The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-03-24
THE PRESIDENTS HOME.
The Magnificent Rooms and Apartme nta
of the White House.

On entering the White House, the first
thing one notices is the beautiful colored
glass screen separating the main hall and
the grand corridor. Formerly this was
common white glass, but President Arthur
employed Tiffany to put in this opalescent
material, and it is now one of the most
beautiful features of the mansion. Turning
to the left, the corridor is reached leading
to the East Room and containing the private
staircase conducting to the Presidents off,
cisl apartments upstairs the road that all
office-seekers take to see the President.
The East Room comes next. 1t has already
been described grand apartment in the
very best possible taste. A door on the
same side us the entrance door leads back
to the grand corridor, in which hang the
portraits of the Presidents This corridor.
carpeted with red, lined with mirrors, light
ed with eight crystal chandeliers, as the
whole house is, with ferns and palms grace
fully disposed about, is closed mt the end
by folding doors. But when these doors
are thrown back, vista is opened upon
case descends, and ending in the conserya-
tory beyond. At state dinners and recep
ions, when this corridor is lighted up.
thrown open from end to end, with the East
Room at one extremity and the conserya-
tory at the other, the coup d'eil is superb.
The first of the three smaller rooms is the
Green Room. This and the Blue Room
are hard to distinguish by persons unac
customed to them, rs the coiors or tbs walls
and furniture are both on the blue-green
tone. In it Miss Cleveland has had the
grand piano placed. Both she and Presi-
dent Cleveland are fond of music, and in
the evening she often has some one in who
is q musician, and instead of going all the
way upstairs to the library, MS was formerly
the custom, she has them in the Green
Parlor. In this room, as mentioned before,
are the three portraits of the White House
Indies. Mrs. Tyler's is a very beautiful
picture, taken in her wedding dress. Mrs
Folks is also handsome. Both of these
are three-quarter lengths. but Mrs. Hayes
is full-length, with large background,
and has the general appearance of crowd
ing the chairs. The grand piano holds its
own very defiantly and refuses to be thrown
into obscurity. BY strange coincidence,
oil three of these ladies are living. In each
of these rooms large lamp with crimson
silk shade, in the form of an umbrella,
stands on low table-giving q touch of
domestic comfort to the whole, as if one
might sometimes sit in these rooms with
work or books. The Blue Room is beau
tiful oval room furnished in an exquisite
shade of greenish blue aud silver. On the
walls are medallions in hammered silver;
the andirons in the open fireplace are OF
silver, and the fireplace itself is finished off
in silver. All this was President Arthur's
taste. The furniture is pale blue and gold,
after the order Of the first French empire
rich and quaint The Red Room, next
this, is the family sitting room Of the Presi-
dent and his sister. Here Miss Cleveland
receives her guests on Mondays, Tuesdays
and Wednesdays from 8 to A. The room is
furnished in warm, deep reds. There are
three portraits in it, one being full length
of ex-President Arthur. Full Justice is
done Mr.. Arthurs grace and good looks,
but it is hardly satisfactory picture on
the whole. This room is always perfumed
with flowers. Miss Cleveland loves flowers
dearly and is a good friend to the conserv-
atory. fiat basket of flowers is always
placed on the table in this room. Init also
Is the tapestry screen presented during the
Grant regime by the Emperor of Austria.
President Arthur added to this room very
handsome Japanese screen and two tall
vases for the hearth, Of royal Worcester
ware. Before the mirror between the win
dows stands charming old fashioned
clock, of gilt and onyx. Onyx pillars are
on each side of the clock face. This was
the private property of Abraham Lincoln.
Beyond this room and on line with it is the
state dining-room. II is only used on
special occasions, and is the least interest
ing and individual of all the rooms. 1t is
handsome, but conventional. Across the
corridor from this is the private dining
room, in which no hightseers are allowed tc
enter. 1t is furnished in mahogany and
dark red, and has an open fireplace in it,
as all the other rooms in the house have
At large receptions it has occasionally been
thrown open.