The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-09-21
PALACES TO WORK IN.
Cabinet Officers Provided with Every
Modern Convenience.

| Cabinet UmcerS Ir0Fldcu WlCn Every
Modern Convenience.
Il Huge Airy Rooms With Electric Fans for
| Summer and Cheerful Fireplaces for
| MISREPRESENTATION Furnishings of
the Chief Executives Offce.-Rare
Relics and EPrized .Antiquities.-yyalls
Decorated With Portraits of Former
Secretaries.
| Uncle Sam takes such good care Of his
officials after they reach Washington it
is no wonder they are loath to leave their
comfortable and attractive quarters after
once tasting the sweets of office. Every
continuance which can possibly add to
their comfort is found in the apartment
they use for the transaction Of business,
and electric fans in summer, with cool
in winter, with rosy -hued rugs, make up
an ideal picture of comfort.
Probably the most unpretentious apart
ment used by a government official is
that of the President of the United
States in the Executive Mansion. 1t is a
large. square room, with southern ex-
posure, from which beautiful panorama
is visible. Heaven kissing hills of Mary
landssand Virginia slope down to the edge
of the Potomac River, which leaves their
sides, and in the foreground is the WASH
| ington Monument and beautiful green
ellipse known as the White Lot in which
the United States Marine Band gives con-
certs every Saturday afternoon during
| the summer. With such surroundings
and amid such pleasant environments the
Presidents office. is always attractive.
But once inside the big room in which
SO many grave questions have been settled
the visitor is astonished at its simplicity.
There are two prints on tho walls, the
only pictures in the apartment-one rep
resenting Thomas Jefferson and the other
Alexander Hamilton. the famous finan-
cier of the revolutionary period. There
is an interesting bit of history connected
with the broad, flat open desk at which
the President of the United States sits,
aszis shown by the inscription upon gold
plate This desk was sent to the White
House during the administration of Presi-
dent Hayes as token of esteem from the
Government of Great Britain. On the
gilded plate is the following inscription:
IL NJ 5. Resolute, forming part OF
thes expedition in search of Sir John
Franklin in 1859. Was abandoned in
latitude "a deg. Al min. north, longitude
101 deg. % min west May ID, 1854 She
was discovered and extricated in Septem-
ber,l 1856, in latitude 81 deg north by
Capt Buddington of United States
! bo1o ybo
chased fitted out, and sent to England
as gift to her Majesty Queen Victoria
by the President and people of the United
States asa token Of good will and friend
ship. This table was made from her
timberS when she was broken up and is
presented by, the Queen Of Great Britain
and Ireland to the President of the
4 United States as a memorial of the cour-
tesy and loving kindness which dictated
the offer of the gift of Resolute. "
Probably the largest cane-seat chair in
Washington is placed at this desk for the
use of President Cleveland, who brought
it with him from his office in New York.
AS he sits at his desk he faces north, the
light falling over his shoulders from the
south. This room was formerly used by
President Lincoln as his office and council
chamber, and it was in this apartment
the emancipation proclamation was draft
ed and signed.
I
have an office in the finest building in
the world-the Capitol-which up to date
has cost in the neighborhood of SIS, 900, :
900. just across the corridor from the
Senate Chamber is beautifully frescoed
tiled floor room on the door of which is a
Chamber There is fiat table covered
with red at which the Vice-President
transacts his private business. and from
the windows looking north there is a
magnificent view of the suburbs of Wash
ington, with Soldiers Home cupola and
numerous church spires breaking the line
of the horizon. On the wall at the left
of the Vice. Presidents desk is Rembrandt
Peale's famous portrait of the first Presi-
dent of he republic, and marble busts of
Vice-President Wilson, who died in this
room, and Lafayette S. Foster of Con-
necticut are conspicuous. While engaged
with his private secretary the V1ce-Presi-
dent sits with his face to the south, and
he can see himself reflected in an old
mirror which has passed the century
mark and is one of the most valuable
relics about the great marble pile which
surmounts Capitol Hill
One thing which strikes the visitor to
the large office room of the Secretary of
State, in the south wing of the huge pile
of granite known as the State, War, and
Navy Building, is the absence of the
usual array OF oil paintings of former
preniers. Instead there are engravings
neatly framed of former residents of the
United States, and marble medallion
bust of James Madison in the panel just
behind the Secretarys desk is a novel
and rare ornament. Three large windows
lead out on granite gallery, from which
the Secretary of State can obtain a splen-
did view of Arlington, Fort Myer, Alex
andria, and the Potomac River. A solid
oak desk arranged SO that the light will
fall from the south over the Secretary s
shoulders is feature of this apartment.
and when engaged in the transition Of
business the Secretary of State sits facing
the north. On the panel in front Of him
| are three axnuisite engEayinGs 4rspresent-