The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-28

In the season Of state dinners there are
two autocrats OF the White House. One is
the President. and the other is steward
The one proposes, the other disposes.
Though the President chooses his guests,
the steward may cut down the list. In
deed. at this season the President surrend-
ers his place as head of the first house
hold OF the land. Before the great
Dewey dined days were spent pruning
the list Of guests TO the limit prescribed
by the autocrat of the kitchen. Many a
man of rank owes his rejection on that
occasion. not TO the President. but 10 the
steward. who declared that juggling with
the board for an eternity would not make
space for one man beyond the seventy -four
provided for The White House now has
! two kitchens, a private dining room. a
state dining-room. and the great corridor
for emergencies. In this new kitchen all
the preparations are made for the great
state dinners. The oil kitchen still ans
wers the demands made upon Il by the
modest entertainments OF the President s
family. The new kitchen, though complete
and convenient, is not elaborate. The room
is about twenty-five feet square and well
lighted Along one side runs the great
range, fully fifteen feet long, with its
warming racks covered with an enormous
hood. Along the walls are the sinks,
shelves. and tables. Running down the
centre Of the room is long table for the
convenience OF the cooks As in all the
basement rooms OF the White House the
increscent arches which support the ceiling
and the structure overhead may mar the
effect for SOME. Near the kitchen are the
china closets and supply stores
Contrary to all traditions, the supplies
for the White House dinners are obtained
in open market. Such is the excellence of
the Washington markets that it would
scarcely be necessary to arrange for these
supplies before ordering the dinner. In
former days the White House fowls. meats
and fish, were obtained direct from farm or
shore. This is no longer the practice. The
White House steward merely advises his
tradesmen beforehand of the coming date
OF the dinner and its probable menu and
the choicest products obtainable are gath
cred for his inspection.
The market opens at o'clock and short
ly after that hour is overrun with the buy
ers for the Washington hotels and the pro-
yiders for the scores of private families
who entertain lavishly during the social
season. II therefore behooyes the White
House steward 10 make an early visit. He
is invariably among the first He chooses
for his dinner the finest meats TO be OBJ
tanned OF the score or more OF butchers
he chooses the finest fish and shell fish
from the fish stalls and the choicest vege-
tables from farmers He has his own wag-
on and driver and as soon as his shopping
list Is exhausted the purchases are driven
direct to the White House BY eight O'Clock
that morning the preparation Of the din
ner has begun.
The usual kitchen force of the White
House consists Of one cook and a couple OF
helpers. For the preparation OF the state
dinners three French chefs are employed.
They require two helpers each and the
kitchen is a scene Of sizzling activity for
the day. There are meats to be boiled and
baked and roasted; vegetables TO be pre-
pared, soups brewed and fancy dishes ar
ranged. The bread used is also baked at
the White House. The steward takes little
part in this preparation, however. though |
he superintends all. His task has been the |
compilation Of the menu and choosing of |
the china and the setting and decoration of |
the table. But as he is responsible for all 1
he superintends each in detail.
Setting the Table.
II the number OF guests exceed fifty the |
table is spread in the centre Of the corri- |
dor. II less, the state dining room is |
used. II is interesting TO note the at |
tempts which have been successfully made |
TO increase the seating capacity of the !
state dining room. The original table was |
a rectangular affair. seating thirty-six |
guests. When this became Inadequate a |
shell was constructed similar in outline |
TO the figure g. which. placed atop the Ia |
BILE. increased the seating capacity TO fifty. |
The number OF guests, then, controls the |
choice Of the dining-room. During the |
afternoon the table is prepared and its |
setting arranged. For this purpose the |
steward chooses one Of the many sets of |
china belonging to the White House. Each |
mistress Of the White House has exercis-
ed her inclination in the choice Of sery- |
ice and handed 1t down to succeeding Ad- |
manifestations as a valuable souvenir OF the |
makers art during that period. The re- /
suit has been the accumulation of half
score OF china services. each fully ade-
quste even for one of the great diners
given at this day. One OF the services in
use today was designed and ordered by
Mrs. Lincoln another by Mrs Grant, an
other by Mrs. Harrison; Mrs. Cleveland
contributed two exceedingly beautiful
services, and another will mark Mrs. Nc
KInley's regime.
The size OF these services may be better |
understood when IL is known that one OF |
Mrs. Cleyelands services consists of thr- |
ty dozen dishes. One OF Mrs. Cleveland's |
services is invariably used at the dinners
today. II is considered the most beautiful |
al the White House Around the fiange OF /
the plates is a broad band OF rich red. |
The other pieces are similarly decorated, |
with plain centres. All the White House /
services are decorated in the best of taste.
The coat Of arms Of the United States is
included in the decoration. The silver and |
glass service is extremely modest. There /
is none of the wealth of silver and cut /
glass SO frequently displayed on the Ia
bles Of many OF our multi millionaires
The glasses are cut simply with the Presi-