The Bessemer indicator., 1893-04-29

THE WHITE HOUSE AS RESTORED IN 1916.
tained in the public service. lie is to
make the drawings and superintend
the execution of his plan of the palace,
for which he will receive 800 guineas n
year"
Notice two things about this certiti-
cate. First, that the compensation for
the architect is fixed at about 81, 500 n
year Imagine modern architect IN
dcrtaliinga a great public work for such
n sum as that Then, second, let your
mind rest for Il second on the word
''palace." Does it not call up all sorts
OF associated ideas of royalty and aris-
tocracy and courtly ways? So at least
thought the young Republic And
straightway n great protest went up
from all over the land at this aping OF
foreign fashions. Congress bent be-
fore the storm. 1t was decided that
the new building should be known as
the Executive Mansion"-mansion
being then term of common use for
the better class dwelling OF the South
ern gentry. Exactly when this more
stately name was superseded by the
popular nickname of the White House
is not known with certainty.
On Oct /. 1892, the cornerstone of
the mansion was laid in u bare field,
sloping to the Potomac. Washington
himself was present. IL is n pity that
people in those days cared little for
centennial anniversaries. postpone
ment of the ceremony just twelve days
would have given it a certain historical
pppropriateness. The l3th of October,
1fo2. would have marked the tor-cen-
tenary of the discovery of America.
There is n little New England pride
MS we'll as bitterness in the complaint
made by Mrs. Adams that If the
twelve years in which this place has
been considered as the future seat
of government had been i'm
proved, as they would have been ii in
New England, very many of the pres
ent Inconvenience would have been
removed" But she had not much
longer to suffer the Inconvenience
which she laid at the door Of n more
Southern temperament. AT the very
moment when these lines were penned
her husband had been defeated in his
attempt to secure Il second term, and on
the 4th OF March following he was
superseded in the White House by n
Southern gentleman named Thomas
jefferson.
Mr.. Jefferson was person OF very
simple and Democratic tastes.
widower whose daughters We're both
married, hs settled himself down to
bachelor comfort in his new quarters.
Hating the pomp and fuss of ceremonial
etiquettes, he threw open the doors or
the White House to the public. well
coming with special delight artists,
actors. singers and good bohcnians.
During the two terms of his occupancy
of the White House no complaints or
protests were heard. He made himself
at home and made ull others feel SO.
Who knows but that there may have
been secret eyultation in Mr.. Madi-
sons breast when, in the year 1911. the
British army, under Gen. Ross and Ad-
miral Coclsburn, having taken posses
sion of Washington and burned the
Capitol. tlnrlly wound up by setting
fire to the Ex cutive Mansion Just as
they were ..uout to retreat to their
ships One memento of this fire survives
to-day--thc so-callcd Gilbert Stuart
portrait of Washington, still hanging
in the East Room. now known to be
the work of an inlitator of no special
fame. The story is still told of how
its frame with pair of shears TO save
it from the enemy when she fed from
the town. The story is u pretty one,
but 1t is just as apocryphal as the
inscription Of the picture to Gilbert
Stuart In her own letter describing
the flight Mrs. Mndison says that Mr..
Custis Washingto7 ephew, hastenet
over fvom Arlinl on 20 rescue the
precious portrait, ilA (. thut servant
cut the outer frame with an axe 70 that