Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-16

| InILU Al p@INE|u workers. IL was "
| VlMnI Il l@NlI| Nj be an elaborate and
| AhA n IN ~ costly set, the dis
| llNE patch said but the
| " 10 =. facts about it were
not to be divulged to any one. Naturally'
interest which would have been very easily
measured if the facts had been made
| known, was much stimulated when the ar
of mystery was thr ,wn around the pur-
chase. So Col John M. Wilson, the army
officer in charge of public buildings and
| grounds, was besieged with questions about
| this latest purchase for the White House.
| When the first inquirer spoke to him, Col.
| Wilson was a bit puzzled; but in minute
the situation was plain to him.
| "Oh yes" he said, I'VE have ordered
| some silver. remember 1t now. l ordered
a gravy boat for the Presidents table
week or two ago to match one which the
President now has. All? Oh, yes. That
is ALL Call again. Glad to give you infor-
| nation at any time" And then the COL
| onel returned to the pleasant task or ng-
| uring how to clean thirty miles of pave
| ment after a snow storm when the appro-
| pration has been exhausted .
| These reports come out so frequently that
| the colonel is never surprised, thougn ne
| is sometimes puzzled to know where they
| started. Only few months ago tneIe was
| a report that new silver service had been
| purchased or was to be purchased Tor the
White House, and it had it's origin In the
| fact that Col. Wilson, out OF the SET,
tiings'' of the appropriation for the year. had
purchased two dozen spoons Tor the fresi-
| dents table.
All purchases for the furnishing of the
White House are made from an appro-
priation made by Congress for the main
tcnance of the Presidents establishment,
| and they are a matter or record. ne
money is expended by Col: wilson, as as
| the approval of the President or his rep
| re sentative. Last years appropriation tor
| this purpose was lump sum OF S25,ooo
| "for care, repair and furnishing EXecu-
! tive Mansion, to be expended by contract
| or otherwise as the President may de-
termine." In addition to this sum, there
was an appropriation OF 5000 for fuel,
S. 600 for the care ard necessary repairs
to the green houses and 5000 for lighting
the mansion. OF course, very little re
furnishing" can be done with $4,000 in
the Presidents house. The sum is SO in
adequate for any such purpose that Con-
gress has made from time to time large
appropriations for the refurnishing of
parts of the mansion and for redecorat-
ing. The actual expenses of the mansion
are about $1,000 year.
Spent in Various Years.
During the Arthur administration there
were two special appropriations by Con-
gress for refurnishng the mansion-one
of $4,000 and one of $4,000. In the first
administration of Mr.. Cleveland the APP
preparations aggregated $4,000. Mrs. Har-
rison had one appropriation of $4,000, one
of so, 900, one of $50. 900 and one of $4,000
With this money the mansion was pretty
we'll renovated. Mrs. Cleveland has had
an appropriation of $25,C0O, with which
she has made many improvements. But
she has not been able to add to the Presi-
dents table service The last additions to
that were made by Mrs. Harrison few
years ago, when she purchased a set OF
496 pieces of cut glass (of American make)
for use in the state dining room, and
tWenty-four dozen plates and five dozen
the Presidents table. The glass cost
81, 1880 and the china $3.50. The china in
common use at state dinners. however. is
still the famous set which was purchased
by Mrs. Hayes twenty years ago.
At the time Mrs. Hayes came into the
Executive Mansion there was no adequate
table service. The original White House
china had been ordered by the Washing,
tons from England, but it had disappeared
long before, and only an occasional piece
in the possession of a collector remains to
show what it was: After the time of
Washington the tableware was purchased
as it was actually needed, and no attention
was paid to uniformity of design, so that
when Mrs. Hayes took possession Of the
supply Of Dishes for table use. Mrs.
Hayes was practical housekeeper, and
she determined to have her table better
equipped SO she got IT an appropriation roy
facturers. and spent three years perfect
ing what was undoubtedly the finest set
of china ever sent to the United States
would be impossible to have the set made
in this country, though she would have
preferred American ware.
Mrs. Harrison had the same experience.
She had to send to France for the plates
and cups which were bought few years
ago. But Mrs. Harrison made every con-
cession to the American feeling when she
had the chief rooms of the White House
redecorated All of the silk with which
the walls of the blue room are decorated
sible, Mrs. Harrison bought all Of the
other furnishings in this country. IN do
ing this she carried out the spirit of the
law passed by c99gresS for the guidance
preparation made by Congress for the re-
furnishing of the White House during that
furniture furniture "of American manufacture, as
may be practical and expedient."
Where Red Tape Comes In.
There has been about 100000 expended
for the refurnishing Of the White House
in a hundred years, but, except as SOU
venirs Of the Presidents household, the
belongings there today would not sell at
auction for more than s5O,0OO And it is
doubtful If they would command an added
price as souvenirs Tor tnefe Is an auction
each year of White House furniture and
fittings, which attracts as little attention
as the auction of cast-of furnishings from
any other Washington household The
treasury benefits $500 or 5000 every year
by this auction.
The money which comes from the sale
of old furniture from the White House
was used once in the purchase of new
furniture. Now it is turned into the treas
ury. Col Wilson cannot even exchange
an old boiler for q new one by paving a
bonus. He must advertise the sale of the
old boiler and turn the money received
for it into the treasury. Then, from the
appropriation made by Congress, he must
pay for the new boiler. Under a recent
decision of the controller of the treasury
bo oopnot even nav tho coSt ~ oI1