The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-14
ET II IN HOUSE .
4ssl 4 ftas ,I7ii-F "a y-ASr4s}S ~ ~ ri 3
The Domestic Affairs OF the Prcsi.
dent and Wife.
dent and Wife.
DAIYPOJTINE OF THEIR LIFE.
How Mrs. Mckinley Spends her Time
Every day 81 Tho Expenses OF the
Table-Colorcd Hclp-steward who
Gives a honda South Carolina
!. !, Cook. q. Z. t5i. 5.e 4.

Washington correspondence OF the
Cleveland Leader: TIC housekeeping
side Of the white house IA a sealed book.
not only 4, the people atiarge, the hun
dreds who, daily! visit the President on
missions affecting both nations and In
d!yiduals, but even 10 the guests q the
4 Respondent state dinners. which are the
| chief events OF tho. social season at the
/ capital. Constantly .besfeged by IN
army OF officials, high and low. and 9TH
ers who want to be. the marble halls OF
the executive mansion still FORM the
home OF 1ir.innd Mrs. Mckinley. And
the, few, principally relatives OF the
family, who are admitted within the
sacred home circle, know that It 10 a
home in reality, II,
With! n host OF servants at her COM
mand, tho mistress OF the white house
exercises a1general supervision over
I MISUNDERSTANDING affairs, and through
out the regal apartments there arc
bright touches which show the hand OF
mistress. Housekeeping, after all,
forms a highly important, part In the
worlds affairs, and housekeeping at
the executive mansion Is necessarily
carried on upon. q most elaborate scale,
The chicftpersonage connected with
the domestic side of the presidential
residence ls the steward. The present
steward Is William T.. Sinclair. color
cd man, and the first OF his race to hold
the office. Nxet 10 him comes the
housekeeper,t Marie Barbery, a. rather
pretty young New Yorker. - These two
are practically responsible for every
thing. !. 3 izDR,
The Presidents home life Is model,
with regularity. simplicity, and comfort
as Its main features. He Is always up by
$3.50 In the.morning.s and Mrs. Mckinley
seldom sleeps later. than clock. Their
bedroom Is the same one used by Mr.
Cleveland and his wife Like all the
living roons in the white house, It Is on
the second floor. and looks out on the
rear grounds. The, beds used by the
\ President and his wife stand side by
y side. They are medlum-sized. comforts
& able-looklng, white scnameled beds, with
Ssheets of pure linen. and covers OF plain
sswhite Atarseilles. ~
S3E A private bath room adjoins the bed
room, and the first thing the President
3does In the morning Is to take q tepid
4bath. AT, n Quartersto 0 o'clock every
morning family prayers are said by the
President in the drawing room across
the, main corridor from the bedroom.
breakfast Is servedtin the private din
ling room on the first floor ut o'clock.
Immediately after breakfast the Pres
4 idcnt begins work. His busiest hours
Fare from 10 o'clock In the morning until
III o'clock in the afternoon, but fire.
Esqucntly the President does not sit down
4 to tho. table, before .. When his bust
4 ness IS urgent Mr.. Mckinley lunches
& alone, or with some visiting friend.
This Is especially so onIcablnet days.
1 Usually after q cabinet meeting one OF
yTthe, members will take luncheon with
&the President. and discuss whatever
may: be pressing in public affairs.
81 During the week dinner is served
{ promptly atE7 o'clock In the evening,
nndSon Sundays an hour, earlier. After
dinner the President gees to his work
room"and dictates correspondence. Mid
nights his regular hour. for retiring,
but during the war 1t WINS often long
after daylight before he sought rest.
In the language of the Washington
market dealers Mr.. and Mrs Mckinley
are "goodlivers,, but NOT IhiSh-livers."
!, There nrc many private families in
Washington who spend more money on
their tables. but few who; live better.
The daily expense OF the Presidents
private table does not average quite $95
This is.' of course Exclusive Of special
or state dinners. but 1t includes the en-
tertainmentIof over 800 guests a year.
Invariably there are one or more guests
to luncheon and dinner. W.
Miss Mabel Mckinley. daughter OF
Z Abner Mckinley. and Miss Barber. Mrs.
! Mckinley's niece, the most frequent
4 OF the guests who remain over night
t5They are both: musicians. and Mrs. Nc
kinley takes great pleasure in their
visits. The absence of children in the
white house In this administration Is
{ especially marked, because the public
b interest In the domestic side OF. the two
ndmlniStrationsIi Immediately preceding
was centered In Baby Mckee and the
Cleveland trio, of youngsters. But Mr.
Mckinley and his wife are very fond OF
children. - 80 - ,a.
When they are passing in and out OF
the white house and see little ones
aoout the fportico .or ground they al
ways stop and speak to them. and there
are several little girls In Washington
who Mrs. Mckinley, frequently enter
tains' for a day, Just toEhaYe them
around her. itT%,ly,t iyMf
The active partEof the d6,nest!c du-
ties fall unon' the housekeeper, Her
health will not permi. Mrs. Mckinley 10
assume the active. mnuaCerncrt of such
iaborious household. Yet, she Is rot
Idle moment during the day. The
quantity OF mail she receives Is enor-
nous, and she opens and personally
answers nearly oil Of It.
Charity appeals come to her from all
PARTS OF the country. Women beg for
her infuence.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 sls7
The President very decidedly prefers
coIorcd help. His steward. cook, COACH
man. William T. Sinclair, the present
steward. came from New York. He Is
considered n mos: careful buyer. He
\ served ex-Presdent Cleveland eight
p Yenrs and Mr.. Cleveland recommended
him TO Mr.. Mckinley. His salary, fixed
~ law. and paid by the government, IS
tl'sOo year. He is responsible for nil
fha property OF the United States with
ttaA f.lN l.