Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-01-19
WHITE HOUSE DTNTNG-ROOM
Historic silver Plate That Belongs % the
United states.


which the family residing IN that house
take their meals on all save State oc-
casions, and in which, when they de
sire to have a few friends dine with
them informally the meal is served, Is
one Of the handsomest rooms in the
building. 1t and the red parlor are
the only ones on the first floor which
suggest by their furniture and orua-
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 din
ing-room all have n stiff, ceremonious
air, as if made for show, and call to
mind the parlors Of finely furnished
hotels, which are not expected ID be
used as living rooms by any one. Bat
in modern hotels of the best class one
does not see woodwork about doors
and windows painted in colors, as was
done six years ago in the Blue Parlor,
and remaneth to this day bright
glaring 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 dning-room. The sideboard
of deliberately carved mahogany, made
for the room, and purch lsed by Mrs.
HAYES when mistress of the mansion,
is there, and likewise the side table
and buffet made by President Arthurs
orders out of the dining table (also Of
carved mahogany, which had beea
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 n largo round Ia
BILE, 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
| trnsic value and the associations that
| cluster about them. 1t speaks well
| for the honesty Of White House en-
poyes 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 ta-
bles, etc, in this room. Some of the
silver was used during Monroe's adj
ministration. Some of the china IN
use since, rs it was during Lincoln's
term, is there; it is white, with 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
| Mrs. Hayes while in the White House,
| 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, arc two soup tureens with COW
ers. The tureens are affixed to large
oyal-shaped, ilat-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 Il teakettle
of FURNISHED brass over lamp for al
eohol
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
tennal Exposition of 1876
Mr. Van Buren's gold spoons and
forks, which were a lively campaign
issue while he was President, are also
on the buffet. They are very plain,
indeed, and, ike 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 a heavy bond
on taking his place, and all the fur
nituue, ornaments, and other United
States property in the building is I'M
der his charge, and he is directly re-
sponsble for their care and preserya-
| ton. No President takes to the EX-
ccutive Mansion his own or his wife's
silver. glass. china, or household linen,
MS an these things are provided by the
Government, and private property
must not be mixed with them.
Tho wedding presents made to the
President and Mrs. Cleveland are at
! Oak View. rs well as their other per-
sonal effects in the way of silver,
china, pictures, and the like, except
perhaps "a few articles which they keep
In their private rooms at the White
| House.
Died of Too Much Money.