Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-12-28
AN HISTORIC TABLE.
Used When the Famous Treaty OF
Client Was Signed

SAShI w do cAShCu'
In the worlds curious shutting of
things the table upon which the treaty
of Client was signed has found its way
to San Francisco, and a precious pos
session it is for city where so little
is hallowed by historic memories. 1t
is one of the treasures in the home If
DR.. and Mrs. A. H. VOORHEES,, whose
daughter several years ago married
James Malcolm Henry of Virginia. His
family came along in close and parall-
Ell lines with the Madisons and Taylors,
and the table finally became the prop
erty of the Henry family. When Mrs
Henry returned to San Francisco the
table came with her
The history of the table was not
formally told and duly attested until
it came west. There was no need of
it before. The children and grandchil-
dren and Observation-Disclosures knew ev-
cry word Of it by heart. But for Mrs
VOORHEES,, the two eldest of the family
one two years past 80 and the other
four years his junior, made the fol-
lowing affidavit:
1--WE, the undersigned, George P.
Tayloe. of Roanoke county, Virginia.
aged 80 years, and Henry A. Tayloe of
Hale county, Alabama, aged SO years,
the surviving sons of the late Col. John
Tayloe, of Mount Airy Virginia, and
of The Octagon, Washington, D. c., dc
hereby certify that the table on which
the treaty of peace between the United
States and Great Britain, known as the
treaty of Client, was signed by Presl-
dent Madison, is now the property Of
George Ogle TaylOe of FerneauX, King
George county, Virginia. When the
presidents house in Washington was
burned by the British in 1914, Col.
Col. John Tayloe, who was then with
his family at his country residence in
Virginia, placed his own residence,
which still stands on the northeast
corner of New York avenue and Eight
zenith street northwest, in the city Of
Washington, at the disposal of his
friend, Mr.. Madison, as a temporary
residence; and it was on circular
table, in the circular library on the
second floor of The Octagon, that the
president signed the treaty, on the 18th
of February, A. D. 1915. We were ia
miliar with the table when it stood in
the library of our fathers house in
Washington, where it remained for
many years after the treaty was signed.
It is of mahogany and has a circular
top, feet inches in diameter. This
is covered with cloth, within a mahOg-
any border. and turns in a horizontal
plane on a pivot. The table is fur
nished with II drawers, extending I'll
around it, each bearing an inlaid ivory
label. The top is supported by center
post, round cylinder of mahogany,
and this in turn by three feet. The
table was inherited from it's original
owner, Col John Tayloe, by his son,
the late Edward Thornton 1ayloe, and
from him by his son, George Ogle Tay-
loe, the present owner. Given under
our hands and seals this, the 18th day
of June, 1896.-George P. Tayloe, Hen
ry A. Tayloe."
And then follows the certificate of
T. F. Barksdale, a notary of the city
Of Roanoke, attesting to the genuine
ness of the signatures. Both names
are especially well written for men Of
advanced years. And the following is
just what President Manson added on
the 18th Of February, 1916, on the cir
cular table, to the famous treaty which
closed the last war between England
and America, and which was signed
in Client the day before Christmas,
1914, when the United States was repre-
scented by John Quincy Adams, John
A Bayard, Henry Clay, Jonathan Rus
sell and Albert Gallatin:
ITO All and Singular to Whom These
| Presents Shall Come-Greeting Be it
known that James Madison, President
of the United States Of America, having
seen and considered the written treaty,
| do by and with the advice and consent
Of the senate thereof, accept, ratify,
and confirm the same and every clause
! and article thereof. In testimony
! thereof l have caused the seal Of the
| United States to be hereunto affixed
and signed the same with my hand.
Done at the city of Washington this
18th day of February, in the year Of
our Lord 1916, and Of the sovereignty
and independence the twenty-ninth.-
James Madison"
| The room in which the table stood
when the treaty was signed was the
| library of the house and the one Pres
ident Madison appropriated for mis-
| official hours. Like the table, it is
circular, and the convex windows reach
to the floor. A large fireplace added
to the comfort and picturesqueness.
The old table came originally from
England. 1t is an interesting piece OF
cabinet work. The mahogany now has
polish like glass. On each of the doz-