New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-10-11
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL
SENATOR ELKINs RETURNS TO occupv
HIS NEW HOUSE.
THE GPEAT PALM COLLECTION Ar THE BOrAx
&c GARDEN--wORK on THE WHITE HOUSE
THE CHINESE MINISTER.


&c GARDEN WORK on THE WHITE HOUSE
THE CHINESE MINISTER.
washington. Oct 1O.-Among the recent srr.
walls in town are Senator and Mrs Elkins IN.
Senator has already gone again. lie remain~d
only two days. and then started of again TO
prosecute his campaign work. Mrs. Elkins has
left her country home earlier than usual 10
superintend the improvements she proposes
making i'm the house No. 1926 k-st.. that the
Senator has recently purchased. This house
was built by Judge Strong. Drother-in-law OF
OK Secretary Noble. in President Harrison's "A.
ministration and is not only admirably situated
but has a handsome exterior and commodious
and well-arranged interior. 1t is built after the
Colonial style. Spacious rooms are ranged On
either side OF wide hall. and in the working out
Of the details there are no anacbronisms. The
window panas. even, arc Of Inc small size In
vogue in Colonial days
Last year Senator Elkins lived In the house Of
Mrs. Henry MAJ. Rhode Island-ave.. an Eng
lish basement House Of large proportions. which
so suited the taste and needs Of Mrs. Elkins that
she had planned to build one much after the
same model. but az Judge Strong's house met
her wisheG nearly, she decided on that rather
than endure the work and discomfort OF build.
ing. Senator Ekins has already begun the
erection Of a stable at the back Of his LOT.
William Smith SUPERINTENDENT of the Botanic
Gardens is a Scotchman who has two enthusi-
asms his countryman Robert Burns and the
raising Of palms. The collection Of palms at
the Botanic Gardens Is said To be the richest
single collection in the world rivalling that Of
the Kew Gardens. To keep 1t AT this point Of
excellence is not an easy matter. inasmuch -
Mr. Smith has sometimes great difficulty IN
proving to unitarian Congressman that in the
economy of the Government these palms have q
use. and persuading them Of the need Of appro-
prating money for their support
1t fell to Mr.. Smith TO take a party Of these
PhstneS through the Botanic Gardens not no
very long ago. They were a sceptical lot. and
asked all sorts of exaspere ting questions cal
culated to rritate on enthusiastic horticuturist
Finally one of them said
Now. Smith. this is very fine. very handsome
liable that is not useful. II these spike-leaved
palms were corn there would be sense in appro.
priating the public money 70 raise 'em. but Of
what earthly account palms. orchids and
such truck. anyhow?
oh was Mr.. Smiths quick rejoinder thu
Almighty doesn't make everything for use In
this world. Take yourself. for example. il He
had wanted to make you useful He would have
given you four feet and made you feed on hay"
The cleaning and overhauling Of the White
House. which has been moro extensive than
usual this summer. is practically finished The
woodwork has been painted throughout the en-.
tire house. the ceilings and walls cleaned. and
new carpets purchased for the East Room the
lower and upper corridors. the Cabinet Room
and the Presidents study The Red and Green
rooms. which were thoroughly done over last
year have not been disturbed Nothing
mains I, no attended 10 save tho laying Of the
carpets. about which there is hurry. since
Mrs Cleveland will probably not return 10 the
White House until after THANKSGIVING II being
her usual custom celebrate this feast at
Woodey; and just there is procession
of sightseers at the Capital whose hurrying fee.
would soon take tho freshness from the new
carpets. IL Is good policy 10 keep them up as long
as possible.
Taken altogether. the old mansion presents .
very creditabls appearance. IT is however
quite inadequate in size to meet the needs ~
the Cleveland family. The President has sur.
mounted the difficulty simply enough by leasing
Woodley where he and Mrs. Cleveland spend
much of their time and where all Of his State
papers are written. With her two homes. Wood
ley and Gray Gables in the furnishing and
managing Of which all her taste and domestic
ingenuity are expended. II Is natural that Mrs.
Cleveland should take less interest than her pre-
decessors in the Executive Mansion. which has
never worn a less homelke air than now
The Treasurer Of the United States has a fad.
IL Is not nnmlSiilatrs, as MS position Wouid
lead one naturally To suppose. but the collection
Of autographs He has two large books one
magni6cently gotten I'D In morocco for ths
greater lights. and one simply bound in cloth for
the lesser Between their covers are hundreds
and hundreds Of names OF people the world
over. prominent for some cause. There are ths
signatures ~ emperors and expresses. kings.
queens. cardinals. bishops. priests. statesmen.
porers. The boo.s make long Journeys for a
desired autograph. and no one of note is allowed
to leave Washington without subscribing him.
self in Treasurer Morgan's book Ii Hung
Chang occupied a page with his perpendculas
signature Near it was the autograph Of Gem
eral Grant
The Treasurer spares no pains or trouble to
add To his collection. Not long ago a certain Sen.
ator. being in town for few days on important
business. received word from the Treasury De-.
partment that Mr. Morgan wished to see him..
without fail. before he left for home II VAS .
hot day. a very hot day. hut the message was
urgent that the Senator decided that he could
not ignore it, He went to the department ac.
cordingly. only to be told that the Treasurer was
out On reaching his hotel he found that Mr..
Morgan had been there during his absence
Being convinced of the Importance of the sum-
mons he Immediately started out again in tho
broiling heat for the department. This time. Mr.
Morgan was In IL IL not written what the Sen.
ator said when he learned that all the Treasurer
wished was for him to write his name among
| the other noted ones Of earth in his morocco
/ covered autograph book.
great number Of the fashionable people
have come back to town in the last few days
| Mrs. Grant and Mrs. Sartoris. with her children
are already settled in their homes. and the Lei
| ter mansion is being made ready for the arrival
OF the family. who are on their way hither Tho
| Mexican Minister and Madame Romero have
opened the legation for the winter. and the Bro
zuian. Austrian. Argentine. japanese. Corean.
! Venezuelan and Portuguese Ministers are u