Evening star., 1897-03-01
THE WHITE HOUSE
Mr.. Cleveland Having Busy Time During
His Last Days in Office.
Mr. J. Addison Porter, the Next Sccrc-
tar! to the President, Taking
Practical ObscrN ations.

| senators and representatives called to talk
| over bills in which they are interested
| which are before the President for sigma
| ture.
| The number OF strangers visiting the
| White House is much smaller than at the
| same tire on previous inaugural weeks.
| The east room only is open, and visitors
| are shown into 1t. The Remainder of the
house has been thoroughly cleaned for the
Incoming President, and it is the intention
to keep It so. Mrs. Cleveland has this
| 81 pervision.
| Nearly all OF the personal effects of
| the President and Mrs. Cleveland have
| been sent away. Only such articles re-
main as can be packed in trunks on Thurs
| day.
Many Of the strangers are showing the
siue they took in the last election by wear
| Ing gold buttons yellow roses They can
| be seen in large numbers.
| The routine official business Of the Cleve-
land administration is practically COM
| Pieted Private Secretary Thurber Of
| curse, is busy, and has with him Mr. 7
Addison Porter, who is to be the secre
| tary to the President under the new adj
| ministration. Mr.. Porter came in early
and remained several hours. 1t was one
| OF his first chances at practical experi-
| cree.
Mr.. Porter will have new set of books
to start with. All these arrangements
nave been made. Everything has also
been prepared for the convenience of Pres
| icent-elect Mckinley. New commission
forms have been provided and wherever
| pc sslble the name of William Mckinley
Jr. mas been printed at their head. These
| Dianks are now at the White House and
| the new President will have no ditflcultv
| IN nl1ng out the commissions of his cab
iret and other important offices
| NO material changes are expected in
the official force of the mansion Nest of
| me present force have been emnloyed al
| the W hite House for MANY wears They
| knows them.
| The FIRST caller this morning was Soma
| tor Cullom of Illinois. He was accom-
| panied by Mrs. Palmer of Chicago. who
presented her report of the worlds fai.
commission TO the President Senators
| Proctor and Gear and Representative t,ur-
| later. O 't
| Mr.. Palmer, ex-Queen Liliuokalanis SEQ
| re.afy' vas also among the callers. He
SAID n; merely came TO pay his respects TO
| secretary Thurbcr and had no intention of
| trying TO make an engagement with the
| President to again see the ..oueen Ue
| TOOK his CHARGE with Mr. Thurber when the
| crowd va s admitted.
timothy O'Leary, jr.. of Pittsburg was
| among the early visitors. He came to
| Washington yesterday to secure a nronise
from Mr.. Bryan to lecture in that civ
| ednesday night. He succeeded In his
first mission, but did not see the Pres
| dent.
The President had made ARRANGEMENTS
| 10 meet all the clerks of the various de-
| partments at noon today. but he found thai
ne would be too busy, 50 he Cancelled the
| invitation '''S
Tomorrow evening President Cleveland
| and Mrs. Cleveland will entertain Major
| Mckinley and his wife at dinner. Ii is
purely private function. and there Will
| De no other guests. While the two men
| discuss affairs of state the women will
| discuss the domestic features of the oc-
casion. AT this dinner the incoming and
| outgoing executives will arrange their pro-
gram for Thursday. 1t is not unusual
| Tor the outgoing President to make a few
| personal requests of his successor relative
10 the retention of certain persons in the
pubic or domestic service and Mr. Cleye-
| land may follow II is custom
The arrangements for Thursday have all
! been completed The reviewing stand is
ready for occupancy. The carriage to carry
| the President and President-elect has been
selected. AS usual 1t will be drawn by four
horses. The President-elect sits on the left
hand of the President during the Journey to
the Capitol. but returning, President Me
| kinley will sit on the right and ex-Presi-
| dent Cleveland at his left. In the mean
| time the outgoing Presidents family retire
| from the White House and leave for their
new home, and the new Presidents house
| hold takes possession.
Mrs Cleveland returns from Princeton
tonight to remain until after the inaugura-
| ton.
4 have never seen the White House in
such perfect condition as it is today" said
Capt. Dubois, the chief usher, who has
served in different capacities in the Presi
dents house for very many years. THE
house is really ready for occupancy by
PRESIDENT and Mrs. Mckinley at any mo-
ment Ihe furniture has been renovated
Inc carpets cleaned and the picture frames
.esHuea ana ireshened up. so that the in
oil
mad to be accomplished with the expend-
lfure of small sum Of money Gen. WfI-
son. chlef OF engineers has given his per
sonal attention to every detail continuing
voluntarily the duties that were imposed
upon hlm as superintendent of public build
lngs and grounds until the close of the
present administration. As the private por-
tion of the White House is at present or
ranged there are six bed chambers Presi-
dent Cleveland occupies a large room next
10 the northwest corner on the second floor,
Dut II does not follow that the same apart
his successor.
MI. Porter was at the White House
aor some time today, and he looked
careIuiiy over the interior. He was not
prepared to indicate how the sleeping
apartments should be allotted, but II seemed
that his fancy tended toward the bright.
sunny room the southwest corner of
the building, across the corridor from Pres
ident Clevelands chamber, as the best for
Mr.. and Mrs Mckinley. This was the bed
Fooui oI tne harrlSonS and because IL is so
CHEEKY and sunny and has southern ex-
posure IT appears best adapted to the
needs of Mrs. Mckinley. Very near TO IL.
and on the same side of the central corri,
dor. is the library. really used as a sitting
room, for, singularly enough, he White
House has no actual private parlor. snd
communicating doors between the rooms
along the south front Of the building would
afford the President easy access to the Of
fetal portion of the house.
Mr.. Andrew ]. Patterson, United States
consul at -Demerara, B. c., who is the
grandson Of ex-President johnson, spent
some time this morning looking over the
house. the arrangement of which was so
familiar to him in-his childhood days
Denied Himself to Callers.
During the afternoon the President was
so busy going over bills before him that
he was forced to refuse seeing any one who
called unless his business was of the ut
most Importance. He vetoed two smaJ,
pension bills and sent them to the Capjfol
He still has day on the Immigration hin
and has as yet taken no action Secretarv
Oney called just before noon and was
closeted with the President for over half
an hour. Secretary Carlisle also called huf
did not remain long.
Senator Caffery. Gen. Henderson. Repre-
sentative McCleary Of Minnesota. Judge
aud ofh