The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1884-05-23
PRESIDENTS AT DINNER.
The White House Steward Describing
tho Table Habits of Hayes, Garfield
and Arthur.

the Table Habits OF Hayes, Garfield
| and Arthur.
had an interesting chat, writes a
Washington correspondent, with Mr..
Crump, steward of the White House
under Hayes and Garfield. Said he :.
"The position of ward of the White
House pays Sl,o ayear, and it was
under Hayes, very nice position.
The steward has the full charge of the
White House. He is responsible for
everything. He must see about the
table, attend to the catering and keep
the servants and the house in order.
When Hayes and Garfield were at its
head the position was easier than now,
on account of the good hours they
kept. Each of them had his last meal
over by 6 o'clock, or a little later, and
we got through dish-washing byS so
that the men could 60 away. Of
course, l refer to ordinary days when
there were no state dinners. Mr.. Ar
thur has his dinner between s and 9
o'clock, and his friends often sit at the
table until IL and l o'clock. The hours
are all changed now.
president Garfield was very plain
in his diet. He came into the White
House with dyspepsia, and he was
doctoring all the time up until he was
shot. He ate no rich food and was
particular about his hours. He had
breakfast at $50 in the morning, when
he would eat a good beefsteak and
some baked potatoes with cream poured
over them. This was a favorite dish
OF Garfield's. and it was one which he
ate when he could eat nothing else. 1t
is delicious, and far surpasses baked
potatoes and good butter. Then Gar
field was also fond of a little nice
bacon fried to crisp, and this with a
few side dishes made up his breakfast
Dinner he ate at p. H., and this meal
was much the same as his breakfast.
He always had his beefsteak, and
neither he nor Mrs. Garfield were big
eaters. About o'clock he had tea
and this was very light meal also.
There was generally some one present
to dine with the family, but there was
no wine in the White House during
the Garfield administration.
"Tell us something about Hayes"
During the administration of Hayes
there was wine used at only one din
ner, and that was at the one given to
the Grand Duke Alexis. During their
family meals there was never wine on
the table nor was there any at the
state dinners. The Hayes family were
good livers, and they were also great
entertainers. During the last three
months of Hayes term there was an
average of thirty-seven at each dinner,
and he always had house full of
guests"
at costs good deal to run the
White House, can tell you, and Ar
thur will have to have great many
things sent in by the neighbors if he
carries much of his salary away. Hayes
had a number of friends, such as Major
Mckinley of Ohio aud others, who had
standing invitation to be present at
his family dinner. He never set the
tables for less than fourteen, and they
were generally full. So you want to
know what Hayes ate?" continued Mr..
Crump. "Well, his hours were break
fast at 8 or half-past 8, lunch at l, and
dinner at 6. He was great lover of
oatmeal and grits, and we always had
these on the table as part of the
breakfast. Then, we would have fruit
in the season, good steak or mutton
chops, buckwheat or corn cakes"
WAS Hayes much of candy eater?'
/ asked.
"What?" replied the steward; "why,
sir, he had a sweeter tooth than any
child in America. All of the family
are very fond of candy, and we always
had it on the dinner-table. 1t was of
the assorted kinds, and it was eaten of
literally. Mr.. Hayes did not like pork.
He said he had had enough of it in the
army to do him lifetime. Mr. HAYES
was pleasant man to work for, and
Mrs. Hayes was one of the kindest
ladies the White House ever had. Il
kept list of all the callers upon Mrs.
Garfield, and some of those who called
upon Mrs. Hayes. At one of Mrs.
Garfeld's receptions Guiteau was
present"
"Is the position of steward desira-
ble one?"
mot very at this time. The work
is very hard. In addition to the cater
ing and seeing that the house is kept
in order, the steward has to watch the
relic-hunters. 1t is outrageous how
strangers will cut and destroy the fur
niture. We often found the carpets
cut after big reception, and it was
common thing to see hole cut out of
lace curtain. Sometimes the chairs
would be cut, and at one time piece
large enough to make a cane was
broken out of sofa back. In the east
room, just under the mantle, there are
number OF little carved, gilt knobs
which screw into the woodwork, and
at one reception seventeen of them
were stolen"
Water Waves from Earthquakes.
In some South American earth
pualyoc tho xraJ1 Of ,,-otor l.