Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-01-26
WHITE HOUSE DTNTNG-ROOM
Historic Silver Plate That Belongs % the
United States.

Historic Silver Plate That Belongs % the
United States.
The private dining-room, or that in
which the family residing IN that house
take their meals on all save State oc-
caSions, and in which. when thew de-
sire 10 have few friends dine with
them informally the meal is served, is
one of tie handsomest rooms in the
building. 1t and the red parlor are
the only ones on the first floor which
suggest by their furniture and orna-
ments the apartments for similar pur-
poses in the homes of people of wealth
and taste. The East Room. the Blue
and Green parlors, and the State dim
ing-room all have stiff, ceremonious
air, as if made for show, and call to
mind the parlorS of finely furnished
hotels, which are not expected to be
used as living rooms by any one. But
in modern hotels of the best class one
does not see woodwork about doors
and windows painted in cnlors, IS was
done six years ago in tne Blue Parlor,
and remaineth to this day bright
giaring blue, which. there being much
of it beneath and around the windows,
spoils the tints of everything else in
the parlor.
Some of the most really elegant fur
niture in the White House is in the
private dining-room. The sideboard
of deliberately carved mahogany, made
for the room, and purchased bv Mrs.
Hayes when mistress of the mansion,
is there, and likewise the side table
and buffet made by President Arthur's
orders out of the dining table (also of
carved mahogany, which had been
made by Mrs. Hayes's orders at the
same time as the sideboard,) and in
similar style.
President Arthur complained that
the carved legs of this table when he
sat at it for meals hurt his legs, so he
had it divided and fashioned into the
two pieces of furniture just named,
and replaced it with Il large round ia
bic, which is still in the room. and
stands in the center, and on it meals
are served. Two very old wooden
side tables, with highly polished sur
face. are against the walls in this room.
Side lights, wholly made of the finest
glass globes, brackets, pipes, and all
of fine rose shade, are affixed to the
walls. The wall paper and the carpet
are very handsome, and harmonic
with the furniture, as the curtains do
likewise.
The china, silver and glass on the
sideboard, buffet and table would de-
light the taste of connoisseurs for their
quality and form apart from their in
trinsic value and the associations that
cluster about them. 1t speaks well
for the honesty of White House en-
ployes that solid silver and gold
table ware has remained there so long
fifty years and upward, some OF it.
Chance visitors are never admitted to
this room, for all day, when a Presi-
dent is living in the White House, all
these valuables are exposed on the ia
bles, ETC., in this room. Some of the
silver was used during Monroes ad-
ministratiOn. Some of the china in
use since, as it was during Lincoln's
term, is there; it is white, with a SOL
ferino border, and is generally put on
the table when the family dine alone
| or have but one or two guests. Part
Of the elaborate china service made
and decorated to order, bought by
is arranged on the Bullets, and some
of the larger plates are fastened on the
walls.
OF the Monroe silver there is a whole
service all of solid silver. Among the
pieces, all of which have beautiful
shapes, are two soup tureens with COW
ers. The tureens are affixed to large
oval-shaped, fat-bottomed stands
spreading beneath them like walters.
These stands and tureens are all in
one piece. There are silver cake bas-
kets, gravy boats, urns for coffee, tea
and hot water, and water and syrup
pitchers. There are fine glass claret
jugs with silver tops. and teakettle
of FURNISHED brass over lamp for al
cohoI.
All the silver is very substantial
looking. The silver Hiawatha boat,
used as a central ornament for the Ia
BILE on State occasions, stands on the
buffet. This was bought at the Cen
tennial Exposition of 1876.
Mr.. Van Buren's gold spoons and
forks, which were lively campaign
issue while he was President, are also
on the buffet. They are very plain,
indeed, and, like all the silver, are
marked presidents House"
All these valuables are carefully
watched, for the steward of the White
House is responsible for them to the
Government. He gives heavy bond
on taking his place, and all the fur
niture, ornaments, and other United
States property in the building is I'M
der his charge, and he is directly re-
sponsible for their care and preserva-
ton. No President takes to the Ex-
ecutive Mansion his own or his wifes
silver, glass, china, or household linen,
as all these things are provided by the
Government, and private property
must not be mixed with them.
The wedding presents made to the
President and Mrs. Cleveland are at
Oak View, as we'll as their other per-
sonal effects N the way of silver,
china, pictures, and the like, except
perhaps few articles which they keep
in their private rooms at the White
House.
The Kind of Money q Nation VIII Use