold, the walls of olive hue,
throwing out its pictures in distinct relief !;
the woodwork is Of dark crimson, with gold
tracery while the great mirrors have shed
their old, dark frames for light, narrow ones,
harmonizing with the general effect.
The crowning glory Of the corridor has
yet to arrive, to take the place of the old
ground glass partition which now separates
it from the outer vestibule 1t is magnifi-
cunt mosaic screen, the centre of the screen
being one large panel with four eagles guard
Ing the central shield. The whole screen is set
with innumerablc mosaics of varying hucd
glass and crystal When the iridcsccncc of
these is kindlcd by flaming gns-go;s on either
side the magnificencc of the effect may be
imagined.
This is equal TO Jcnkins's best. 1t is graft
flying TO know that the tiles in the Red Room
are of "rtal glass 1T would be shocking
pity if the Executive Mansion were furnished
up with counterfeit glass. Can il be, how
ever, that the Blue Room is allowed to 20
with fricze only eight feet wides AS
that room must be some fifteen feet high.
more or less, the frczc might easily have
been made few feet wider. 1t is TO be
hoped that President Arthur will attend to
it, if he is able to keep his head at all amid
so much flashing and iridesccncc.