The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1897-08-13
THE WHITE HOUSE.
ARRANGEMENT OF The OFFICIAL
QUARTERS OF TIE EXECUTIVE.

Telephone Is Almost the Only Modern
Improvements In the Building.
Mr. C. C. Buel writes paper for The
Century On Our Fellow Citizen of the
White House." devoted 10 the official
cares and andes Of the president, in the
course Of w'Iich he says:
At 10 O'Clock a hardly discernible sign
against the glass CT the barrier an
loWces &c Ire citizen who has arrived
uader the grand portal that the execu-
tive nsusicn IS open" to visitors as
2 O'Clock tie sign IS changed TO tclos-
ed The dcIkees srs swing the doors
oPcn to everybody. Within the large
xestibule noshing Is seen which inai-
cates the e-rs-1-e-1en< and purposes Of
the different Parts Of the mansion. It
was not always s.. for originally the
Iow concealed corridor, or middle lall,
with TIE staircase On the right, was a
part c. the entTaacs hall. Now ne
spaces between the middle columns are
closed with colored glass partitions, ;.al1
the vestibule is sinlply a large, square
rcom pleasant to get ont Of
NJ " e1F Catrg--lAo u pc ~ IL SStltO
apartments in The center or to the west
wing, which is devoted to the private
apartments. Yet glass doors are there,
though IS iRperceptible to the stranger
as swinging panel. To the left there
is g deer which is always open. 1t ad-
mits to z small hall, across which sim
liar door is the side entrance to the
great east room. About this splendid
room, comprising tie whole east ED Of
the mansion, the visitor may wander at
will before the portraits or enjoy from
the windows tie beauty Of the treasury
building TO the east CT the impressive
Landscape 70 the south, including the
towering shaft Of the Washington mon
ument and beyend the ever charming
Potomac, Spreading with charging
curves toward EioUnt Vernon, and IN
the private garden under the windows
he may chance to see a merry band Of
little ones.
From the small hall between the yes
thule and the east room a stairway as
cends toward the medal lire of the
building to a wide middle hall, on each
efd&-of which are the Offices Of the pres
ident ~Ihe arrangement is simple, and
in the floor 2lan covers the space occu-
pied below b. the east room and the
green room. the latter being the coun-
-ierpart Of the small hall with the public
stairway just menSTSSaed. At the head
Of these stairs. over the 2EDI s1,lesiiiiaa is
the cabinet room, which - he first
apartment N The south side CT the hall,
a jeg Of two STEPS, at the private door
INTO the presidents roem, marking the
raised ceiling Of the east room below.
The President reaches his Office through
the cabinet room, entering the latter
from he library, which corresponds On
the second floor with the blue Fcom Of
the state apartments. President Arthur
indeed rsed the library as his Office and
the cabinet chamber fOr en- anteroom,
while his private secretary was dolni-
ciled Ia the traditional Office Of the pres
ident. DzriDg his first term Mr.. Cleve-
land preserved the same arrangement
But General Harrison went baek to the
ofice hallowed by Lincoln occupancy,
and MIR. Cleveland, on his return, found
the arrangement so satisfactory that he
continued it.
Beyond the presidents large, square
office is the corner room where Private
Secretary Thurber is always either
wrestling with the details of executive
business OF standing with his shoulder
braeed against the crowd struggling to
see the president It is q narrow apart
Elent and might be called appropriately
the hall Of The disappointed, - the sag
gestion being emphasized by portraits
Of the greatest Of presidential aspirants,
Clay and Webster, &c whick Mr. ThuTber
added, IS his private property, an en-
craving Of the closest contestant for the
Office, Governor Tnden.
On tie north side Of the hall there
are two -cc4s which correspond 70 these
On the south side Just described, the
small one being occupied ~ htr. c. L
PTaGen, tbs assistant secretary since Gen
eral Grants tine and the custodian of
the Office looks as well as Of the tradi-
tons which govern the public social
routine of the executive mansion. In
his room sits the telegraph clerk at his
instrument, and by the window is a tel
ephone, which saves a great amount Of
messenger service between the president
and the departments Occasionally a
congressman, with less ceremony than
discretion attempts TO get an appoint
nent with the ear CT the president over
the telephone. ard there is record of a
stage earthquake produced IN the private
secretary 5 room by furious congress
man who found the telephone inefect-
I've and his 0lynlpian style even less
so. NotwitissSDding that it Is almost
the sole modern Improvement IN TIE
White House. President Cleveland was
eeen ct tie telephone hut cnee, and then,
needless to say, not on call.
NO BLOOD SPILLED.