The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-03-04

me just as freely as 10 the diplomats who
came in their royal liveries. l always
took care of his saddle-horse, and l got
| him ready for him every day. He had
! beautiful horse, but she was blind as Il
| stone wall, though no one knew IL. His
| livery was navy blue, with silver buttons.
| and had fine suit while he was PreSi-
/ dent. He would often come into tho sta
/ bic and pat the horses and say, Now,
| Thomas, please put on the saddle and let
me have ride He would then some
| lines walk out toward the treasury while
his horse was being got ready. He liked
| to ride fast and he would gallop through
| the streets at night. He was entirely diff
ferent from President Buchanan, who
| never rode on horseback and never came
| to the sta bleS.
did Buchanan have good horses ?" I
asked.
Yes, but the best of them were ridden
by Harriet Lane. He had one o the finest
harnesses that ever came to Washington.
1t had buckles heavily llated with silver,
and there were tifty-sX silver BIS in diff
ferent places upon it. It cost $500, and it
was made by firm in Philad- phia ard
sent TO him as a present. He wouldn't
| take il as gift and asked what it cost. He
was told and he sent over check for the
money.
buchanan was rather economical. was
he not?"
mo. indeed" was the reply. There
was not stingy hair in his head. He did
not know how to save. and the White
| House was run more extravagantly then
than it has ever been run since. Why,
they brought the food in by the wagon-load.
ana the servants carried it away in bas-
kets They had servants table, and it
seems To me they KEEP this running all day
| long. They bought whole sheep, halves of
beeves and game by the dozen. Why, they
had ten dogs at the White House, and L
! n fn hOl., lar 81
take down to feed the dogs at the stables.
Buchanan paid no attention to his
kitchen, and l ventRre that he spent nearly
| all his salary. Bis wine cellar was open
ana the servants took what they pleased"
During another drive | asked this man
| to tell me something aboul Andrew john
| son, and whether 1t was true that Presi-
! dent johnson was drunk while be was in
the White House. He replied: Il never
| saw President johnson under the infiu-
ence of liquor. and though l drove his
/ horses and met him every day never even
smelt IL upon his breath. | know, how
ever. that he used to drink little and hat
| he kept good whisky. One evening had
| taken him to dinner and had to wait out
| IN the cold for several hours for him.
! When he got pack tn the White House l
was nearly frozen, and the President must
! have noticed it, for be said: Thomas.
come up into my room for a moment, I
want to show you something. | did SO,
| and when we got there he asked me if
didn't want a glass of wine to warm me
up. told him didn't care for wine. but
| If he had some good whisky l would be
| glad to take a drink. AS | said this he
| smiled. and he brought me out some OF the
| best whisky | have ever tasted. President
Johnson was not a stlngy man. He
| paid all of the expenses of the White
| House stables and made me keen account
| of every cents worth of feed the horses
ate. He kept eight horses, and his best
| team was pair of blacks. which he
bought at Government sale of horses at
| the close of the war"
Speaking of Andrew JohnsOn'S love for
good liquor recalls talk had not long
! ago with Arthur, the coiored cherub who
used to preside over the private secretary's
room of the White House during the days
| of Dan Lamont, and was for more than
twenty years one of the chief servants of
! that establishment. Arthur was one of
! the lliest OF Washington's colorrd popu-
| latloD. he makes me think of Dickens
tat boy in Pickwi3k, and he is as polite as
was the famous cook of George Washing
ton, who surprised Philadelphia with his
| style when his master was President.
| Arthur was the White House butler when
Andrew johnson was President. and he
smacks his lips to-day when he tells of the
good things they used to have in the White
House. Not long ago he was talking about
| President Johns0n's wines. Said he:
Have you ever drunk pale sherry? Well.
Mlstah johnson had the best pale sherry
that ever came into the White House.
mad the keys of the pantry, anG l served
all the wine. / remember when We were
! trying to get Stanton out of the War De-
partment. The Cabinet sometimes SAT all
dag. and al these Cabinet meetings the
| President would have me bring in a lunch,
and the wine they drank was this pale
sherry. 1t was mighty good"
WAS President johnson stingy? l
| asked.
"No," replied Arthur; mot bit Of 1t.
de fed eighteen men all the time he was in