The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-10-25
WHERE MRS, HARRISON DIED.

WHERE MRS. HARRISON DIED.
The Room Where the, Martyrnd
president Garfield Suffered.
WARRINGTON, Oct. 25.-The room in
which Mrs. Harrison passed her last
hours is the chamber next to the small
boudoir at the southwest corner of the
mansion. The little room at the corner
has been used for years by former mis-
tresses of the mansion rs their own
private sitting room. 1t has one window
facing the south. The next two win
dOws on line with it are in the chamber
in which Mrs Harrison died This bed
room was occupied by Mrs. Lincoln,
later by Nellie Grant and is known in
White House domestic annals by her
name, afterwards by Mrs. Hayes and
Mrs. Garfield. The presidents room
Adjoins it on the east next to the library
In the same chamber where Mrs. Har-
riSon spent SO many weeks of suffering,
the wounded Garfield was carried and
remained during months of pain and
sickness until lie was carried from it to
the seashore. The room will always be
associated with his life at the White
House. One of the many schemes tried
70 make his closing days more comforta-
ble during that hot summer was to force
cool air through the furnace register Ii
was successful, and the register put in
for the purpose is the lasting souvenir
which remains in the room. A year ago
Inst July, when the room was redeco-
rated, the register was wreathed in a vine
OF roses like that forming the frcize.
When President Arthur came to the
house this particular room seemed so
shadowed by the painful associations of
Gartield's illness that he selected as his
bed chamber a room directly opposite on
the north side of the house. President
Cleveland in turn used the same room
also, and when Mrs Cleveland came she
made no change.
Mrs Harrison, however, preferred the
southwest chamber because of its sunny
outlook and devoted as she was to all the
old time traditions OF the house, that
fact alone would have strengthened her
in her selection.
FoNmany reasons, and principally be-
cause the two preceding presidents had
not cared for the room, 1t had not come
within the era of Improvements which
In the last decade have so completely
changed other parts of the house several
times over. 1t was decidedly the best in
nOdoo "hCh MIS-. IldlElAOu LOOK posses.
sion. After she had her wish gratified
IN the restoration of the blue paflor and
the partial refurnishing of the other
rooms on the first floor, a change which,
as she well knew, would give great
pleasure to every one who came to the
mansion, she turned her attention to
Frightening up the private apartments
up stairs. All this work was, however,
pianiaed on much simpler scale. Shn
took all the more pains with her selec.
tions, however, SO as to make the work
as attractive but as enduring as possible.
For her own room she selected the de.
Fgn and the wall paper was made from
1t, In July of 1891 the room was fin
hhed, and when she returned in tho
sutamn she was greatly pleased with
the results.
The room is blue room, very dainty
and light in all It's treatment. The wall
paper is of blue and silver, the pspered
ceiling is fecked with tho same tints aud
lines OF biue anG p!nA J1rder. The
frieze is linked rose Carlands. All
the wood work In the room Is fin.
nhed in blue, and all the accessories con.
form to the same silyery and blue tones
Over the old fashioned white marble
mantelpiece several pieces of Mrs. Har-
rson's own work are hung. They are
palntings on canvas and porcelain, some
OF the White House flowers being thus
perpetuated by the gentle mistress of
house The furniture In the room is not
unlike that In the other chambers-selid
mahogany, rather pondsrous and old
fashioned. Mrs, Harrison in the early
period OF her occupancy had the stately
canopy bed removed and substituted for
1t two low brass bedsteads. She had also
few wicker rockers and easy chairs
substituted for the older pieces OF furnt.
ture. A carpet in which dull silver and
bIuA cDlOrs Dre10mip IA coyara ~. -.