Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-06
THE DEATH OF MRS. HARRISON.

ID. W1lfred Pearce, prominent artist
and electrician of New Brunswick, n. j.,
had charge OF the Introduction OF electric
fixtures into the White House two years ago
While at this work he had the opportunity
of becoming fully acquainted with the
White House structure. He writes THE
DISPATCH as follows:
1t is a fact well known by intimate friends
of the late Mrs. Benjamin Harrison that she
had vivid premonitfon that she would con-
tract a disease in the White House which
would carry her of. She detested the mis-
cradle, shabby rattle trap which this
wealthy nation considers good enough for
the residence of its Chief Executive and his
family, ana she spared no effort to induce
the Government to build q new mansion, or
else put up the old house in habitable condi-
tion ana add an l. containing few living
rooms for the family.
Congress heard the appeal and voted q
few miserable hundreds OF dollars to keep
the ceilings from falling down and stop up
the rat holes but turned q deaf ear to the
project Of building new house or adding
additions to the old one. The writer has
seen Mrs. Harrison writing on cold days
without fire in the draughty broad hall on
the second floor of the White House, which
was the only room" except bedrooms on
the floor used by the family. She had no
or writing except that wretched hall in
which the draught circulated as in a barn.
The Bad Taste of the Public.
The downstairs rooms are thronged
every day with crowds of sightseers, who
go everywhere cutting pieces from hangings
or furniture scratching names on the win
dows or piano, eating 1uncheons on stairs or
in the parlor, and If it be busy day and
the guards are not watching. the curiosity
seekers go upstairs and invade the private
rooms of the family. The President, so long
ago as when he was inaugurated, endeav-
ored to make arrangements to reside in the
6horeham Hotel, but the laws OF our country
compelled him to reside in a house which
would be condemned as nuisance, danger
Gus to life and health in Pittsburg or New
York.
Not only is the house poorly furnished
with cheap and tawdry furniture, but it
lacks the conveniences which are found in
the tenement houses of modern cities. In
the time of General Grant and President
Garfield their families used to battle ut the
homes of friends and eat at restaurants.
There was little improvement In the house
until Mrs. Harrison worked to have new
bathtubs, etc, put in, and these toilet and
bathrooms were put In with utter Disregard
n standing Invitation to typhoid fever.
Even the State apartments are so vulgar
that architects and others have time and
again offered to make plans without cost, in
visiting foreigners level at house which Is
as vulgar in its furniture and ornaments as
a concert saloon in Montana.
The Dining Room Like a Barber Shop.
One of the horrors which the unfortu-
natc diplomats OF Washington are compelled
to undergo Is the so-called State dinners in
the State dining room, which looks like g.
cent barber shop over in Allegheny. Owing
to the niggardly sums doled out by the Gov
a good dinner cannot be served,
and it is doubtful whether the wretched
kitchen could be used by the chef at Del
to get mp proper dinner. So the
President and the guests take care TO eat be-
fore the State dinner comes off, and then go
to the function, where they drink one or two
glasses of wine. make pretense OF eating
some of the sodden and cold food, someone
proposes health, and then the dinner is
over in time to permit the diplomats to say
things Of our Govern
ment.
l speak from an experience OF IA years.
personal acquaintance with the ablest
architects IN Washington, when l say the
death of Mrs Harrison may be wholly at
tributed to the red tapeism and false notions
of economy which prevail in that white |
structure which we call the national resi- |
dence. When engaged in putting in the
electric fixtures two years 1 told Mrs. Har-
rison that l had seen almhouses in the city |
of Charleston, s. G., which were better built
and contained more modern sanitary and
House. Time and time again a bill has been
by patriotic citizens who were
willing to 20 down in their pockets and pay |
for O creditable Executive Mansion. The |
matter has been re peatedly before Congress,
which has referred it to pigeon holes, never |
20 come forth again. Democrats and Re- |
path of progress toward new residence. |
ind meantime the old house is tumbling to |
lecay.
The First Lady Might Be Living.
If Mrs Harrison had lived during her !
in Washington in q modern house, |
he chances are that she would be living to- |
lay, but in order that this Government may |
,oint with pride TO the fact that it keeps its |
President at q cheaper rate than 1t keeps |
Government criminals, and permits loafers |
rom all over the country to invade the Ex- |
,cutive Mansion and drive the family of the |
Chief Magistrate to seek the secusion OF |
bedrooms and halls to escape the stare OF the |
mob; because of these things noble, Chris. |
ian woman is dead, and our excellent Presf-
lent is prostrated with grief over the death
" the wife to whom he has been a most de-
voted husband from the day when she
,lighted her troth to him in the cool, acade-
mic groves OF the college, where they were
nto the world and set forth an example of
what constitutes model family in our
country.
The words which have written are true
nd DaS6Q on 1aCtS WHICH cannOt Do con-
reverted by any apologist for this Gov ern-
nent's business methods of dealing with
fairs connected with the Presidents
l could. If chose, add some in
eresting facts which would puzzle some
tatesmen of both parties to account for /
will say that one bad feature of the house is
Is close proximity to the malarial swamps
# the Potomac. But this is not the worst,
nd, moreover, these swamps are now being
He'd in j. WILFRED PEARCE.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ, November