The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1889-10-20
FRONT AND PLAN OF MRS. CLEvELAND's
NEW HOUSE

NEW HOUSE.
In company with a few personal friends,
almost the whole forenoon had been spent
by the young and handsome wife of the
ex-President in the pleasant work of ex
aiming the newly-ftted and decorated
house. Mrs. Cleveland had been all over
it, from cellar to garnet. Her husband
! Aad taken look at it in her company
earlier in the day; but feminine curiosity
was not to be denied, so, with her friends
she went over it all again in detail
Thsy h toGEed I adirlngly at 1.-the the
in antique mahogany, and praised the
decorators work on the stately ceilings
of the parlors, the shining, hardwood
floors covered with rugs, the beautifully
carved mantels and the great mirrors
that reflected their own faces as they en-
tered. They dwelt on the furnishings
which the hostess had purchased with
housewifely care and with excellent
judgment, too; the cabinets, tete-a-tetes,
ottomans and easy chairs, the solid look
Ing antique tables with heavy carved legs
that might have come from the hand of
bureaus and armories upstairs; the
sconces of silver and crystal and the EN-
pire chandeliers which reflected in hun
dred hues the rays of the October sun
that stole in between draperies in the
deep windows.
Mrs. Cleveland was happy, because for
the first time she was about to begin
housekeeping. Ever since her marriage
as she had confessed to her intimate
friends, it had been her ambition to keep
house. Her four years experience as
Mistress of the White House, where the
domestic establishment had been of a
semi-official character. strengthened her
desire to have her own home by-and-by
and, woman like, she had done good
deal of castle building since leaving
Washington last spring. For months
past she has been picking up. the choicest
antiques she could afford to buy, and her
agent, Mr.. Marquand, who has been most
industrious when everybody was out of
town, succeeded in getting together lot
of furniture that would delight the heart
Of connoiSSeur.
With Mrs. Cleveland the antique is
hobby. She knew, of course, that it was
an expensive one; for genuine antiques
are eagerly bought, almost as soon as they
are put on the market, by men commits
stoned by rich society people for that pur-
pose But she bought shrewdly and
we'll
The four-story brown stone dwelling
which Mr.. Cleveland last winter leased
for $4,000 year with the privilege of
purchase for 100000 has been in the
hands of the decorator for two months
past. Francis Lathrop, a brother of
George Francis Lathrop. the author, and
brother-in-law of Rose Hawthorne Lath-
rop, his talented wife. has had the work
In charge. Mr.. Lathrop is one of the
most sought-after decorators in the city,
and his artistic designs in frieze, dade,
and parqueterie adorn the halls and par
Tors OF many of Gothams most distin-
guished residents. A short, stoutly built
man, with full beard of grayish brown,
he bears q striking resemblance to his
brother
For two months or more Mr.. Lathrop
has been the presiding genius of the new
home of the ClevelandS. His workmen
moved out last week, after giving the
final touches to the decorations. Then
foW- few days the house was turned over
toHde furnishers, and innumerable boxes,
little and big. were deposited there.
Meanwhile Mr.. and Mrs. Cleveland were
paying a visit to their friends, the Whit
neys, at Lenox, where a reception was
given in their honor. Then they moved
back to town and took possession.
l was privileged with a glimpse of the
Interior of the new home which ls now to
call Mrs. Cleveland mistress. The main
hall and vestibule are decorated in soft
brown and reddish tints. In the
vestibule the chief attraction is fine
old Moorish chalarde, Il chandelier
veritable antique-with IA dozen or more
lets that cast u mellow light on the tiles
below. Entering, found that the hall
occE pies the centre of the house. II IL
spacious and noble looking, and is solidiy
finished in oak and mahogany. The
grand staircase is contained in the haa
and 1t goes all the way to the top Of the
house, It's great carved newell posts aud
broad flight making IL an object of at
anton.
Ia front IS the reception room, which
\ decorated from wainscot 10 cornice and
beautifully finished. the walls being in
bronze and gold. relieved with borders OF