The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-16

not idle a moment during the day. The
quantity of mail she receives is enor-
nous, and she opens and personally
answers nearly all of it.
Charity appeals come to her from all
parts of the country Women beg for
her influence and mediation in behalf
of their condemned sons or husbands.
These pathetic appeals for pardons
are very trying upon her, because she
is compelled to decline to interfere in
such matters.
The president very decidedly prefers
colored help. His steward, cook, coach
man, footmen and walters are all col
orsd William T. Sinclair. the present
steward, comes from New York. He
is considered a most careful buyer. He
served eX-President Cleveland eight
wears, and Mr.. Cleveland recommend
ed him to Mr.. Mckinley. His salary,
fixed by law and paid by the govern
ment, is $1,000 year. He is RESPONSE
BILE for all the property of the United
States within the White house, and Is
bonded for $4,000. The value of some
of this property. from a historical
standpoint, is inestimable. Sinclair has
an office in the basement of the White
house. but lives with his family on
Sixteenth street, a few blocks distant
The steward is furnished with a
Dayton wagon and driver. and gen.
orally drives to market about o'clock
in the morning. AT the end of each
month the dealers from whom he buys
send in their bill and he carefully looks
them over. The ones he approves go
to Mr.. w. II. Crook, who is a bonded
paymaster and a sort of second as
sistant secretary to the president. Mr.
Crook submits an itemiZed account of
the monthly expenditures for the table
etc, to the president. The latter never
pays cash for anything which goes on
his table. He pays for everything in
checks drawing them up as the bills
are presented.
Mrs. .Benjamin, typical South Caro-
lima negress, is the regular White
house cook. She comes from Senator
Tillman's old home, and is a mile
minute On fried chicken, hot bread and
pies The president likes her concep
ton of pie crust better than the finest
French pastry. In fact, he would not
give her up for forty French cooks.
On special occasions, though, the stew
ard smuggles in a Frenchman from
New York
The domestic help furnished for the
White house by the government is not
half enough. President Mckinley hires
out of his own pocket his housekeeper,
bedroom maids, cook, coachman, foot
man. stablemen, walters, helpers
for special occasions. The linen, sill
verware, glass and china is all fur
nished by the government through the
superintendent of public buildings and
grounds, an army officer. He promptly
honors all acquisitions made for al
te1ations and additions but Mr.. Nc
Kinley has not asked for any change
in the accommodate He has &C
copied them just as Mr. and Mrs.
Cleveland left them
The steward is responsible for the
stables and horses, but he does not per-
sonally superintend them. The gov
eminent provides a stable building
with about a dozen stalls and a car
riage room. 1t also hires a stable boss
and one helper. Mr.. Mckinley pro-
vides his own footman and coachman
and additional helpers. The present
coachman is young, smooth-faced
negro, quite a fast, but very good
driver. The Mckinley livery is mod
est 1t consists of black silk hats,
long, light, tan coats, which are silver
buttoned down to black boots. The
carriages, three in number, are hand
some, but not ultra swell. The harness
is silver mounted to a degree of good
taste and the horses, six in number,
comes from West Virginia, a heavy
pair from Pennsylvania, and a third
pair is made UP of a Kentucky saddle
horse and a horse presented to Mr..
Mckinley by Mr.. Freshman, of Gin
cinnati, 0. The president has been in
his stable but once. the first day of
his administration, and he does not
seem to take much interest in his
horses