Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-13

KENTUCKY HORSES AND HoosIER CARRIAGES
few rods south OF the southern entrance to
the great State War. and Navy building is a
grove of young trees, from above the verdant
tops of which peep out an odd-looking contin-
uation of mansard roof, capped apparently on
one end by strangely inartistic tower, which
is supposed to be in accord with the design Of
the remainder of the structure. The unin-
formed stranger wonders what manner of man
sion it is which is thus secluded. and upon
inquiry is told that it is the White House
stables. Then the stranger goes down TO see
the horses and carriages, but he never sees
them unless they should happen TO be outside
of the two-story brick building. Nothing but
pass from the Presidents private secretary
VIII secure admission TO the sacred precincts
where Albert Hawkins Is king. Here the sable
Jehu reigns supreme: careful of his charges,
mindful of their necessities. and immovable to
the last degree in his decision that neither
equine nor vehicle shall suffer from the desc
Grating hand and the blighting presence of the
tourist or the curious. II President Harrison
wants to get away from the office-seeker and
desires to live for awhile free from annoy
ance, he can do so in a few minutes at any
time. All he needs to do is TO retire TO the
stables and to order Secretary Halford 10 re-
frain from issuing passes. Albert Hawkins
will see to the rest
Two huge granite gate posts are at the en-
trance (Which is on 18th street, 10 the stable
yard. The building occupies three sides of the
square lot on which il stands leaving an omen
space IN front. The main building, facing the
entrance, is the stable proper; the two wings
are the carriage-houses. The courtyard is
concreted and around the whole place is a five
foot iron fence.
on THE INSIDE.
Entering through the central doorway of the
main building and turning to the right a STAR
reporter yesterday found himself in the cleanlv
apartment where the Presidents horses eat and
sleep and chew woodwork. 1t was rather pleas
ant home-for a Unconstitutional il was not as
much of a parlor some stables are. II was
cool and comfortable. and when the dog-davs
come IT will be safe to say that the man who re-
marks that there are no flies on those horses
Will narrowly escape telling the truth. In the
stalls nearest the door, on the east side. the
four horses stand in a row. The first two are
dark bays-Abdgllah and Billy-and they come
very near to being an ideal carriage team.
They have very pretty action and Albert is
quietly proud of them. They drive very well"
said he to the reporter; very well indeed"
How do they compare with the seal
broTnsE corkscrewed the reporter.
The cork refused to be moved. for Albert
only smiled little and said: Never you mind
about the seal browns Let's talk about the
present. These horses suit me very well;
they re first-class drivers"
The next stall was tenanted by John" who
was brought from Lexington. kv to do duty
wherever wanted. He Is good horse, although
his knees seem to be a trifie shaky and sprung
He goes equally well in single or double har-
ness. The Presidents mail buggy is Johns
companion, and 1t is said that ] John has record
as a roadster.
ANOTHER KENTCCKIAN.
The fourth horse is another of the Kentuck-
ians which President Harrison has captured
to make HOLSTERS holiday. This animal re-
Jolces IN pedigree that entities him 10 mem
bershlp In the quadrupedai -four hundred, >
Hls name Is Lexington and he came from
Lexington. "Old Lexington was his grand
sire and Young Lexington was his sire. lie
Is general utility horse and does well every
where. His principal OccGpationis in dragging
the brougham around. but he makes lust as
pretty showing in double harness, and
when anybody at the White House is look
ing for saddle horse they will find il difficult
to get more satisfactory animal than Licking
ton, of Lexington. Admirable in every way is
the horse whose privilege ii was early in life to
satisfy his coltlsh appetite with the blue grass
and other good feed which Old Kaintuck Law
ishes upon its horses.
THE OFFICE HORSES
Across the hallway and on the south side of
the main building is another stable. almost a
duplicate of the first. and here are kept the
once horses, three IN number, and light bay in
color-Dan. Frank and John. These are in al
most constant use, but they look well Their
feedas well as that for their higher grade neigh
bors across the hallway, comes down from the
upper floor through the medium of a couple of
patent chutes, which not only deliver the oats,
but clean them and retain the refuse.
N THE CARRIAGE HOUSE.
If the stables had a Kentucky air in them.
then the atmosphere of the principal carriage
house was scented with decidedly Hoosier-
like odor. Everything in there with the ex-
ceptlon of Hawkins and his feather custer. was
made by Studebaker The landau has its
station IN the l1th-street end Of the long
room and Is a really magnificent specimen of
the carrlage-builders' art 1t IS ALREADY becom-
ing known on Pennsylvania avenue. but its cX-
quisitely finished dark green exterior with few
silver mountings merely indicate the perfec-
ton OF the workmanship in its interior. The
beveled plate-glass in the windows is the finest
made, and the square silver-plateG lamps are
really ornamental.
FAvoRITE CARRIAGES
The brougham-Mrs. Harrisons favorite We
hlcle-is not one whit inferior to its two-horse
neighbor, the landau. There is nothing about
1t to indicate that 1t is a one-horse affair save
the shafts. Its lamps are circular.
The Presidents own conveyance is the mail
wagon, a rather heavily constructed buggy with
a movable hood of very capacious dimensions
made of more than ordinarily thick leather In
this vehicle the President takes his 4 o'clock
drives, generally accompanied by Mrs Harri-
son. The olive green of the wagon is relieved
considerably and pleasingly by the sparing use
OF gold paint in thin stripes along the spokes
and around the hubs and felloes
THE PRESIDENTIAL HARNESS
has snug little room all to itself, and Albert
sees that it is not meddled with nor handled
unnecessarily. On the walls of this lumber
lined, glass-doored apartment hang three sets
OF double and two sets of single harness. all
silver-mounted and all made by the Stude-
bakers. One of the remarkable features in the
makeup OF the harness is the entire absence of
initials, monograms or crests. There are no
miniature log cabins nor imitation coons on
either harness or carriages. Everything is
very good and satisfactorily expensive, but
there is no gingerbread; no aping after the
ridiculously fashionable.
Alongside of the harness-room is Albert's
sitting room, cosy little place in which to sit
on a cold winters day and toast your shins
while you talk with the veteran goodman; for
Albert can talk-the popular belief to the con-
trary Notwithstanding he is full Of lots of
interesting "reminiscences.
OFFICE VEHICLES.
Across the yard from the Presidents private
is the room where the Office |
vehicles are sheltered. The oldest of these |
was purchased by President Hayes and Is now |
but little used. 1t is somewhat of an antiauitv.
The vehicle in which Major Pruden makes |
most of his journeys to the Senate in was |
bought by President Arthur, and it is now, as |
it was then, the favorite CONVEYANCE 1t, like |