Evening star., 1893-10-07

~ AI7Yf slight alterations 1t
is Of brick with man.
sard roof, situated in grove of trees near
ly quarter of a mile south of the White
House. In front Of 1t Is a courtyard as
big as good-sized city lot, paved with as
phaltum. Eight horses browse on the best
or oats In the rear part Of the building,
while the wings are occupied by carriages
those which are the private property of the
PRESIDENT on one side, and the official
eQuipages on the other.
NO President of the United States has had
inner carriages than those Mr. Cleveland
owns. There are five Of them, represent
ing a total cost of nearly $6,OOO Each of
them Is perfect specimen of the builders
art constructed in the very latest style.
Ihere Is a landau of glossy black with
green trimmings for which 81, 600 was paid
brougham, holding two persons. is worth
$i'oOo, and a stylish victoria, in which the
iather ana mother of the White House
DaDies orive together on bright days. stands
ior an equal sum. Mrs. Cleveland's phae-
ton was made to order. and the price of 1t
was $l.OOO. 1t has a rumble behind in which
tne coachman sits. But the vehicle most
useo py the President IL q surrey, in which
he takes Baby Ruth out In the mornInus
Tor spin to the Soldiers home or Arling-
ton.
The Presidential Coachman.
only four Of the eight horses In the stable
are the private property of the President
Two OF them, light bay and a dark brown
or medium size named Tom and Jack. are
orl'en py Mrs. Cleveland with the phaeton
Inc other pair are large and strong bays.
Ihoush not remarKauiy fast they are good
trotters The coachman of the Chief Mag
iStrate Is a hne-loOklng colored man named
Willis. lie drove for Gen. Arthur's private
secretary and subsequently Tor Private Sec
-
nrst administration. Early in the Aarri-
SUI s resume ne LOOK the presidential ribbons
from from ALBERT Hawkins. who had handled
them continuously for twenty years. be-
ginning his service under Gen. Grant
hawkins was as well-known in Washing
ton as any public man. The place Of coach
mar man 70 the President is mot in politics."
and he only relinQuished 1t on account of
age The incumbent Of the office Is a per-
sClai einpioye OF the Chef Executive, py
Whom he Is paid for his services. Mr..
CieVeiands livery Is dark blue with brass
buttons. He has to buy the feed for his
own horses, but Uncle Sam provides him
with groom The latter may perform the
duties Of footman. adding to the gorgeous
ness OF the PRESIDENTIAL turnout by sitting
on the box with folded arms; but Mr. Cleye-
land seldom utilizes him in that capacity.
The private eQuipages and horses Of the
PRESIDENT occupy one-half Of the stable.
The other half affords quarters for the Of
hclal turnouts. The latter include five car
r1ages-a victoria, a coupe, a phaeton, a
buggy and a low box vehicle somewhat
like landau. holding four persons Mr.
Pruden, the Chief Magistrates factotum
uses the buggy whenever he Is sent to the
Capitol with message for Congress. Four
horses are provided to draw these convey
ances all Of which are under the direction
and control Of Private Secretary Thurber
He employs them for his own convenience
and on all sorts of errands for Mr.. Cleve-
land. Incidentally to his business he Is
obliged - make many formal calls on diplo-
matte and other personages For exam
pie. when the Hawaiian princess was In
Washington, he paid visit to her and in
formed her that the President would re-
ceive her and her suite at a stated hour on
a certain day. Mr.. Thurbers coachman and
groom are both paid by the government
which furnishes the carriages. horses and
feed.
Uncle Sam provides and maintains equip
ages for all of the cabinet officers though
some of them are much better off in that
respect than others. For example, only a
coupe Is furnished for Mr.. Hoke Smith,
while Secretary of Agriculture Morton has
the use Of three handsome black horses and
as many stylish vehicleS-a coupe, a closed
carriage with four seats and a phaeton. On
this account Mr.. Morton does not find It
worth While TO maintain any turnout OF
his own here, though at his home In Ne
braska City he has two phaetons, buggy,
a sulky, a coupe and four horses. Out there
he does his own driving mostly. 1t is said
that he possessed the first thoroughbred
horses, thoroughbred cattle thoroughbred
hcgs and thoroughbred dogs in Nebraska
The Cabinet Carriages.
Secretary of the Treasury Carlisle like
wise has three official conveyances-a Ian
dau, a coupe and an old-fashioned high
leather-bodied buggy. The last he uses
sometimes in the evening after dinner
though he does not have much time for
driving. Two horses are furnished for his
DeneiIt an iron-Sray and a sorrei. tie
keeps pair of bays of his own, as we'll
as a two-horse coupe and victoria. Gen.
Gresham is provided with a coupe, a surrey
and two horses. He possesses no private
eQuipages. but hires q carriage, when he
wants one, at the Arlington Hotel, where
he lives. Having no pretension to fashion
ne makes no effort for style" A dude is
his pet adherence. Secretary Of the Navy
Herbert owns no carriage For his con-
venience the department keeps at livery a
coupe and an old-fashioned open vehicle
that holds four persons.
Postmaster General Bissel has private
arrangements with a livery stable for a
carriage and horses whenever he wants
them. His wife uses them a good deal
though he. being the busiest man in the
cabinet. seldom has time to drive except
after dinner. He has at his disposal a
coupe and an open conveyance for four
belonging to his department. The War
Department maintains. couple Of turn
outs for the benefit of Secretary Lamont
One of the vehicles Is extension-top
phaeton and the other Is a big open car
riage that has seats for six persons. The
latter is seldom used. MIR. Lamont will
have two or three carriages and four or
five horses of his own here as soon as his
family gets settled in the house which he
has hired opposite Lafayette Square next
to Corcoran house, in which Senator Brice
resides.
Most Of the assistant secretaries in the
various departments are provided with
official turnouts, which are maintained
at the expense of the government. horse
and carriage, plain and respectable, are
furnished for each of the three assistant
secretaries of the treasury. The same is
the case with the assistant secretary of
agriculture and the assistant secretary of
the navy. But none of the three assistant
secretaries Of state has the use Of an euui-
page. There seems to be no good reason
why some of them should be thus favored
while others are left out. 1t is a matter of
custom and appropriation by Congress ap-
parently. Young Mr.. Carlisle. chief clerk
of the treasury, has a conveyance at the
cost of Uncle Sam. His father uses it every
day for riding home for his lunch to his
house at 1926 X street and back again.
The official vehicles of the departments
are mainly used for private purposes by
the wives and families of the cabinet Of
fcers The latter employ them hardly at
all on government service except to go to
the White House on the days when the
Presidents advisers meet in council. The
maintenance of all these eQuipages by
Uncle Sam Is unnecessary and amounts to
an abuse. Members of the cabinet have
frequently declared it to be such, but for
one of them to protest against II would be
to assume "holier than thou" attitude
that would be disa greeable. and it is partly