The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-03-03
letter is put on the so-called 'scrank
fle," and, if considered sufficiently
notable, word on the subject may be

Ing the IreSlQenG. lC IS OI no lsc W
write "personal'' aud "private" On
the envelopes =; they will meet the
same fate in any event. If they con-
tain applications for office, they will
be sent to the department under
which the places demanded belong.
There they will be filed away SO care
fully that nothing more will ever be
heard of them. Places in the Gov
ernment's employ are not secured in
this fashion. The only proper way to
60 about the business of seeking an
Office is to procure local political en-
dorsement in the first place. Next
should come endorsement by the Rep
resentative of the district in Congress,
the chairman of the Republican State
committee and one or both of the
Senators.
Begging letters will constitute a
considerable fraction of the correspon-
dence addressed to President McKin-
ley. Many a year he ought to have
superauity sufficient to help them:
They will ask him for all sorts of
gifts, from a suit of his old clothes to
sufficient sum in cash to pay off the
mortgage on a homestead. But his
heartstrings will not be touched by
these communications, because all of
them will be consigned promptly to
the waste basket. Mrs. Mckinley
likewise will be the intended recipient
of multitudinous scrawls on every I'M
aginable topic. Women will appeal to
her for sympathy in their various dis
tresses, and occasionally she will be
called upon to adjust a lovers quarrel.
But-fortunately for her, inasmuch as
she is an invalid-she will know moth
ing about these things. The letters
mailed to her will go through the
same mail, courteous replies being
made by the Executive clerk to those
which deserve an answer. 1t is GUS
tomary to comply with requests for
the autographs of the President and his
wife.
A White House official who is not
likely to be displaced is Mr.. Prudeu,
who has been there ever since Grants
administration. He is really private
secretary to the private secretary, and
part of his business is to carry mes
sages from the President to the Senate
and House. 1t is his duty to keep
records Of all appointments, commits
sions and pardons made and granted
by the Chief Executive. Not the
least important of his functions is the
management of the social affairs of the
White House. He writes all the in
vitations, which are transmitted, not
by mail, but by the messengers at.
tached to the mansion. 1t would be-
considered infra dig for the President
of the United States to send an invi"
tation by the ordinary post. When
there is a State dinner Mr.. Pruden
writes the cards which are to be put
at the places designated for the guests
at table. The task requires consider
able knowledge, inasmuch as a definite
order of precedence must govern, lest
offence be given.
The cost of State dinner at the
White House runs from $500 to 81, 900,
according to the prices of the wines
furnished. Mr.. Cleveland employs
his own cook in getting up these
spreads. Gen. Harrison ordered
the viands from a caterer. Whatever
method he may adopt, President Nc.
Kinley will find such entertainments
bothersome tax upon his income.
Being purely official, they ought to be
paid for by the Government. AS
rule they are poky and a bore, the
number Of guests being too great to
admit of general conversation. New.
ertheless the spectacle is interesting
for it's picturesqueness, the walls of
the huge dining room being banked
with tropical and Towering plants, and
the table gorgeous with the costly gold
and silver plate provided by the nation
for the Presidents use. The middle
of the table which accommodates
thirty.eight persons, is occupied by a
long mirror, which represents minia-
ture lake, being surrounded by a bank
of flowers. This mirror, which has
golden frame, was bought by Dolly
Madison. At either end of the fes-
tive board are golden candelabra. By
addings wings to the table it can be
made to accommodate sixty people.
Major McKinley's place on such
occasions will be in the middle of the
north side of the great table, the
length of which is from east to west.
His wife will sit opposite him-un-
less, perchance, the condition of her
health prevents her from taking part
in these functions. The President
elect is man of plain habits, and it
is doubtful whether he will particu-
larly enjoy the gorgeousncss by which
he will be surrounded in the White
House. The nation has spared no ex-
pense in making the dwelling of the
Chief Executive luxurious, and more
than s750,0OO have been expended
already on the furnishings Of it. The
wives of recent Presidents have OBJ
tained large grants from Congress for
the purchase of costly table ware, etc.,
and every scrap of linen in the house
is of the finest quality that can be
bought with money.
Another functionary of long service
in the White House is W. II. Crook,
who is the disbursing officer. He
pays all the official staff, including the
private secretary, the clerks, the
guards and the steward and house
keeper, who are Government en-
ployees. The President hires his own
cook and maids, but Uncle Sam fur
uishes him with valet, who is borne
on the rolls as a messenger. Mr..
Crook has been employed in the Exec
utive Mansion ever since Lincoln's
time. One of his duties is to keep
series of scrap books in which are
pasted all sorts of comments on the
Administration, clipped from newspa-
pcrs, both friendly and hostile. These
scrap books cost ST each. The Presi
dent has right to take these with
him when he leaves the White House,
but it is not recorded that any Chief
Magistrate ever took the trouble to do
so, or even to look between their
covers. About one-third of the cor
rcspondence Of the White House is
done by telegraph, the establishment
being connected by wire with all the
departments and with the Capitol.