Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-24
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| AT exactly a. m. the President gets out
of bed. He is a rapid dresser and shaves
| himself, though Uncle Sam provides him
with a colored Salet, borne on the pay rolls
as messenger, who is a tonsorial expert
He is all ready when. half an hour later,
Sinclair announces breakfast. Sinclair is
| Mr.. Clevelands family butler. His most
conspicuous characteristic is discretion.
When a newspaper man asks him for any
| information, no matter how trifiing, he
replies: Our folks do not like publicity"
Just at present he is a government en-
ploye acting as steward of the White
| House.
| The President escorts his wife down to
| the coy private dining room. 1t is hand
some but not pretentious apartment, with
| two enormous sideboards, filled with COM
plete services of solid silver and gold. Mrs.
| Cleveland sits opposite her husband at a
| circular table, and pours out his coffee
with her own fair hands. In the middle of
| the board is a great bouquet of rare or
chids from the Conservatives of the Exec
| utive Mansion. Sinclair, mute and obser-
want, waits, assisted by menRl Of in
ferior rank, who fetches whatever may be
wanted from the pantry adjoining.
Mr.. Cleyelands cup, of generous size, is
| like an eggshell. Probably it could not be
| duplicated, if broken, for 500. 1t is one
piece in a set of china made to order for
| the White House, which cost $3.50. His
| water tumbler is cut glass Of the most
| costly sort The napkin with which ne
wipes his lips Is big as a towel and OF the
| finest linen that can be spun. He is helped
| to ham and eggs, of which he is very fond.
/ from dish of massive silver, with the
| American eagle engraved upon it, Sim
| clair is under bonds of S20,00 to properly
care for these expensive appurtenances;
but he is not responsible for reasonable
| breakage.
| The Work Of the Day.
Breakfast over, the President goes up
stairs and enjoys a few minutes CONVEX
| sation with little Ruth and Baby Esther in
| Mrs. Cieveland's boudoir. His watch tells
him at length that the hour for work has
| arrived, and he leaves the private apart
ments and the pleasures of domesticity to
enter the official wing of the White House
and take up the affairs of state. At $3.50
he is seated in big leather-covered chair
= at the desk in his Office. and Private Sec
rotary Thurber comes in with his morn
For an hour already Mr. Thurber has
| been busy with the mornings mail which
| consists OF 800 10 800 letters. Early in the
| administration, when office seekers We're
| more active l,J00 was not an unusual batch
A lew episties, evidently of a private ma
| ture, he puts aside. Those which do not
| serbs to the executive clerk, who dictates
| replies TO a stenographer Others he reads
| reservlng for the Presidents eye such OF
| them as require his attention of these
last there may be a dozen or twenty
The bulk of his correspondence is never
| seen by Mr.. Cleveland. IL he tried To A L
tend TO it all himself he would have no
| time for anything else. Civil answers are
| sent TO courteous communications Auto
graphs of the President and his wife are
mailed to most people who ask for them.
| Mlssives from palpable cranks are thrown
INTO the waste basket. The whole of this
business is accomplished without even both.
ering the chief magistrate for instructions
The same remark applies TO a majority OF
| me letters addressed by strangers TO Mrs
Cleveland. 1t is one of the penalties of her
popularity that she is appealed TO for adj
vice and help by people all over the United
states whom she has never seen nor heard
of.
An hour and a half is the time available
for going over the selected letters with Mr.
Thurber and for giving instructions on az.
iairs OF immediate importance. At IL. il
the day be Tuesday or Friday. the cabine;
meets. Each Secretary has a budget of bus.
mess to lay before the President compris.
ing matters which only he can pass on and
decide 1t is apt TO be or pm. before
everything is disposed of and the confer.
ence adjourns Then Mr.. Cleveland goes 70
lunch-too late, of course, to meet his syife
at that meal which he eats in solitary
state Mrs. Cleveland usually chooses thoss
days for the ladies' luncheons which she
gives frequently during the season.
Work After Dinner
After lunch the President goes back II
his office and works until O'Clock. which
is dinner time. Gen. Harrison always out
on evening dress for the formal meal of tn,
day; but as rule, Mr.. Cleveland perform.
that ceremony only when there is com
pany. Dinner over. he and his wife hav,
a half hours romp with the children Ruth
is getting big enough now 10 appreciat,
larks. Then the father of the family re
turns to his desk and resumes his toll which
continues until long after midnight-ofter