Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-16
MINISTER'S AT HOME.
The Residences Occupied by Members
of the Present Cabinet.
Ii HISTORICAL INCIDENTS
In Connection With Some of the More
Ancient Mansions.
ONE FEATURE OF MR.. WINDOWS CAREER
CORRESPONDENTS OF THE p1spArcH.j

IcoRREsPoNDENCE OF THE DIsPATCH.1
WASHINGTON, September 15.-Now that
Secretary Window and Secretary Noble
have selected their residences for the coming
winter all of the members of President Har-
rison's official family are well housed. Be
fore Congress meets the Blaine family will
be established in the old Seward mansion,
Secretary Noble will have moved from the
Tiffany house, which he now occupies, to
the house which is now being fitted for his
occupancy on X street, and Secretary Win
dom will be installed in the Lemon house,
on Massachusetts, avenue.
None of the families Of the members of
the Cabinet have been in Washington dur
ing the summer months. Mrs. Noble, who
has Just made flying trip to Europe and
back, is the first one to return to the Capt.
tai. She is not likely to be followed soon
by the wives of other Cabinet members, for
Washington is still disagreeably warm and
uncom fortably empty. The Blaines will
likely not return for a month or more. They
are to be present September 26 at the mar
riage of Emmons Blaine and Miss McCor-
mick at Richfeld Springs.
When they do return they will probably
go to the Normandie to reoccupy their old
quarters there while they superintend the
equipment of their house. Walker Blaine,
the only member of the family who has
spent any time in Washington this summer,
has been living at the Dumblane Club, In
!, ~ 0f tota
Wharton has also lived there.
THE BLAINE RESIDENCE.
The house the Blaines will occupy is the
most interesting historically, although the
least picturesque of the houses to be occu-
pied by the members of the Cabinet. 1t is
the old Seward mansion, situated on the east
side of Lafayette Square, formerly one of
the most fashionable residence sections of
the city. On the south side of the square is
the Executive Mansion. Senator Dolph, of
Oregon, occupies house on the west side,
and Senator Cameron lives in the big
square, old-fashioned brick directly north
OF the Seward house.
The Cameron house is three stories in
height, and the most conspicuous feature of
it in front is a yeranda, whose sIoping tin
roof is painted in bright red and yellow
stripes. Mr.. Cameron paid S67, 900 for the
house. 1 do not know the value placed on
the Seward mansion. 1t seems a much less
desirable building. It is a plain, square
brick building three stories in height, with
a garret roof. There is passage between
it and the Cameron house, and on the other
side of it is a strip of lawn, east of which is
the building occupied by the Department of
Justice.
The Seward mansion was in 1859 the
home OF one of the leading clubs of Wash
ington, and it was the scene OF the famous
killing. Mrs, Sickles, the
wife of General Daniel E. Sickles, was sus-
pected by her husband of guilty intimacy
with Philip Barton Key, who was then
trict of Columbia. Lying in wait, he saw
his wife from the window of their home,
signal across the square to Key, who stood
in one of the windows of the clubhouse.
A HISTORIC EVENT.
As Key stepped from the door of the club
house, Sickles shot him dead. He was ac-
quilted OF the murder by a jury on
the ground that he had had provocation suf-
fcient for the shooting. The house was
occupied by William II. Seward,
Secretary of State under Lincoln. 1t was
in this house that Secretary Stewards favor
ite daughter died, and it was there also that
On April IA, 1865, Paine, one of the con-
spirators associated with J. Wilkes Booth,
inflicted severe wounds with knife in the |
Secretary's face and neck, and struck down |
his son Frederick who came to his rescue.
Shortly after the Seward family left the |
Did house, it was leased by the Government |
and the rooms were used for Offices for sew
eral years. For long time now the house |
has been vacant Architecturally the house |
is peculiar for the size and number of its |
windows. The plain doorway in front
opens into wide hall that divides the |
house. Two slender columns on either side
support an arch which divides the front
rom the back part of the hall. The recep-
ion room is on the right hand side, and
directly across from it is large library.
A lavatory divides the reception room
rom an old-fashioned sitting room in the
ear. Between the library and the large
lining room in the rear of the house is
,utler's pantry. On the second floor the
wo large chambers in front have been
brown into one. There are two sleeping
ooms in the rear on this floor and tour on
he floor above. There are the usual &C.
essories in pantries, kitchen, laundry, sery-
nts' room, etc.
wANAMAKER's HOME.
NeAt W IHc VI l0db |
which is occupied by the Postmaster Gen.
raj is the most interesting reminiscentialIy
f all the homes of the Cabinet officers. 1t
Tas the house made famous by the hospi-
alitY of the Whitneys. 1t is large double
ouse, four stories in height, situated on
street, near Eighteenth street. When
senator Evarts was Secretary of State he
coupled this house and made it famous in
he social world. Then it was occupied by
secretary Frelinghuysen, and after him by
Whitney.
1t is one of the most perfect houses for en-
in Washington. The parlors are
arge and are handsomely furnished. Secre-
ary Whitney, however, did not find them
arge enough to accommodate his social
deas, and he spent many thousand dollars
n ball room, built as an addition to the
ouse.
ospitality upon the social world of Washing
on. They gave as many as two entertain
rents a week all through the social season.
ecretary Whitney could not have had
uccessor in the proprietorshIp of this stately
lansion who could better afford to keep up
IS reputation for hospitality.
MOBILES SELECTION.
The house which Secretary Noble has fin
lily selected for his home during the COM
lg winter is situated on K street, facing
rankin Square. 1t is near the house
hich Senator Sherman occupies Ben
Holiday, the man who established the pony
Zpress and then made himself still more
Imous by building million dollar house
! Westchester County, New York, occu-
led it for many years. 1t is not an impos-
lg house exteriorly, but the interior was
ranged for perfect comfort.