Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-16
THE NATIONS BUSINESS.
where President and: Cabinet Attend
to IL.

THE NATIONS BUSINESS.
where President and: Cabinet Attend
to II.
Washington Cor. rittsburg Desratchl
President Arthur transacts his business II
the oval.shaped room known as the library,
which is situated directly ove- the 'blut
room" on the main floor of the White
House. A heavy oak desk at which he sits
bears the following inscription, III. NJ. s.
Resolutc, forming part Of the expedition
sent in search Of Sir John franklin iu 1869,
was abandoned in latitude "A > Al north,
longitude 1909 90 west, on 18th of May,
1854. She was discovered and extrcated In
September, 1855, in latitude 67 > north by
Captain Buddington, United States whaler
George Henry. The ship was purchased,
fitted out and sent to England as a gift 10
Her Majesty Queen Victoria by the President
and people of the United States as token Of
good will and friendship. This table was
made from. her timbers when she was broken
up, and is presented by the Queen Of
Great Britain and Ireland TO the Presi-
dent of tho United States as memorial
of the courtesy aud loving kindness
which dictated the offer OF the gift of the
Resolute." The furniture of the desk CON-
priscs two large glass inkstands, three or
four gutta rercha penholders with stub pens,
which the President uses in signing his mail
In receiving visitors the President stands in
the centre of the room, and remains standing
while converslng. Should note of the
topic he required, he goes to the desk and
sits in large revolving cane.seat chair and
nj dnt ell ltxr
taken into the Presidents private Office
through the cabinet room aud it was in the
former that Mrs. Garfield spent a greater
portion of the time of the late presidents ILL
ness. The ceilings and walls are OF maroon
tint, and the leather.u upholstered furniture
matches the same. On the walls urc hung por-
traits of Presidents Adams, Jefferson,
Madison, Munroc, Taylor, Harrison and John
SOP. Seven mahogany bookcases filed with
standard novels and poems, occupy the
spaces between the door and windows.
From the ceiling is suspended a handsome
chandelier Of brass and bronze. with solid
brass figures in relief and fifteen burners in
crystal globes. Sevrcs vases and buss sur
mount the bookcases, and the floor is COW
cred with a handsome Turkish carpet. To
the left of the desk already referred to, in q
frame of maroon plush. is the famous Mil
tonian shield, Illustrative of Paradise
Lost" made of silver and oxydized silver.
From his desk the President commands a
full view of the room and its contents 1t is
customary for the gardener to place each
morning upon the desk basket of tne
choicest exotics from the White ,lIouse con-
servatory. Three south windows light the
room, and from them may be seen the hills
of Maryland and Virginia and the Potomac
river.
Room OF the Secretary of state.
Sectretary of State Frelnghuysen occu-
PIES n large room on the floor Of the south
wing Of the new State, war and navy de-
partments building. For general business
he sits at a handsome walnut double flat desk
made at the navy yard, but for signing mail
he sits at a small table placed between two
south windows. The furniture Of the room
is walnut, upholstered with light brown
leather, and heavy Turkish rugs are scattered
over the hardwood floor. Old prints, hand
somely framed, of carly presidents, who,
prior 10 receiving such honor, were at the
head of the State department, adorn the
walls. Their value can not be estimated
Conspicuous on small stand at the lett
of the secretary's large desk is an English
version Of the Polyglot Bible, with notes
hui InucA Uouuu III DldCh IcuticI'
1t is in this Office that the secretary
ception aud consultations with foreign repre-.
sentativcs. For such purposes an adjoining
room is handsomely fitted up, and here ques-
tions OF state and diplomacy are discuss
cd. Secretary Frelinghuysen, like the Pres
ident, is partial to a walnut revolving cauc
scat and back chair, and seldom uses the
comfortable leather upholstered chairs in the
room. A glass door leads from the room 10
the grauite portico, facing south, from which
q lovely view is presented, sweeping lawn
and the Government carp ponds being the
principal features.
FoIgeg's Department.
Secretary of the Treasury Folgcr probably
has more papers filed on his desk than any
other cabinet officer. His Office is located on
the third floJr, in the southeast corner of the
south wing Of the treasury building. Between
two south windows is placed ae1nall fiat wal
nut table covered with blue cloth. which is
uscd exclusively for signing the official mail.
In this woik he wiclds cork pen holder
and steel stub pen, while messenger Mt his
side blots his autograph with hand blottcr
as the papers arc signcd. The large desk at
which the secretary sits in debating his cor
respondcpcc 10 stcnogrsphcr, faces three
quarter portrait of Alexander Hamilton, the
first secretary OF the treasury, while on the
opposite side Of the wall is n portrait OF
Salmon r. Chase. The furniture is OF wal
nut, upholstered in dark rcd leather and
heavy curtains of the same color hang from
The windows. Secretary Fuger sits in u
cane scat and back walnut chair, and at his
feet is huge waste basket into which hun
drcds of communications are daily consign-
cd The secretary is an indcflligable worker,
aud rarely leaves the department before b
O'Clock in the afternoon.
MIR. Liucoin's rIacc.
Secretary of War Lincoln is located
on the third floor of the north wing
of state, war and navy departments
building, and the Office windows
face Pennsylvania avenue. The position
Of the building in which the war de-
partmcnt is situated has been recently COM
pletcd, aud the appointments are consc-
quently the newest aud most elegant OF any
Of the offices. Secretary LiLcoln transacis
his duties ata large IA, mihogany desk,
covered with blue cloth A large Turkish
rug partially covers the hardwood floor,
which is inlaid to represent cubes, aud diff
ierent shades OF woods are employed for this
purpose, The secretary sits IN u Caue-scat
and back,revolving chair, covered with a
thin oive-colored leather. Tie other furni-
turc IF the ,om corresponds. An ordinary
steel bank pen in n wooden tolder is used by
Secrctar; Lincoln in signing his correspond
ence. lie is an inyclcratc smoker, and IN
writing frequently comes to full stop in
order to knock the ashes from n fragrant
Havana. On the wall a. the left of the sec
Tetary's desk are portraits o! Generals Grant
Sherman aud Sheridan, while in front OF
him are Simon Cameron and Edwin M
Stanton, who held the portfolio of the wal
department during the late rebellion, thu
former in 1861 and part of 1862, ard the
latter from 1869 to 1868, when he was sue
ceeded by John NJ. Schotield. Anothc
noticeable Thing concerning the pOrirAils il