The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1897-01-18
WHITE HOUSE In 1897
Five Hundred New Items About McKin
lUy'S Kew Home.
HOW THEY WILL CLEAN HOUSE
A Look ut the Parlors and the Won
derful Vestibule-Ghosts that
Haunt the Front Door.

CCopyrighted. 1897. by Frank G. Carpentero
Washington. January 6.-(Specrd tor-
| rcspondence)-I have spent same time TINS
| week getting information about President
| AIckinley's new home. l have had a
| photographer with me I'm the white house
and have gone over the different rooms
almost with tape line to let You know
| how your new ruler is TO be housed. me
| white house has been greatly chahseu
within the past few years All kinds OF
| improvements have been made. and the
| white hair OF John Quincy Adams $ SRoSt
! must rise in holy horror as he looks NJ
| the extravagant furnishings. Mrs iresl-
| dent Harrison expended something ike
| Sb2 coo on improvements. and a nuhper o.
| changes have been made by Mrs. CleVe-
| land. The Harrisons spent lot on the
! kitchen. When they came in the basement
| was full of rats. one kitchen iioor had
been laid on top Of another ana they
| were all rotten. Mrs Harrison ordered
| the wooden floors taken out and had the
ground covered with concrete Upon the
| top of this she put porcelain tiles ana
walled all the rooms of the basement ~
| high as your shoulder with the same ma
| terial. The white house is now lighted
| with electric lights The chandeliers have
| electric globes and the lights are kept
burning in the basement and in most Of the
| rooms of the building all night long. Inc
I electric plant cost $4,000. and this did not
| include the dynamo. for the electricity Is
/ brought To the white house through an
underground cable from the state depart
| mcnt engine rooms. where Il is generated.
New China for Mrs. Mckinley.
! / think It was Martin Van Euren who
| was denounced all over the country for
! buying set Of gold spoons for the white
i house. The new china which las been re-
| Gently bought IS worth almost IT'S weight
/ IN gold. ! know nothing about the late
| purchases Of Mrs. Cleveland. tor the presi-
| dent Is very secretiye as to his domestic
matters. But there is "A new set Of cut
| glass i'm the Cuphoards of the executive
/ mansion which cost 1913, ANA happen TO
! know that Ms Harrison seat one order 10
/ Europe for twenty-four dozen china plates
\ and five dozen e, fee cups of "a special de-
! sian. Congress allows each president some
/ thing like $1,000 year and more to run
| tho white house. and a large part of this
| goes into new furniture and dishes. The
/ linen costs a small fortune. The table
| cloths are Of the finest damask, and the
| napkins used nj state dinners are as big as
haby's bed quilt. They shine like SILK.
ana they are 50 heavy that # takes some
time for drop Of wine 10 soak through
! them.
Mrs. Mckinley will probably buy lot
1 Of now linen when she comes in. and one
of hor pleasures may be the shopping
/ which She can do at government expense.
New White House Carpets.
New carpets are bought about every six
years and though the ones which ] found
On the different parlors are good, she viii
/ probably have d chance To select new ones.
| cont believe she Will care To decorate the
| rooms When the blue room was last iiXed
/ up tho artists received more than 5000 for
the job. Think Of #, Five Thousand dol
| lars on one room Isn't il awful? Yes but
Z g. "a ~