Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-04-08
NEwsPAPER LAWS

| Inc Home OF PreSl0ellIS.
A Tour Through the Rooms
of the White House. i7a -
Beauties Of the Executive Mansion
The Parlors Halle
ways s-President's Dining
Room.
Up the steps of the portieo aud
through the large entrance vestibule..
We see an inner corridor separated from
1t by a handsome screen or glass mosa-
ic. 1t is In itself spacious apartment,
eighteen feet wide and 100 long, reach
ing from the middle of the east room
at one end to the conservatory: at tie
other. South OF this corridor are tllree
parlors, named respectively the Green
room, Blue room and Red room, from
the prevailing color OF decorations and
furniture. West of the Red parlor. at
the extreme southwestern end of the
mansion, is the state diDning-room,
and on the north side of the. corridor,
directly opposite, we find the Presi-
dents private dining room, which occu-
pies-with buffers pantry and the ser.
yants' waiting room Immediately ad-
Ijoining-the northwest front of the,
building. Under this room, in y the
basement, is thekitchen., On the north
side of the corridor is also situated. the
private staircase leading to the cham
,bers. This portion of the corridor,
which is the length Of The state dining
/ room, can be separated at viii from the
more public and longer portion on. the
east, by double doors of inlain mahoga-
ny. " '4
This long hallway is an important
part of the White House, and is treated
accordingly. 1t is only lighted in the
day time by the doors opening into the
parlors and from the open arches oyer
the jeweled screen, so that no photog-
lrapher has been able to secure good
picture. The walls, painted warm
creamy gray, are finished with stem
| ciled frieze, two feet deep, light green,
gold and crimson, in conventional de-
signs. The ceiling, lighter tint OF
gray, is covered with figures in mixed
colors, interspersed with brown and
silver decorations in relief. A large
semi. circular niche In the wall immedi-
ately opposite the front entrance and
screen door, is gilded and Contains a
circular table of ebony and marble.
This crimson Axminis ter carpet.
well covered with small figures of a
, deeper shade, imparts richness of tone
which is very desirable in the half-light
of the day, and which responds, at
night, to the light of three immense
crystal chandeliers. The furniture
frames are ebony the fabric. cream-
colored brocade figured with shaded
crimson. On the walls hang the por-
traits of most of the Presidents, save
that of Washington, which is in the
East room, and those of Van Buren,,
J. Q. Adams and Arthur in the Red
parlor and Jefferson in the Library
room above. In the western angles
the busts of Washington and Hamh-
ton, on pedestals of ebony, gaze with
sIghtless eyes upon the ever-changlng
panorama.
The private corridor on the west is
fitted up still more like a reception
room. Each corner angle is cut off by
tail cabinet of ebony, containing fai-.
ence and plants in majolica holders .;
doorways are hung with portieres of
Turkoman, in brown, yellow and GRIM
son, with horizontal stripes, and there
are Eastlake chairs of ebony with seats
and backs of embossed leather. A hex
agon table with rosewood frame and
marble top, according to tradition, was
frequently used by Jackson, when he
lived in the White House, about the
only article, in this part of the build
ing, left from that comparatively late
period. The wall tints of the private
corridor are darker than those of the
larger one-a kind of greenish gray
with parti-colored Japanese frieZe,
thirty inches deep. The broad stair
case with one long landing, leading to
the second sstory, is finished with a
hand rail and baluSterS of mahogany,
and from the large carved newel-pOst a
female figure in bronze, nearly .ife-siZe,
holds, metaphorically torch, in reality
very prosaic gas fixture. The remain
ing figure consists of u Dnah0gany table,
before a mirror framed in the same
wood.
At the foot of the stairs door on the
left or north side. leads into the Presi-
dents private dining room. The walls
of this room are hung with heavy pa
per, initiating leather, a gilt ground
with vines Of shaded OiY6 and crimson,
and frieZe, thirty Inches deep, of dark
torra- Gotta stamped Yeiyet, with gilt
molding. The ceiling is greenish gray.
The white marble chimney piece and
mantel are draped with crimson plush,
and the same fabric covers the frame
of the larger plate glass mantel mirror
above. Administer carpet of dark
green is well covered with figures in
shaded olive and crimson. The mahog-
any chairs have dark green leather on
the seats, with backs OF wood. The
woodwork Of the room is painted q
light tint of the walls. The finest fea
lures OF the room are two large carved
mahogany sideboards. one on the west
a ~Al . a