The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-05-12

.ro,y White House--A sadly o'er"orhed
pbenomenalIy Patient President.
A New Elevator Wanted.
~ ,sulNGToN May l2 Special. For
',,,,lo of months we have had such great
II of visitors at the White House that
demand has sprung up for "a new execu-
ivo mansion The old house has been
Q,nnd inadequate To the demands made
non its space The president OF the Unit
a States is very popular man ABOUT TINS
NO He has more than his share of Wis
- Every day his anterooms are crowd
u The White House is SO constructed
hot there is really no proper place for the
n"on,modation of the hordes who call
Lore on business. There is but one place
- or them to wait, and that is sort of cor
S;dor running through the house from
,,oet IN east. 1t really is not u room at all.
h. &c numerically lighted. In the gloom of
tSis Mace. about 10 feet by &c. one may
often see several hundred people huddled
to,other There are chairs only for small
art Of them. Hour after hour they stand
hout. men and women, young and old,
kAraiting an audience. Too often they
= gait till they are utterly worn out, and
then are told that the hour for the presi
dents luncheon has arrived and that no
more visitors can be seen. 1t Is not the
rresident's fault, for he works from early
morn till late at night with all his might
There are too many people, and there is
snly one president.
al Pathetic Scenes.
Some of the scenes in this antechamber
are pathetic enough Every day you may
see three men well advanced in years who
not long ago were on the topmost crest of
prosperity. They were senators or con
oressmen or influential politicians. Then
they could get what they wanted by sim
Nly asking for It, Now they are out at the
B(eels They bravely try to hide age and
poyerty and decrepitude and despair They
mt on a bold front Some of them look
as If they were really hungry But they
wear the air of grand gentlemen. They
salute you as if they had millions at their
back They laugh with forced laugh,
and smile with smile that Is painful
A But they keep their eyes on the door, and
~ you look carefully you can see wild,
desparing look in those eyes.
Here they are, all mingled together. For
the most part they sit in silence. Every
one knows his neighbours errand. 1t needs
no power of prescience to discover that ev-
cry last one of them is after an office. Not
Eeed All these hopes are to be dashed to
Harth. 1t is really pitiful TO watch the
eager expressions upon their faces when
Secretary Porter makes his appearance at
the door of his Office. In an instant they
are all up and at him. They pounco down
upon him like pack of hungry wolves.
They extend cards TO him by the score, and
beg that he Will got them an audience with
the president. The patient secretary must
~ stem to dozen talking.to him together.
Pin the end he generally raises his arms, as
If toward them oil, explains that the pres
idont is busy with senators or members of
the cabinet and makes his escape back
through the door into his Office Then
the crowd moves slowly and sorrowfully
back TO it's Nesting places, some Co give up
and resolve TO come another day, others to
STait and wait and hope against hope.
In the Anteroom.
Now and then senator or representa-
tive appears. He may walk straight
through without hindrance. The door is
opened as he approaches and others are told
to step aside out of his way. Lucky the
senator or representative who is not way
laid by one or more of the hungry donizens
- the anteroom. They beg TO be taken in,
~and some of them refuse to take no for an
answer. There arc office seekers who come
here day after day and wait for the appear
ance of member of congress with whom
they are acquainted and from whom they
may beg the favor of an escort through the
doors and into the presence of the great
kIput sadly oyerworked and phenomenally
Satient president.
- 1t Is apparent that this Is not fit place
Tor the reception of the people There are
..l.s.
pirate to the house of the president. All
these people are citizens of the United
states. They are here on honorable bust
ness. They deserve respect and fair treat
pent, even If they are office seekers. The
4 Past Uncle Sam could do for them would
DC to give them comfortable place in
winch to wait and nurse their desperate
hopes. There should be room enough for
all and seats and drink of water and "a
pientltude of Gods free air in the ante
rooihs OF the president of the United States.
The Ubiquitous Reporter.
y There should be enough room so that the
k3Towd OF waiting ones need not fall over
ire tables at which sit the representatives
vi the press Perhaps you do not know
'n"c the reporters are always on hand at
'ne "hlte House. From the time the Office
VI secretary Porter is opened i'm the morn
ing VII 1t Is closed at night the press men
Keep their vigils. They are there TO record
All that occurs. They want to know who
Hes tho president and what about, and
fight Ingenious and faithful are they in
'he discharge Of their duties. There is no
other place for them to work than here in
.he midst CT all this hurly burly When
.he employees of to executive mansion,
ene clerks and correspondents and tele-
graph operators and othcre-for it takes a
kNpretty large force u g.Gcad to the presi
[ont mail-Nish To go 90 the Office of
secretary Porter or to the President $ room,
crowd
vpS Une impro'cmcSo j., promised at the
"nlte House, and t.lis Is an elevator to
''Ae people from the ground floor to the
apartments occupied By the president and
nis stan. Old senator's and other callers of
>3nportance find 1t quite difficult to climb
MIC long flight of stairs, and they are put
.,ng their heads together in favor of an ap-
tn oil,