The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-01-03

decorations Of the diplomatic corps and
minus the gold cord, juggling swords,
and blue bravery Of the army and navy,
will hardly seem New Years at AL %
the denizeps Of Washington, who, II
iatsnseI Ss tRs sIaSsiB fksss viz rsplS,
sent the monarch az they lily about the
official end Of the city And, "moFe,.SS
the PITY think the common folk, all
these Offering trapplpgs can only pe
worn on "otiplal occasions"
The custom Of holding presidential
receptions dates back SO Washington,
and q laughahle incident Il related In.
connection with the frat official recap
ton Of the father Of his country, He
was inclined 70 be exclusive, or per.
hapa 1t might more properly be termed
modest" and disposed to resent the
impeFkinent ipsistence OF people who
stopped ut nothing IN their epdeaVors
to gain admission 10 his presence, Az
this class Of people constituted we'll,
organized mob about, ,hiq door every
day in the year he'Was finally forced 70
set certain days upon which he would
''Eeyiew" the public, to prevent, as he
said, "calleFs arriving before break
fast
Mi. Jefferson, in writing Of this frat
reception, relates the following;
Accordingly an anto,ehamber aud presence
room were provided and when those who Were
TO pay thelF court were ASsepbled the E'fe4ldsnt
through tho antc-chalnbat the door Of the n,
neF room was thrown open and Humphreys en-
tered inst, calling out 10 loud voice, 1.-THE
President Of the United St0te9.
The President was 70 much dlsooneeFted by
this thlt he did not recover In the whole time
o. ne leyee and Wien the epmpp4py was gone ne
wei, you have JtaEsa !ag ihionu6, but by
God, you shall never take mo In q second tlme,"
Atthat time no cards were issued to
any Of the presidents receptions Lady
Washington, as tho first lady OIL the
land was then called, held drawing
room" every Friday, at which tho
president usually supported her, though
much against his will Everything was
still ana ceremonious, The appoint
ments Of the presidential mansion were
probably In keeping with the dignity OF
Ills office, but It was all primitive
enough, as isshown by atheIlettets OF
the president.
When John Adams came into power
and took possession Of the white house
in 1900, the building OF which WASH
ington laid tho corner stone in 1892, lie
found the executive mansion in a de-
plorahle condition. The White house
81 that day was not the comfortable
commodious struetdPe Of today. II
was never an artistic success as to
architecture, and Its interior is quite
impossible OF effective decoration be.
cause Of lite vast expanses. AS well
roof in q quarter section Of prairie and
endeayor to furnish II artistically as to
mako those barns Of rooms look .cozy
and "home.like.p AT the present time
the "red," "blue.N and "greep" rooms
are at least harmoniously decorated in
colors that do not Swear" at each
other, and the rich furniture is plentl-
full, even II it does look like fly specks
on theiloor In the amplitude Of the
east room, Then there are the magni.
ticent mirrors, with their splendid gilt
frames, and the Niagara-like chande-
liers, and when the presidents blue
flag with its white embroidery is hung
from the talons Of abig eagle and the
great columns are draped with flags and
the beautiful marble mantels banked
with flowers and ternsi even the. east
room forgets its nakedness and seems
quite cheerful. Itcould not have been
even cheerful in the time Of the second
president.
For twelve years the white house had
been in process Of erection. fYet when
the seat OF goYernmeF ;;Fas "a wed from
Philadelphia 10 Washington the execu-
tive mansion had not aingle furnished
and only two or three finished rooms.
The President and his official house,
hold came over by. carriages, got lost in
the woods, and> wandered into Fred
erick, Nd. When,they reached Wash-
ington they found sad icomfort inside
the "presidential palace IT was cold
the damp, piercing, clinglng cold
peculiarto the climate Of that region.
Yet fires could not be kept going SUN.
cient to warm the Presidents house,
hold. The forest about Washington
was dense. but laborers and carts were
scarce, and all the codl to be had was
brought in ships. Coal was plenty,
but there were no crates in which to
burnt, The Presidentsawtte felt the
situation keenly and wrote pathetically
to her daughter the week alter her ar.
rival In Washington: x
The ship which contains my clothing and
other matters has not arrived. The ladIes arc
impatient for drawing room, bat have not
half enough lamps to light tho rooms
Many things were stolen and many broken by
the removal among the number my tea china Is
more than half missing Georgetown affords
nothing My rooms arc comfortable and warm
while the hall doors arc shut. . . And all
rhis discomfort after twelve years Of preparation
% receive tho gpYS9tfr gao5.- S6f no NJ
Amidst depressing surroundings like
these the white house was thrown open
for the FIRST time and for the first New
Years reception ever given by the
president or anybody else in Washing
ton.
When MI. Jefferson camo into office
he was opposed to'presidential levees
OF oil kinds, and announced his iutan.
ton to abolish them and inaneurate
greater simplicity in official life. The
Washington ladies, however, would not
have II that way, In those days Of
"Jetieraonian simplicity" the capital
city Of the nation contained about l, 600
souls oil told, aud the official receptions
were the bright spots In an otherwise
dull existence. When the president
closed his doors to tho public the cabi-
net officials followed 1snityaud II was
not to be endured for almoment.
On the formerly fegular reception
day alarge number Of ladies' met at the
white house and were told that tho
president was out riding. Nothing
danRaNaA Ahh,s - a 4. A II