Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-06-17

more comfortable than the lOg-ta0inS
ia which Lincoln and Garfield two Of
its most eminent occupants first saw
THE light of day Hut doubtless, also,
al the period when they crossed its
threshold each had tine means To pro-
vide for himself home that would
have been far more Ia accordance with
his tastes.
n must be acknowledged, however,
that the White House Of to-day Is a
palace compared with the White House
~ the past Vet Il was Of the White
House ~ the past that Mrs. John
Adams, Its first occupant, spoke in
glowing terms, writing 20 her daugh-
Ser that the house Is upon a grand
and superb scale, requiring about
thirty servants u attend and keep the
Acpar tments ia proper order; nm estab.
llsi8mcnt very well proportional 10 the
Presidents salary 10 naive and 80
simple-mindei were the great danes
~ our early history
And how came ID that Mrs Adams
waS the first occupant 81 the White
Iionse2 simply because this seat of
government was NOT transferred 20
Washington until towards the close ~
lrr husbands term, November. 1900
The change had indeed been decided
upon ten wars before, aud 30 early as
3ps prize ~ 500 had been offered
Tor ghe hest plan for Presidential
mansion. Among the competitors
waA James iioban, Young Irish
architect, who had established himself
So Charleston and WAS building the
large, substantial and picturesque UNI
conih h0nseN which siill remain the
characteristic features 81 that town.
ile had nat heen much 81 the world,
NOR had ha much originality or YER
snttlity ~ Intellect ~ Ia preparing
fur his mnstar work be tatuk for his
anudei one ~ the nncss houAes that had
come within hiB field 81 vision, the
palNCs 81 the Duke ~ 1seinster la Dub
liza. This in sts turn WAS Rn imitation
~ the comparatively light and airy
structures Mhicht he Italians learned 10
build when the rest ~ Europe was iiy-
ing ia massive piles - brick or gloomy
fortified castles. An Ainerican-lrlsh
imitation - an Irish imitation Of
mrdtNgai Italian vtlia--sneh & the in.
tclleutual genesis 81 our Presidential
mansion.
Far. az fate wliled Il. Mr.. Hoban
Won thc prize Thlk was nttested by
the following certificate published ia
the city 81 Washington on July -,
'Jamcs Iiohan's plan ~ che palace
bcing approved by the President, he Is
entitled 10 the reward promised and
chooses D gold medal ~ eight or ten
guincnH value and the balance in
money. ,imtntss Iohan Is hereby re-.
tanned ~ the public service. He Is to
make the drawings and snprrintcnd
she execution ~ his plan ~ the palace.
for which he will receive 200 guincas q
year"
Notice two things about this ccrtia.
cate. First. that the compensation for
the architect u fiSed az about $500
year. Imagine a modern architect un-
dertaking great public work for such
a sum ~ thstl Then. second. let your
mind rest for second ON the word
palace" Does II not call up all sorts
81 associated islcas Of royalty and aris-
socracy and courtly ways2 So at least
thought tho young Republic. And
NtraiRhtwny a great protest went up
from all over the land az this aping 81
foreign fashions Congress bent be-
fore the storm. n was decided that
the new building should DC known rs
the Executive Mansion -nansion
being then term 81 e6mmon use for
the better class dwelling of the South
crn gentry. Exactly when this more
stately nRme was superseded by she
popular nickname of the White House
IS not known with certainty.
ON Oct. !. 1929, the cornerstone OF |
the mansion was laid IN bare field, |
sloping to the Potomac. Washington |
himself was present II Is pity that |