The morning times., 1895-10-19

room Aunt Victoria Johnson, thehead ofthe
scrupolng brigade, starts her assistants IN
all directions. The order is to scrub away,
pushing the dirt in front OF them, ma king
glorified sweeping occasion. Once the
walls are reached there Is i start from the
center over again. When the dirt has
finally been swept by the scrubbing brushes
into pans along the W all the carpet is SO Tree
from dust that you could beat it with stick
and not see an atom rise.
Much OF this White house housekeeping
is done in public gaze. The grounds
around are visible, and though the rugs
are carried, as Abigail Auams wrote
Martha Washington, ITO my own garden
at the rear" the plot Is not out OF reach
OF penetrating eyes.
Mrs. Harrison had very fine scheme
for cleaning the White House in the days
when it shall be enlarged and improved.
She wanted a large. inclosed roof space.
with an elevator running up to 1t. Here
rugs could be beaten, and clothes dried
and all the world not there TO see.
In this connection an odd thing hap'
pened in Washington not long ago. Que
of the diplomats, who hired a handsome
house on a fashionable street, was in the
habit OF allowing the family laundry to be
dried on lines strung across one side
of the front lawn. Complaint was made
to the police, but the law does not touch
uiplGHStlC VlsftorS- Finally, however, d
secret messenger was dispatched to the
diplomat. Next Monday morning at day
break there appeared at the Presidents
laundry door q great basket OF clothes
to be hung out and dried upon that COM
mon property-Uncle Sans hospitable rear
lawnl
Autumn is the time for general recon
struction of the White House affairs. How
ever vigilant the earetaker may be, dark
eha yrfn Inf no of N
an erring lamb.
AN UNwELCoME GUEST.
The caretaker OF the White House garden
was startled early one morning TO see
strange man coming out OF the Kitchen
door He carried no parcel or basket and
sauntered as leisurely along as though he
were one OF the Folsom family. who
are you?" demanded the caretaker.
I'm Mr.. Grey" was the easy response
"wen, Mr. Grey, will you tell NE what
| Is your business here at this hour In the
morning."
"As good as yours" replied Mr.. Grey
nonchalanuy I'm the cooks regular
boarder and I've just been to breakfast.
1t was mighty good, and / guess I've
left enough for you"
real case of serious remissness in
Uncle Sans household has not yet been
found, which is very remarkable when
upon those whose only interest is that
of dollars and cents. Once an upper
maid, an artist of reduced fortune. dec
| GRATED half a dozen statuettes that had
belonged to President Arthur, with
| paint like Dresden ware, and was about
TO ask permission to sell them as SOU
| venlrs But her explanation that the
| money obtained would put her through
| an art school was accepted.
| 1t takes a force of 200 to houseclean
| for Uncle Sam. Mrs. Cleveland has
liking for experimenting the work, or
| at least for seeing it done, for she does
| little more than walk through the stripped
rooms. This year the worst was done before
| her return. but a little of the mostinteresting
| renovation Is left.
| The touching up of the chinaware and
| the retiring and the painting of dishes
| to match broken pieces is the part OF
| White House bousecleaning that requires
the services of capable artist, and there
are many places where talented brush is
needed. For this work Mrs. Cleveland
selects her pets In the artistic world, and
| In the thickest of Uncle Sans housecleaning
these may be seen laboring like the others
to make the Nations home spic and span
| for the season of 80 and '96.