The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-29
THE PRESIDENTS DAY.
What Cleveland Does Between O'clock In
the Morning and Midnight.

Philadelphia Record.
The President has so systematized his work
that it does not trouble him. He is cool, calm,
selfcontaned, and naturally industrious, with
happy faculty of concentrating his attention
on the particular task before him, and he dis
patches business easily as he receives visitors
He is always up at o'clock, and breakfasts at s.
After breakfast he goes at once to the library.
the large oval room, where he spends most of
his time. 1t is on the upper floor of the mansion
directly next to the Presidents private apart
ments The Cabinet chamber opens out of it on
the east and next to the Cainent chamber is the
office of the private secretary. Colonel Lamont
rises and breakfasts early the President, and
is waiting for him when he enters the library.
know no other slightly built, nervous man who
can do as much work as can Colonel Lamont
The President finds on the big oaken desk in the
bay window, behind which he takes his seat
such letters and papers as Colonel Lamont may
have prepared for him either at his special re-
quest or out of the mail of the day before
In the hour from to 10 the President and his
secretary aided by the stenographer, will dis
pose of the morning business. Then it is time
for the morning reception; receptions, rather,
for Colonel Lamont has as many visitors the
President They have been gathering in the
ante rooms on the north side of the mansion for
an hour, and still they come. They hand their
cards to the door-keepers (who love rare collec-
tions of queer and absurd cards. and, if they are
admitted. pass into the library or the private
secretarys ROOM the may be. If the
haired soldier who is the chief door keeper, or
ganiZes ar overflow meeting in the Cabinet
chamber. From 10 until IL o'clock there is a
constant movement into the two rooms.
The President stands up throughout He
moves about as much as possible, though, for
the sake of the exercise He moves from man
to man, from group to group. Every body gets a
chance to speak and a courteous reply. The
President is kindly, even to the undeserving. To
agreeable people who do not want any favors he
g q ha humor a
keen sense of wit, and he laughs easily and mu-
sically. His power of repartee Is but little
known, but it will be well known before he
leaves the White House, It has served him in
many trying and annoying conversations since
the 4th of March. If it is Cabinet day the re-
ception closes at II o'clock A few minutes be-
fore that hour the library and the Cabinet cham
Der are cleared, and the members of the Cabinet
begin TO arrive.
At high moor promptly the President takes his
seat at the head of the Cabinet table and opens
the days session. If it is not Cabinet day the
Presidents reception continues until / o'clock.
Then, if there are any delegations other large
bodies waiting to see him, he receives them,
going down stairs into the East Room for that
purpose. On the hottest day in this week he
shook hands with 300 men and women in the
delegation OF railway master mechanics. At
o'clock he goes to lunch, returning to his desk
in the library before o'clock. There he works
steadily save as he may be interrupted by
caller who has made engagement for some
hour in the afternoon, until after o'clock.
Sometimes when interrupted by too many of
these callers, he finds that it is after o'clock
before he can leave his desk, and then he must
forego his afternoon drive.
But usually, with his private secretary or
some other intimate friend, he IS driven over
the hills around the city, behind the high STEP
ping seal browns, until o'clock Then he dimes
quietly and simply with his family, and, per-
haps, friend or two Before $50 he is back in
the library again, and at work behind that big
desk with its load of papers. Presently mem
bers of the Cabinet and their assistants drop in
for formal conferences. The business of the
day and of the morrow is talked over. These
informal Cabinet conferences have had probably
much to do with shaping the governmental
policy as the formal Cabinet meetings. By IL
o'clock all his visitors have gone. The President
works on until midnight and then retires, and
by o'clock the White House is as still as Alex
ZIG