The Portland daily press., 1892-03-09
CROWDED FOR ROOM.
Facts about the White House which
will be News to Many.
The Building Inadequate to the Demands
Made Upon 1.-THE President in Need
of Many Necessary Apartments
white House Receptions.
Especial Washington letter.


at the white house on New Years day
the crowded condition of the executive
mansion has been subject of constant
comment. The homo of the president,
when first occupied by John Adams in
1900, was great deal larger than it was
then believed the president would ever
need. In fact it was a common criti-
cism of the white house that it was too
palatial for the president of a simple
republic. The building has grown no
smaller, but the republic which then
consisted of three and a half million
people has grown until it numbers six
ty-fve millions of people. The national
capital, from struggling village of
two thousand people, has grown into a
metropolis of nearly two hundred and
fifty thousand inhabitants. The con-
gress has increased from hundred SEN
ators and representatives to nearly four
hundred and fifty. The wealth of the
national capital has increased in pro-
portionate degree and the leaders of So
ciety are not limited to the. mum Der Of
four hundred. Not less than thou
sand families, consisting OF full five
thousand men and women, young la
dies and gentlemen, are constantly en-
gagged in attention to social affairs and
duties. In addition to these people the
white house is open to the entire public
upon all presidential reception days,
and it is manifestly too small to accom-
modate the guests of the chief execu-
tive upon such occasions.
More than a year ago the wife OF
President Harrison expressed her SEN
timents in a learned, literary manner
concerning plans for the enlargement
of the executive mansion. At that time
the attention of the entire public was
called to the condition of the white
house and the proposed extensions, but
during the long congressional vacation
the subject was either forgotten or
neglected. Some of our statesmen have
suggested and advocated the erection
OF new home for the president out on
Kalorama Heights, near the Boundary
and Sixteenth street; but this PROPOSE
ton has no likelihood of attaining pop.
ularity. The white house has been and
always will be, probably, the home Of
UuC Ia CS1OCAU. c1Ad CAO 4SCs1 VI CLllILI
it by the addition of wings upon the
south lawn is more feasible and will
always be more popular.
The white house is located in the
center of the city and is surrounded by
tree-bordered lawns which cover many
acres. These grounds are surrounded
by high iron fence and upon the
north side are large iron gates opening
upon the carriage driveways to the east
nd west front of the mansion. The
tate departments bright and beautiful
marble structure extends along the
western border of the grounds, while
the dark and dreary Grecian temple,
called the treasury, extends along the
eastern frontage. These buildings of
course are separated from the white
house grounds by the regular, or irregu-
lar, thoroughfares known as Fifteen
and-a-half and Sixteen and a half
streets. The war and navy departments
and the department. of justice are
within minutes walk of the presidents
mansion, while the other departments
are within easywalking distance. The
white house, therefore, is better located
for the business offices of tie president
than any other selection which could
be made in the city. The proposed ad-
ditions to the white house are intended
mainly for the purpose Of giving to the
president and his family more room for
their home life and the entertainment
OF their personal and official friends.
The only room in the building which
is large enough and is likely always to
be large enough for official and public
receptions is the east room, which ex-
tends the entire length of the east front
of the building. The other rooms upon
the ground floor are the private dining
room, the green, blue and red rooms,
and the state dining-rQ2m. These
apartments, until within the last ten
years, have always been considered of
suffis emit dimensions to accommodate
the ,ubiic; but as the years go by it be-
comes more and more manifest that
other arrangements must be made in
order that the president and his official
family may have sufficient room. The
rooms upon the second floor, which are
used for offices, are large and apparent
" comfortable even until this day; but
the executive clerks and other en-
ployes there are better aware of the
TACT than the public can be that their
quarters are entirely, too crowded for
facility in the transaction of business.
The living rooms of the president and
his family at the west end of the second
floor consist of only four good-sized
bedrooms. The city readers will I'M
derstand by this that the president is
required to live in fiat or apartment
house which would scarcely be consid
cred comfortable for a prosperous mer-
chant.
Gentlemen having business to transact
with the president or his official assist
ants, after passing through the big
front door and entering the large vesti-
bule, are required to turn to the left
and climb two flights of stairs about
five or six feet wide. There is no ele-
vator in the public part of the house
and the constant tramping of Office seek
ers and others keeps the stair carpet
constantly in worn-out condition.
After aseendiocr the stairs business