Wichita eagle., 1889-08-13
-EsSSNiIR
Daily eagle
ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE.
1T is NOW IN THE HANDS OF
DECORATORS AND MECHANICS.

There Seems to Be No End to the Amount
of Money That May Be Spent on the Old
Domicile Which Has Already Swallowed
Up 100000 and More.
Especial Correspondence
WAsHrNGTos, G5ss::.e,s'lE><ee,--The White House
is again in the hands Of the decorators and
mechanics There seems TO be no end TO the
money this old house is capable Of swallowing
up In repairs and new furnishings Probably
the majority Of readers viii be surprised to
learn that the government has up to date
spent more than two millions Of dollars on
the executive mansiCrl but this is the fact.
When the house was first begun the people
called it palace, and such it may have APP
peared to them in that day Of simplicity.
The government has never been lavish in its
expenditures on the mansion, and during the
last twenty or thirty years there has not
been a time in which somebody has not crit
icised the house as a disgrace to the nation.
1t certainly has never been much of palace,
though it has swallowed up two millions of
dollars since it was built, little less than a
century ago. Now Marshal Wilson has pre-
pared plan for charging the structure,
which, heaven knows, is needed badly enough.
This is the first official recognition of the de-
mand tn e is and long has been for new
executive mansion, and there is some prospect
that the matter will now be taken up by con-
gress and pushed through. A great deal of
sentiment and many historic memories cling
about the old house, and of course there
would be a general protest against the de-
molition of the structure Happily that is
not necessary. 1t can be enlarged without
greatly nlarring its beauty, and with moro
commodious quarters for the family Of the
president and a stronger line Of deInarkation
between the private and public parts of the
house, the old structure might be made to 90
very well for another century or two.
One great trouble with the house as it now
stands is the mixing of the public and pri-
waite uses. The visitor who is granted the
favor of look through the house under the
escort of old Pendell realizes this at every
step After leaving the lobby and the big
East room you are all the time in the resi-
dence OF the president and his family. None
of the members Of the family are to be seen,
but you can't get the impression out of your
mind that you are intruding upon the pri-
vacy Of an American gentleman's household,
ana you would not be surprised at any mo-
ment TO come suddenly upon the president
asleep OF lounge with his coat and shoes off
and newspaper slipped over his face TO keep
the flies away, or upon Mrs. Harrison trying
III true grandmotherly fashion to lull little
Benjamin into an afternoon nap.
This unpleasant impression is heightened
by the actions of old Pendell. AS he leads
you about he seems to go on tiptoe lest he dis
turbs somebody, and when he speaks it is in
q subdued, almost tinid tone. When he
opens the door leading from the state dining
10 IN, tho Family and Of tba
house he fairly gives one chill. Cautiously
opening the door an inch or two he peers
through the narrow opening like boy who
is after contreband jam in a forbidden pan
try. Not till he has satisfied himself no
member of the family is present does he ven
ture to open the door for your passage. Il
wish were out of this" the visitor involun-
tarily exclaims to himself; IT don't like this
idea Of spying n,y way from room to room in
q gentleman6 house, lodging members of his
family like kitchen maids lover. 1t Is
shame that we should be compelled to do this
in the house Of the president of the United
States"
Without doubt old Pendeu thinks in the
same way. But he has been spying around
so long that he doesn't mind it any more.
Pendeu has been in the White House about
quarter of q century, and ii is worth good
deal to hear him describe the furniture of the
mansion and to hear him say, in a sort of
guide book voice, "On this spot Mr. and Mrs.
Cleveland were married." or, in the East
room, Right here, facing like this, Nellie
Grant was married to Mr. Sartoris." ION
this very spot" continues the guide, 'Mr.
Lincoln stood and gave me some parting di-
rections about the luncheon he was to have
after coming back from the theatre the night
he went to the play house and was shot.
Poor man, that luncheon was never ate.
Right here Gen Garfield stood on the morn
ing he was going away with Secretary Blaine
and shook my hand as he said good-by. An
hour later they brought him back from the
railway station fatally wounded" PendelIs
sense OF locality must be strong, for there is
not spot in the White HOUSE that does not
have some such association in his mind And
his memory concerning articles Of furniture,
lamps shades, pictures and articles of bric-a-
brac is prodigious He remembers by what
president or presidents wife everything in
the house was purchased. Mrs Cleveland
selected this vase and that lamp, and Mr..
Arthur this picture and that carpet. As the
faithful and intelligent servant rams over the
long catalogue which he knows SO well it
seems TO the listener that President Arthur
must have done a great deal for the White
House.
There is not much in the house that is
pretty and artistic that WIS not bought by
Mr.. Arthur, and everything that Arthur
bought is pretty and in the best of taste. He
was the first modern president who had the
knack of making old things look new, who
knew how to brighten up the dsrk corners,
and who was familiar with the values of color
tones in paper and decorations. When Arthur
came in the old colors OF dead green, blue
and red, a little faded, bat still strong enough
TO give otTenSe to an artistic sense, gave way
10 the rich Pompeiian shades which now
adorn the Red room, 10 the robins egg blue
aud silver which are a delight TO the eye in
the Blue room, and to the Nile green and gold
which make the Green room so artistic. As
an evidence of Arthur's knack of rearranging
things, the fate OF the old extension dining
table, of which presidents to the number Of
nearly a score had eaten, may be cited. 1t
was q miserable excuse for state dining
table. and Arthur had 1t taken out. but not
sssN a