Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1899-09-14
MANY ALTERATIONS MADE IN IN
TERROR ARRANGEMENTS.
COLONIAL STYLE FORSAKEN
Nearly Every Administration, Includ-
ing Mr.. McKinley's, Has Left Its
Imprint on Executive Mansion
Blue Room Entirely Refitted-
Many Other Changes Made.

popularity known as the white house
to maintain its colonial appearance in
its original purity Of style, many
changes have been made in the man
sion and the interior has been altered
until it resembles the original only in
the general arrangement of the rooms
Almost every administration has left
its imprint on the white house, one
adding little here, another taking
away a little there, and others devot-
ing their attention to the fitting or
rearranging Of various portions Of The
mansion.
At the present time alterations and
repairs are being made which will tend
to perpetuate the memory of the Nc
| Kinley administration The most extern
siye are being made to the blue parlor,
or blue room, as 1t is more Familiarity
known, as distinguished from the east,
red and green rooms. In the Harrison
administration the red, green and blue
rooms were refltted at a considerable
expense, the walls being hung with silk
which cost about $12 yard, the tapes
TIES anu blHtl NctOl dllUllo bCMlS
equally fine. Under the second Cleve-
land administration a blind door was
cut from the red room into the blue
room to permit the easy passage of
members Of the receiving party from
one room to tho other behind the line
Mrs. Mckinley is now having the
blue room entirely refitted. The walls
will be hung, as before, with blue bro
caded silk but of a different design
from that just removed, New tapes
tries Of the prevailing shade will be
placed at tho Windows, and the ceiling
Is being redecorated 1t is expected
the room will also be refurnishcd. The
small parlOrs, known as the green, red
and blue rooms are used by the fam
lily of the president as private parlors,
although they are thrown open at pub
lie receptions.
The east room, the only room in the
house of unusual size, is devoted to the
reception of large companies OF guests
and to the general public. 1t has also
just received some retouching at the
hands Of the decorators. The white
paint was soiled about the footboard,
and pieces of the paper on the walls
had been cut off and carried away 10y
relic hunters. The gliding has been
freshened and the great chandeliers,
with their tinlSling glass pendants,
have been taken apart and thoroughly
cleaned
In the private apartments upstairs
the painters and paper-hangers have
been busy for some time. The main
corridor connecting the apartments
with the offices has been painted white,
the old imitation walnut staining hav-
ing been burnt Off AS a result it now
looks bright, cheerful and clean In
the rooms occupied by the family the
| walls have been hung with new paper,
customary in the case of each admins
tration, the rule of private life that the
papering which suits one tenant is re-
jected by the next holding good in the
painting Is being done on the outside
about the doors and windows, but as
the outside was reprinted last summer
1t will not be overhauled until next
summer, at least
The faults OF the executive mansion
and the great desirability of new
and commodous structure, is an old
story. Although the government has
made extensive additions to its Office
buildings, and erected handsome and
commodous buildings for the accom-
mediation of its business departments,
1t has contcnted itself with patching
and repairing the old white house, re-
gardless of the complaints made by its
tenants and the sarcastic comment
evoked by tho incongruities Of its APP
pearance.
The historic traditions of the man
sion could be as well preserved, per-
! haps If the president no longer con-
tinued to reside there. There is
| scarcely any doubt the American peo-
| pie, in view of the interest which has
always attached to the white house,
would gladly bear the expense of keep
ing II as It now stands. as Mount Yer
non and Arlington are maintained
More historic traditions clustered
around the old capitol than about the
white house, hut this fact did not pre-
vent congress from altering 1t to suit
It's convenience and needs whenever de-
sirablc or necessary.
If the white house had never been
altered from the day OF its erection to
the present time. except to make neces-
sary repairs, it would be OF much more
historical interest than it is, or If il
had received extensive additions from
time TO lime, such as the great castles
in England. it would then present ar
interesting app narance. But, as it is
no extensive alterations have ever beer
made, but one president after another
has shipped off little here and added
a little there, inside and outside unit
the white house is neither purely col
onial nor modern. but a patchwork o
both.
The executive mansion is badly 10
Gated. All ground on the south side 0
tire Potomac river WIS originally
swamp land and unhea'say In tht