The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-21
SECRETARY wH1rNEY's HOME.
The Elegant Residences in Which He
Works and Lives.
From the Philadelphia Press.


hostler currying big Morgan steed at the
entrance of the barn, and as l pulled the
r,ain door knob it opened, and Priscilla
stood before me. Mrs. whitney" says
sSa SIS not here to-day, but come in, lunch
and rest yourself as long as you plea e."
Grasslands is furnished entirely with an
+io,Ie furniture, and Mrs. Whitney tells me
thar This was chosen because it was more
IN Ireenino with the old farmhouse. 1t is
oIe-ant furniture, too, and the wide fire
,Isce of the dlning-room burns great logs
If wood on brass andirons, and its old ma
hogany table looks as though it might have
come over in the Mayfower George
Rarnes. the latest man in Congress, would
lose himself in these big mahogany dining
chairs, and the lovers of the antique
might 90 crazy over some of the old-fash-
ioned silver and curious bits of copper which
Mrs. Whitney has here.
The parlor of Grasslands is smuch more
homelike than the ballroom of the Secre-
tsry's big city home at Washington, and it
Looks as though one might live very COM
frtably in it. The furniture is a combina-
ton of the antique and wicker, and Sscre-
tarv Whitney's favorite chair Is an old
fashioned, high-backed, wide-armed, sleepy
hollow kind Of stuffed arrange ment COW
cred with a highly-howered chintz, and
away after hard day of office work or sew
sral hours of manly sports.
The mantel is white one, and over this
rests one of those old-fashioned gold-framed
mirrors, with three plates of glass in them,
which you will often find in antiquity
stores. The fireplace is framed in brass.
A Corinthian brass pillar stands at each
side, and over these is stretched a brass roof,
so that the whole might be taken for a min
. It,
There are brass American eagles on the top
of each pillar and big brass fender,
with curious legs, runs around the
whole fireplace. In front of this stands a
h ,me-made rug, and, indeed, many of the
Jaings about this house are the work of
Mrs. Whitney and her friends. The bed
rooms are furnished in the same antique
way Some of the beds are of French
brass. There are one or two high posters
which require stepladders to get into them,
and not few of the prettiest girls of Wash
ington have slept beneath the old-fashioned
patchwork quilts which cover these wide
and generous couches.
THEIR WASHINGTON MANSION.
Much has been written of Secretary
Whitney's city home, but the house to-day
is different than it was year or so ago and
changes are made in it every year. 1t is
one of the most generous homes in Wash
ington, and 1t is more admired, perhaps,
than any other home at the capital Mrs.
Whitney's receptions are the largest of
those given by anyone in Washington, and
during the season, she entertains thousands
At her receptions on Wednesdays there are
hundreds of callers and she always has a
house full of guests. She is fond of enter
tanning, she tells me, and she does it both
as duty and as pleasure.
Ten h 49,,
enough for hotel, and its kitchen is as big
as that of the White House. Secretary
Whitney's luck extends to the selection of
his servants, and the machinery of this
house runs like clockwork If you once call
at Secretary Whitney's the liveried butler
will recognize you the second time YOU
enter the large vestibule, and, if you are in
vited to one of the receptions, you will be
surprised to see how smoothly everything
runs and how every one seems to do the
proper thing at the proper time without
thinking.
Mrs Nhitney's grand ball room, or rather
living room, for she does not like to have it
called a ball room, has become historic. 1t
Will always be spoken of in the social his
tory of President Cleveland's reign. In it
has commenced many a courtship, and 1t
was in it that Mrs. James Brown Potter
got her longing for the stage. Here she
fead "'Ostler Joe" to the disgust of the
prudes of Washington society and thereby
gained such notoriety as led her to attempt
the stage. Mrs. Whitney does not think
that Mrs Potter had any idea that the poem
would be Objectionable and she told me
that Mrs Potter was greatly surprised at
It's reception. 1.-THE writer of the poem"
said she, was an intimate friend of the
young lady to whom Samuel J. Tilden left
SlOO,OOO, and this young LADY gave the
manuscript to Mrs. Potter. Mrs. Potter.
being accustomed to all kinds of things
written for the stage, thoaght nothing of
u save that 1t was a touching poem full of
dramatic situations and adapted to the
moving Of an audience, and, III reality, the
poem was not worse than many things
which are read both off and on the stage"
The ballroom, in which this poem was
delivered is the finest room in Washington.
IL is so large that two-horse wagon load
OF hay could be turned around in it without
touching the walls. Its ceiling is oval in
shape, and 1t is about as high as two-stoTy
house, Its walls are papered with brocaded
SATIN OF fine enough quality to make a
dress which would do for the Chinese
Minister, and it has scattered around its
walls little sofas without backs, or bench
IKE seats, upholstered in red, such as you
see IN the palaces of Versailles and Fon-
tainoleau. There is an immense fireplace
at the back Of the room, where wood fire
continually blazes. The fireplace is big
enough to roast an OK whole, and 1t has the
cozlest OF seats at each side. The mantel
soeVe 1t Is gorgeous affair of huted gold
and yellow. 1t embraces mirror and rises
70 the roof Of the rooom. The flue in this
fireplace Is 20 wide that a man could stand
upright within it without soiling his clothes,
aud the blazing logs lie upon antique
French andiro :.
Inc furnishing comprises many rare
pieces, and the one high-hacked chair with
VIDE seat of brocaded Venetian velvet and
carved framework Of gold and white, which
mrs whitney pointed out to me the other
uay as the Presidents chair. Mrs. Whit
nIey mad 1t for long time at her home in
Ne" York, and President Cleveland took
fancy to it when he visited the Whitneys
mere She says the President always sits
III II When he comes to visit her, and it is
~" known as the Presidents chair.
MRS. whitney has two of the daint-
H9U sedan chairs in existence. One
OF these is of full size, and has
9yl1ently formed the carriage of some
piue-booded duchess of the past. 1t is
ABOUT feet high, has beautifully painted
panels, and its general color is of green and
soi9. Mrs Whitney picked it upin Europe,
allu she mas formed it into a cabinet. Look
iug through the glass doors you see bronze
oiic-a-orac and ivory gems upon the gold
@tin cushions. and at the ack where the
osle Of past ages leaned shelves have been
rare cullos. The other sedan chair is
fNa n L Il