The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-03-20
Early Hours at the White House.

The news that "Lhe Governor" IA he
will ever be called here, has ordered
breakfast at 8 o'clock at the White
House suggests to his friends and
those of Col. Lamont a good story
about Cleveland's first days in Albany.
He gave Col. Lamont list OF his ap.
pointments to be published in the
Argus, and the first name on the list
was that of Daniel s. Lamont The
astute Colonel was then newspaper
man, accustomed to turning night into
day.
"What time will you be at the Cap
itol tomorrow 7" he inquired of the
Governor.
"Oh, about half-past eight O'clock y
Mr.. Cleveland replied.
The Colonel's eyes were distended
Never, perhaps, had a Governor be-
gun his work at such an early hour
He told Mrs. Lamont what the new
order of things was to be, and man
| aged to reach his desk at the Capitol
at few minutes before 8 o'clock. He
had just taken his seat, after having
hung his coat and hat up, when the
Governor came in, half an hour earlier
than he had appointed. After that the
Colonel felt himself taking part in a
race to be earliest st work, and seldom
or never was he distanced by the Gov
ernor.
Unlike most men of his build, Presi-
dent Clevelond requires very little
sleep. The stories are very plenty here
of visitors to the Executive Mansion
who have stayed up until | o'clock or
2 o'clock in the morning with the Gov
ernor, and then at 6 o'clock in the
morning have been awakened from a
half-completed rest by sounds of heavy
footsteps and of whistling, to peep out
of their rooms and see the Governor
before his looking glass shaving him
self and whistling as cheerily as a
schoolboy. Once shaved and fully
dressed, the Governor would then let
himself quietly out of the front door
and stride away beyond the ci,y's out
skirts for his daily constitutional, in
the company of the rafting milk carts
and belated truck farmers on their way
to the city market In small circle
of intimates he was known as 'the
break day Governor
Four or five hours sleep and three
light and entirely plain meals day fill
out the programme requisite with him
for good health and buoyant spirits,
and in pursuing the course he has be-
gun in Washington he will be follow
ing his natural bent He will miss
the walk to and from the Capitol six
times day, to which he has been ac
customed, and he may miss it so great
'ly as to make a new departure in
Washington. In former times, before
Lincoln was President, the Chief Mag
istrate had the entire White House to
himself and his household, and his
work and that of his secretary were
performed in rooms set apart for the
purpose in the Capitol. President
Cleveland may return to that practice,
not only because it will afford him ex-
ercise, and, more important still, enable
him TO use the White House as rest
ing place and a retreat, but also be-
cause under the present arrangement
there is not sufficient room for an or
dinary household there. When Presi-
dent Arthur desired to entertain
friends, he was obliged to send them
to hotel at nigh and it is under
stood, and is probably true, that not
all the servants could be accommoda-
ted under the White House roof. In
Mr. Lncoln's time the great apartment
into which callers were ushered and
the smaller one now used by the pri-
vate secretary were taken from the
household either to free the President
from daily and frequent exposure to
hostile persons in the streets or for
some reason that is probably non-exist-
ent now.