McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-12-04
THE WHITE HOUSE.
Description Of the Residence Of the President
ofnte United States at Washington.
Detroit Free Press.

| Cne executive OIlceS, the president re-
ception-room for people who call on
business and the cabinet room. Of the
private rooms nothing need be said be-
yond the rumor that before his term
shall be completed President Arthur
will take young wife to the white
house. The tidbit of gossip in Wash
ington is the engagement of its distin-
guished chief citizen to Miss Tillie Ere
linghuysen.
Custom has established the holding of
two cabinet meetings week, on Tues
day and Friday noon. At these gather
ings the president presides. At his
right hand sits the secretary of state, at
his left the secretary of the treasury.
Affairs of state are discussed with the
gravity due to their Importance. The
meetings, which usually last two hours,
are held in a room of considerable size,
at long table supplied with the neces-
sary books and papers. Young blood
has recently been infused into the cabi-
net by the appointment of Frank Hatton
as postmaster-general. Beng still on
the sunny side of 40, he is expected to
flavor alleged normally dry proceedings
with appetizing wit and pleasantly.
The president of the United States
must be a hard working man. His bus
mess day begins at 10 in the morning,
when he takes his seat at the desk of
what is known as the presidents recep-
ton room. His desk-that one now in
use-was made of timber from the'Brit-
ish ship Resolute, which in 1852 was
sent by the government of the United
Kingdom to search for Sir John Frank
lin in Arctic waters. The vessel was
abandoned on the ice by her command
er, but restored by an American whaler.
Out of her sturdy British oak material
was found for the desk now used by
President Arthur and which has been in
the white house only since 1881. The
executive is assisted by private secre-
tary and assistant private secretary,
two clerks and stenographer. Besides
there is a long list of government en-
ployes at the white house and six other
clerks. The president first dictates re-
plies to such letters as need personal
answers and which can be dispatched
without further deliberation. He is then
open to the advances of visitors. AS his
patronage is said to control the incum-
bency of approaching 100000 officers,
callers are numerous and persistent
from this cause alone. not to speak of
other reasons why an interview with the
president is sought. Questions of state
demand his attention daily, and his duty
comprises the superintendent of the de-
partments. Of course he is relieved from
as much detail as possible. Letters are
fn11 ISCfy into Inv 70
cretary according to their nature and
the degree of their Importance. and only
a small proportion of the white house
mail is seen by the august head of the
nation. Of the hundreds of newspapers
daily received, moreover, selections of
value. to him officially, are made and
placed in scrap-book, ready for his
perusal. The scene of the presidents
labors, as those comprise direct person
al relations with the people and their
representatives in congress, is large
oval room, handsomely furnished. Its
windows are hung with silk curtains.
The furniture is massive, of mahogany
upholstered in leather. Thousands of
books are ranged around the walls in
seemly rows. Ornaments in bronze and
many beautiful objects of art have rest
ing places in spaces between the book
shelves and elsewhere, and from the
walls of the room look down the pictured
semblences of the immortal Washington
and the first four presidents after him.
The social obligations of the president
are largely a heritage from the earliest
days of the republic. On New Years |
Day falls reception which ushers in a
season lasting until spring, and in
which fetes and grand dinners are, at
fewest, of weekly occurrence. The
members of the cabinet, justices of the |
supreme court, senators and represent
atives, and leading officers of the United |
States are the first to pay their respects |
to the head of the administration. They
are succeeded by the diplomatic corps,
who appear in court costumes, and the |
officers of the United States army and |
navy, dressed in full uniform. The
public succeed these splendid persons.
Necessarily something is left to the con-
venience of the president as to the num-
Der of receptions he shall hold. The
usual plan, besides those imposed on
him by long usage, is to give public re-
ceptions at intervals during the season.
These are characterized by great splen-
dor, and, perhaps, increasing formality.
The ladies of the first house in the land
naturally have something to say about
when and how often receptions shall
take place, and arrange for one of their
own at periodical intervals, as a matter
of course.
Abigail Adams, who entered the white
house in the year 1900, is the first in the
long procession of women whose beauty
and accomplishments have been its
greatest attraction. The list begins
with the cultured lady who found the
east room of appropriate size to expe-
dite the operations of the laundry. She
was a dignified person, and occasionally
reminded her husband that his position
did not properly admit of too great
familiarity with the people. Her recep-