The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-01-27
Home Life Of President Mckinley
and Family.
MARKED BY QUIET AND COMFORT
Organization of the HouSehouid.
Preference for Colored Ser
vantS-IS Routine.

/ WASHINGTON-The housekeeping
side OF the White House is a sealed
book, not only to the people at large
and to the hundreds who daily visit
the President upon missions affecting
to the guests at the respondent state
, dinners which are the chief events OF
the social season at the capital. Con
stantIy lssieged by an army of Off
Gals, high and low, and by others who
! hope for official preferment, the EX-
ecutive Mansion still forms the home
of Mr. and Mrs. Mckinley. And the
! few, principally relatives OF the fami-
| ~, who are admitted within the sacred
home circle, know that it is a home
in reality.
With q host OF servants "a her COM
mand, the mistress Of the White
House exercises a general supervision
over the housekeeping affairs, and
throughout the handsome apartments
there are bright touches which show
the hand OF a mistress. Housekeeping
plays highly important part in the
worlds affairs, and housekeeping at
the Executive Mansion necessarily is
carried on upon a most elaborate
scale.
The chief parsonage connected with
the domestic side of the Presidential
residence is the steward. The present
steward is William T. Sinclair, a col
ored man, and the first of his race TO
housekeeper, Marie Barbery, a young
and rather pretty New Yorker. These
two are practically responsible for ev-
erything.
The leading characteristics of the
Presidents home life are simplicity,
regularity, and comfort. The Presi-
dent is always up by $50 in the morn-
ing, and Mrs. Mckinley seldom sleeps
much later than that hour. Their bed
room is the one used by Mr.. Cleve-
land and his wife. Like all the living
rooms of the White House, it is on the
second floor, and looks out on the rear
grounds. The beds used by the Presi-
dent and his wife stand side by side.
They are medium-sized, comfortable
looking, white-enameled beds, with
sheets of pure linen and covers of
plain white Marseiles.
A private bathroom adjoins the bed
room, and the first thing the President
does in the morning is TO take tepid
bath At S:45 every morning family
prayers are said by the President, in
a drawing room across the main cor
I.idor from the bedroom. Breakfast is
served in the private dining room on
the first floor at O'Clock.
Immediately after breakfast the
President begins work. His busiest
hours are from 10 o'clock in the morn
ing until / o'clock in the afternoon.
Luncheon is always ready at l o'clock,
but frequently the President does not
sit down to the table before .. When
his business is urgent Mrs. Mckinley
generally lunches alone, or with some
visiting friend. This is the rule on
/ Cabinet days. Usually after Cabinet
meeting one of the members takes
! luncheon with the President, and they
discuss whatever may be pressing in
! public affairs.
| On week days dinner is served
promptly at o'clock in the evening,
! LOT
! dinner the President goes to his work
room and dictates correspondence.
/ Midnight is his regular hour for retir-
| ing, but during the war it was often
| long after daylight before he sought
rest.
I In the language of the Washington
market dealers. Mr.. and Mrs. McKin-
! ley are good livers." but not high
Iivers.' There are many private fami-
/ lies in Washington that spend mora
money on their tables, but few that
/ live better. The daily expense of the
Presidents private table does not av-
I erage quite S25. This is, of course
exclusive of the cost of special or state
/ dinners, but it includes the entertain
ment of many visitors. Invariably
there are one or more guests to lunch
con and dineer.
/ Miss Mabel Mckinley, daughter OF
( Abner Mckinley. and Miss Barber
/ Mrs. McKinley's niece. are the most
/ frequent guests who remain over
night. They are both musicians, and
/ Mrs. Mckinley takes great pleasure in
/ in the White House is especially
marked in this Administration, be-
cause the public interest in the domes-
tic side of the two Administrations