Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-05-05

Just south OF the St1xe oep8{tWent, On
17th street, are the White House stables.
The building b . two story pres. brick.
forming three sides Of . square Il b set
|beaa . little way from the street. and the
stable yard and driveway are paved with
asphalt caear. 70 the side walk. The build
ing IS reached through IN iron gate from
the street. Aprivate telephone wire runs
from the oE6ee'of DE Presidents secRptary
10 the stxbles, 80 that . carriage can be
summoned in . very few minutes. There
is nothing remarkable shout these stables.
In fact there arc scores of private stables
in the West End far handsomer. more
convenient, and healthier. A deep cellar
extends beneath the stable portion. and
the moisture soaking through its walls is
apt to make it unhealthy for the horses.
The only interest attacked to the stables
arises from the simple fact that they are
the Presidents stables. Desiring to know
something about their contents, and know
ing the antipathy of the stable employees
TO reporters, The Star man sought the
kind services of Col. w. Fl. Crook. the
executive clerk. and was accompanied
BY him the other morning through the
stables. The central part of the building
in which the horses are stabbed has stood.
as it row is, for many years. but the wings
were extended couple of years ago to
make more carriage room. as President
Arthur needs more than former Presi-
dents. The north half of the stable proper
is devoted to the Presidents private horses.
There are three large box stalls on one
side, and six stalls on the other. The
Presidents riding horse is the occupant Of
one Of the box stalls. He is . sorrel geld
ing, seven years old, and about sixteen
hands high. There is nothing remarka-
BILE about this animal. He is simply q
good looking. easy riding horse. his prin-
cipal gaits being pace and canter. The
President frequently takes ride on sum-
mer evenings. He is fair rider, and is
fond of the exercise. He has four carriage
horses, two in the box stalls and two in
the stalls on the other side. They are all
bays, about sixteen hands high. They
are very stylish and are groomed to per-
fection, and either pair hitched to any one
of the handsome carriages. with Albert
on the box, make very striking turnout.
Occaionaly they are driven four-in-hand.
Two other stalls are occupied by Allan
Arthur's buggy team, one Hambletonian
gelding and the other Black Hawk mare.
They are driven great deal. either single
or double, by their owner when he is at
home, but while he is at college they re-
ceive only the necessary exercises. Allan
Arthur is very daring rider. He not
only knows how to ride we'll but has plen-
ty OF nerve. and it takes good horse to
get the better of him.
Miss NKLLIE's INDIAN Pony.
In enc OF the remaining stalls stands the
little Indian pony which the President
brought back from his trip to the Yellow.
stone country last year. He has not vet
made his debut. but is receiving course
of training at the hands OF Albert on the
White Lot drive. When BY patience and
careful training he becomes perfectly
docile he will be driven by the Presidents
daughter Nellie to dog cart. He is =
cute little thing. with reached name and
banged tail, His color is what is termed
in the West as painted" or ''calico." and
what the children call circus''-irregu-
larly marked with white and brown in
about equal proportions. He was pre-
sented to the President last summer by
Sharpnose, an Arrapahoe chief. The
Presidential partv held big pow-wow
with the Indians last summer near Fort
Washakie. on the Shoshone agency. and
presents were exchanged. Although the
agency is held by the Shoshone Indians
there is a band of Arrapahoes on it. and
Sharpnose is their chief. He gave the
poney to the President for his daughter
The pony was taken along with a COM
pany of soldiers as far as Cheyenne, and
from there shipped to Washington, where
he arrived early last fall.
The south side of the stable is devoted
to the Office horses. six in number. The
pair of clipped sorrels usually driven in
the Secretary's carriage are very good
travellers.
EXPENSES BORNE BY THE PRESIDENT.
"a great many people think" said
Col. Crook, THAT the expenses of keep
ing the Presidents horses are borne BY
the government. Such is not the case
The government keeps up the office
stable, of course, but all those horses
in the north side are the Presidents own
property, and their keeping is paid for
BY him. They are practically two distinct
stables. When Albert needs feed he buys
it from private firm, while the feed for
the Office horses comes from the quarter
masters department. This has ALWAYS
been so, and yet Mr.. Hayes was criticised
for taking his own pair of horses to Ohio
with him" "He wasn't no good for
horses no how" said an old colored man
who was splashing the water in the trough
that stands in the center of the yard. He
was in for savin' money while he ws heah.
and he done it, too"
General Grant had very fine horses
when he was President" continued Col
Crook. land it was very seldom that he
was passed on the road. He was a splen-
did driver. President Hayes had only
four horses-a pair of grays and pair Of
bays. President Garfield had verv nice
turnouts. He bad one pair of bays and
a gray and black. The latter were used
mostly for saddle horses. and the bows
used to ride them great deal"
The south wing of the stables is used
for the Presidents carriages, and in the
second story lived the watchman and his
family. The President has three car.
riages. a landau. a victoria and broug.
ham. They were all made bv Brewster,
and are very handsomely finished. Pres.
ident Arthur's coat otarms is on the doors
with the motto: "Impelle obstantia." Al
Ian Arthur's Brewster trotting buggy is
also in this carriage house. The opposite
wing contains the Office CARRIAGES coupe
I