The Saint Paul globe., 1897-09-27
IT HAS BEEN oUTGRown.
BETTER AND MORE ADEQUATE
QUARTERS e;SH@ULD BE PRO-
vIDED THE PRESIDENT.
PLANS FOR ITS ENLARGEMENT
Drawn by MrsIbHarrfson Before Her
Death Thaf. AEe worthy of
Consideration.

home and also the public offices of the
president, it must be remodeled, and
the sooner the better. The living apart
nlents of the presidential family are
cramped and inadequate for the pur-
pose, and the offices used by the presi-
dent as wholly disproportionate to the
needs of the chief magistrate and to
the convenience of the general public.
During the past fifty years many mil
lions of dollars have been expended for
the erection of buildings for the execu-
tive departments, but nothing has been
done, and not dollar has been appro
priated for the enlargement of the Of
fees of the president, whose duty it is
to examine papers and give supervision
to the work of all these departments.
Moreover, with the growth of the coun-
try, the visitors who come here on offi-
cial business to see the president have
multiplied in numbers, and no increas-
ed accommodations have been made for
them at the White house. The one pub
lie reception hall is often thronged
with distinguished men who stand
croWding each other uncomfortably
while they await their turn to get be-
yond the door of the little room in
which the president is vainly striving
to make headway with affairs. There is
not sufficient room for his clerks and
assistants. The private secretary oc-
cupies a little room which is smaller
and less worthy of the position than
the f1rst-elass clerks occupy in the pa
latial executive departments. 1t is not
creditable to the country that this con-
haS TO
The executive mansion must be en-
larged, or else a new residence must
be prepared for$the president in some
other locality, SO that the entire White
house may be given up to the transac-
tion of public business and the proper
reception of American citizens who
come here in large numbers every
year. So
Early in the year 1890, after expert
encing the ineonveniences here outlin-
ed, President Harrison and Mrs. Har-
rlson endeavored to impress upon pub
TIC men the necessity of public action
In the matter. but nothing was done.
Mrs. Harrison took great interest in
the subject and talked to everybody
having power and influence, urging her
views With great persistence. On the
occasion she secured an attentive list
ener and one who cheerfully coincided
with her plans, but whose influence
was circumscribed by his physical con-
d1t1on. On one$. evening Secretary
Blaine called to see the president on
official business, land after that had
been attended to- Mrs. Harrison, in
casual way, mentioned the difficulties
which surrounded her. Mr. Blaine at
once took a serious view of the situa-
tion and spoke quiet earnestly of the
indifferences which had so long been
shown towards the executive in mat
ters of official and personal accommo-
datlonS. He could see no other way
out of the dilemma except the enlarge
ment or extension of the present build
lng in accordace@ with some plan in
harmony with it's architectural style
This agreed with Mrs. Harrison'S views
upon the subject, and that estimable
lady explained her ideas with wonder
full completeness and detail as to the
style and arrangement of the propos-
ed extension. The secretary of the
state also gave his views, which COM
pretended a wing OF auxiliary building
for the executive offices on the west
and a similar building for the hall of
art on the east: the central historic
structure to be rebuilt in the interior
of durable Materials and to remain as
the executive residence
Greatly Encouraged with this inter-
view, Mrs. Harrison then conversed
with the superintendent of public
buildings. explaining in detail the plan
which she entertained for the enlarge
ment of the mansion. He heartily
corcurred in her. views and endeavor-
ed to aid her in creating public senti-
ment in favor of the proposed plans for
the eXtention and improvement of the
building. Mrs. Harrison was so much
in earnest that she departed from her
customary rule of reticence. and in
conversation with a newspaper repre-
sentative, upon the executive mansion
and its needs for the official and do
mestic uses of the presidents in the fu-
ture, which subsequently took the form
OF published interview, Mrs. Harri-
son spoke very fully on the subject,
pointing out the absence of sufficient
family apartments, the lack of privacy
of the ladies of the presidents family
and inadequate accommodations for
the comfort of guests of state hosIdtaI-
tiles which the president is required to
extend She also gave her ideas of
how the extensions should be made,
and the uses tc which they could be
applied The interview received wide
publication and attracted considera BILE
attention of f1eeting nature
Later, in the same year. in order to give
9. permanent form to her ideas and desires,
Mrs. Harrison secured the services of skill
ed architect, Fred D.. Owens, and he sketched
with ehareoai the design outlined by her.
She called Col Ernst. OF the army to the
White house and explained her plan to him
and the colonel united with the architect in
sketching complete plans. Then from pen
ciled interpretations of her expressions, Civ
ing geometric form with angles and curves
and !ght and shade, developing columns, col
nnnades, entablatures, sfacades and windows
as they fell in word pictures from the lips
of Mrs. Harrison, the architect fashioned
ready for the builder home for the presi-
dents of the future, which while classic in
style and republican in simplicity, would be
without rival in the world as an executive
residence To the glory of the womanhood
of the republic, it may also be said that this
plan is the creation Of woman who adorned
the high place of domestic and social honor
in the executive mansion until She was called
to that place where many mansions be, and
where the weary are at rest.
The wife Of President Harrison builded and
planned for a great. American future. If
she had lived her dreams might have been
realized. 1t is strange. what events change
and shape the destinies of nations and peo-'
paign which resulted in the defeat CT Gen.
Harrison for reelection to the presidency.
the Grand Army of the Republic held its an
nua1 encampment in Washington city. If
Gen. Harrison could .haves mingled with those
veterans they might have gone hence. and
with their balance of power. caused his re-
election. AT tnat time ne, was constantly at
the bedside of his dying wife, and could not
even give the old soldiers public reception.
He saw none of them. Ex-President Hayes
was here and marched up Pennsylvania ave
nue. on foot with the old soldiers. It was
intended that President Harrison should
march beside him. leave the column at the
White house. and there ascend the review
ing stand where all the old soldiers could
see and cheer him as they marched by. But
he was at her bedside, and never left her
until she had gone from him. and gone from
hal hlnr, rr-o1 n hen,
and had lived she might have seen her ideal
White house builded according. to the plans