Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-11
WHITE HOUSE CHINA,
A Handsome New Set Ordered by Mrs. Hal
sOn-Ins I'll cient Closet Accomino dation,

Handsome New Set Ordered by Mrs. Harrf-
sou-Insufiicient Closet Accomm cd ations.
GUESTS AT THE STATE DINNERS NEXT
~ winter will have the pleasure of eating of.
| the new set Of china which is now being manu-
featured for the use of the White House. The
appropriation from which the repairs and dec
| orations now in progress will be paid has also
| an allowance for new china, glass and table
linen for state occasions The breakage Of
china and glass at the White House is very
moderate, considering the inadequate means Of
properly storing it which the pantry affords
This very important end of the Executive
Mansion is the small room at the northwest
corner, adjoining the private dining room. 1t
is not as large as that provided in many modern
mansion, for the safekeeping alone of the
china and glass. 1t is quite large enough to
accommodate the furnishings for the .Presi-
dents private table, but as it has to be used
not only for that, but also q store room, q
serving room, a servants dining room, as we'll
as receptacle for all the state dinner china it
can be easily seen that every inch of the
space is valuable. Until the present
steward took charge all the fine china not in
every day use was stored in one dark closet in
the private dining room. Lately row of
shelves was put up in the pantry. and it is
here that the famous Haviland china il kept
behind glass doors. All the rest of the china.
what remains of the old and that which is used
every meal on the Presidents table, is kept in
a small closet in a corner. which has worsted
curtain falling in front instead of door.
There will be considerable maneuvering in
such limited quarters to find space to arrange
the new china, but Mrs. Harrison has plenty
OF ingenuity to devise place for it, just as she
did when she designed the new linen closet
which Is built in the space between the two
floors near the elevator.
The new china will so down in future White
House stories as long as single piece remains
as the Harrison china, just the Haviland set
is known as the Hayes china and the purple
band set as the Grant china. The new set will
be entirely different from all these. Mrs. Har-
risOn gave a great deal Of thought to the
preparation of the design, which was executed
by Mr.. Paul Putzki. The coloring is blue and
gold. The plates will be bordered in a deep
marine blue, which will be fecked
from this background will be a garland formed
of ears OF corn, also to be in gilt. Mrs. Harri-
son selected corn as typical OF America, it being
alone indigenous to our soil. In the center OF
each plate Will be the shield and eagle, which
always appears on each piece of china especially
made for White House use. Ibis design will
be followed in each part of the service. What
would be regarded as full complement, that
is, enough china to use at every course, will not
be provided now, as IL Ii unnecessary with the
Olner culHd dVallaDie Ill me mouse. As IL WOulQ
be possible to dine fifty persons in the state
dining room, each course of china when bought
for large set aS Is nov contemplated consists
of six dozen pieces, and sometimes above that
number, 80 as to provide against possible ac-
cident i'll serving at a meal, to say nothing of
the breakage in washing the dishes after it.
In addition to the new china a full service of
cut glass ware will also come from across the
sea to go with 1t on state occasions. A variety
of new patterns were submitted to the Presi-
dent and Mrs. Harrison insp ection month or
two ago, and they selected many novel and
beautiful shapes. In the new collection there
will be water goblets. claret, champagne and
brandy glasses. The shield and eagle is Q 1t
deeply in each one.
The White House linen varies with the FASH
ions of the day, and Mrs. Harrison's good taste
may be depended upon for excellent selections.
The immense square napkins. almost young
table cloths, that have been used at the State
dinners for several years have Nv. II. en-
broldered In one corner in pink and white
thread. The napery which Mrs. Harrison uses
at her Cape May cottage. being her personal
property. bears her own initials, very PRETTY
worked. In fact all the incidentals to her table
there, the linen. the china and silver, are
marked Ill the same way. if marked at all, since
she only uses her own belongings in her sum-
mer home.
With her taste for the decoration Of china it
can be easily seen that Mrs. Harrison's admi-
ration for the Haviland china is marked and,
like every body else, she regrets to see that SO
many pieces of it have been broken or Clipped.
This set was bought in Mrs. Hayes time, and
cost nearly ten times much the original
price agreed upon. The hardest service it has
received has been given to the plate courses.
Every plate in it is work of art and worth
hanging up. The set has number of superfu-
Gus pieces for uses to which silver dishes are
now applied. The Grant china is what is now
used on the Presidents table every day. 1t is
bordered with band of royal purple with gilt
tracings and the shield and eagle are in the
center of all the plates and saucers. There
are remnants OF much of the extra pieces
of. this set left, such as fruit stands,
cake baskets. &C., which are very artistic OBJ
jects. The silver has superseded them, how
ever. and this row of beautiful dishes is now
left to ornament the top pantry shelves while
serving as a reminder OF Dy-gone glories The
coin china, which is more delicate in colCring
banded in pale straw color, fecked with gilt.
are many pretty dishes which make tasty little
additions to the lunch table or when meal is
sent upstairs to any member of the family who
may happen to be on the sick list. In fact, the
White House china stays on until an accident
puts it beyond repair. When repair is posi-
bic and the piece is valuable enough to warrant
the expenditure it is glued and rivettcd to-
gether again, but ever afterward its career
is one of ornament, not of practical use.
Some Of the soup plates of the Hayes china
have their edges rivetted. 1t does not spoil
them for actual use either.