Connecticut western news., 1886-12-22
WHITE HOUSE DINNERS
THE VARIOUS PRESIDENTS AS
 PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENTS.
Washington's Economy Jackson's
 Monster Cheese-Diplomac and

Gas:ronomy.
 The table of the President has much to do with the success of his administra- tion, writes Frank G. Carpenter, in Lip- ptnc0tt A dinner in 17:O consumhnted the bargain which resulted in bringing the Capital to Wa hington ten years later, and from that time to this the dinners of the White House have been a powerful factor in the confirmation of nonlihations and in the adoption Of lines of Prcsiden
 tial policy. In Jcifcrson's time Mr. Mer- ry, the minister from England, made the complaint that the Pre- >Ident had taken Mrs. Madison, rather than his wife, on his arm to the dime. table the bject of serious core pondcnce with his gov ernment; and in the days of Jackson the whole of the country was thrown into a turmoil of social disclssi Il because the President persisted in making Peggy Ea- ton, the d ugh ec of tavern keeper, who was now the wife of the Secretary of War, his most honorcd guest. Gen
 eral Washington entertained very freely before he became President, and the milk of one hundred cows was not enough to supply the butter used at his Mount Yer non home. He was more economical in the management of his Presidential ta- ble, and George Washington Parke Gus tis relates how severely he lectured his steward on the evils of extravaganza in looking over h's expense accounts, which he made him present to him weekly. Both John danis and Thom- as Jetfersun We're light caters and both rose at dawn or before. President lief ferson's breakfast was made up of tea and coffee, warm bread, and sonnet mes a little cold meat. At dinner he ate meat and large amount of vegcteb $. The private sable of John Adams was plain, his invariabl, luncheon being oat-cake and lemona !c. His state dinners are slid to have been sumptuous and numer- ous, an it was he who gave the first state dinner ever eaten in the White Hou @. President Mudison's adminis- tration was the re gn of the peerless Dolly Madison, who was more Of figure at state dinners than the President him self. Mrs. Madison sat at the head of the table, one of the Presidents secretaries at the fcot, and the President himself in the middle. At la k ol's farewell re- ccpton monster cheese, as big as n hogshead in cireum ferc.ce and nearly yard thick, was cut with blades made into knives and served out to the guests. Each guest received three pounds of cheese. The event was the talk of the nation, and when Van Buren became President his New York friends, emu lative of Jackson, sent him big chce.e
 It was cut up in the East Room. Pres l ident Harrison did his own marketing, 1 and he was out for this purpose when 1 he became wet and caught the cold | which term mated in his death, He fose ! early and went to market before break l fast, walking in the cold sp:ing air with out an overcoat. He WIS Ii ght eater, and was not a g.utton as has been charged. Pres:d nt Taylor's death was al~o conn etcd with his eating. He died l Of cholera mo:bi,s oa thc tth of Jul ', l 1850. On the 4th of July he attended the laying of the cornerstone of the 1 Washington Monument The day was warm, and when he returned to the ! White House in profuse precipitation he ate he. rtily of cherries, washing them down With iced milk. An hotir later he was seized with cramps, and five days later he died. All of the Presidents, with the exception of Hayes and Gar fled, have been accustomed to serving wine with their ftleals. President Arthur had many fife wines, and it has been es- ] timated that the cost of his wine at a 1 State dinner was equal to one-third the cost of whole dinner. At General , Grants great dinners there were S wine glasses p 'accd at each plate, and in the
 middle of the feast a frozen punch was served. The earlier Presidents had to pay all the expenses of the White House, and few of them left the White House as wei off as when they entered it. Presi- dent Tyler had to pay for the lighting of even the street. lamps outside the Wht te House grounds. and the fires and the lights were charged to him. Had he hot sold some Virgin q lands he would have bein unable to leave Washington. Andrew Jackson spent his whole sallry and $i, i,00O of a cotton cropto o maintain his !; hospitality. James Buchanan spent more than his salary in entertaining. Presi- dent Grant spent the whole of his salary in the White House. He entertained lav- ishly, and from twelve to thirty courses were served at his State dinners Pota- toes and cream was a favorite dish of President Garfield, and he. ate this when he could eat nothing else. His dinner,
 which was much the same as his break fast, he ate at o'clock. At P. M. he took tea, and this meal was also very light one. President Arthur ate but two meals day-a light breakfast between nine and ten in the morning and a very ! light dinner ill tho evening. His break fast was cup of coffee and cracker, with perhaps piece of salt fish. His dinners began between eight and nine in the evening and the guests often sat at them until midnight. President Arthur seldom ate without having some invited guests at his table. A very pretty feature of President Gle elaud's state dinners app oared in the form of souvenir Ia d
 Ut the side of each guests plate. This was a rich white satin ribbon about three inches wide and half yard long.
 On one end of this ribbon thee was a beautiful steel engraving of the White in water colors, were the name of the guest and the date of the dinner Pre- ;i- dent Clevcland's dinners usually last two hours, and they comprise great number cf courses. Tho President s daily dinner consists of five or six courses; first there is a soup, then fish,
 then roast, followed by game, dessert,
 fruit, and, after dinner, coffee. He does not sit long at table, and immediately on
 leaving it he goes up into the corridors of the second story of the White House and smokes cigar, after wh ch he goes
 beck to his work.
 Fur Seals Learning to Swim.
 When the young seal is about a month
 old its education begins. One may
 wonder wherein this consists, and this
 feeling will be intcnsii d when we learn
 that it consists in teaching the young
 how to swim. It scems paradoxical- l ono con h,vdtv believe it-.that tha fin oct