The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-06
eoME WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
,crs WROUGHT IN ONE SHORT
MONTH. ~

so,ne of the Improvements
ainr Made in the White mousse
r,,rst Baby Voice That Was
In the old Mansion by the
.omac-Thus Far Mrs. Roosevelt
received Only Personal
ds-The Moral Excellence of
~. presidential Character-A SEN
,+ Tbnt Is Not Approved by
the smart set-The Date OF Gen.
n.,in,s wedding Not set-Other
waters of General Interest.
washington, Oct. l.
.a,s new foot on the floor, my
ia new face at the door. my
raw face at the door,
THE old lines recur with force to
.,oso who have occasion to go to the
,t,,ite House in these mid-autumn
,s II does not seem possible that
short month could make such
Ohorges-that the family whicn e%-
tod to occupy the mansion for the
-. three years has gone from 1t for
". even their personal effects all
o,,od and another family already
ssttIed in their places. New carpets
and curtains were hastily pougnt'
aninting and vanishing done and the
,oI bouse-cleaning hurried to COM
~,..;on ahead of the usual time. that
n might be spick and span Tor the
naw mistress. The problem of bedroom
snoce bothered her good deal,> Tor
tbe Youngest President we have ever
nod has the largest number OF chill
5.on The executive mansion, wnile
~,oh in offices and public parlors, is
lamentably short on living rooms.
Though all Mr.. Roosevelt's predeces-
sors except Bachelor Buchanan ana
widower Arthur, have been married
mon several of them were childless.
During the first seventy years OF our
government. the only small folk TO re-
eide in the White House were grand
children of the executive, or relatives
s+iu farther removed. The elder Har-
riSon was tne ldliioA Va eSi''
ler of fourteen children; but in Harri-
sons case those yet living when he
became President were grown up. so
we're Tyler's children by the first wire;
and the seven by his second marriage
wpre horn after he left the White
House. Lincoln brought three lively
bovs with him; Grant two sons and
a daughter; Hayes, Garfield, Arthur
all had half-grown children.
The first baby voice in the old man
sion was heard near the close OF Pres
ident Cleveland's first term. Baby
Mckee grandchild of the second Har-
rison. enjoyed a national reputation for
a time, second only to that of Tad
Lincoln. One of the best home keepers
the White House ever had was Mrs.
Harrison, who was every inch lady.
an artist of some note and a student
of classical literature. besides being
well versed in all affairs of the house.
hold Though there were only three
grandchildren to visit her, seven or
eight adults had to be provided with
rooms during most of the year; and
how to arrange comfortably for them
all and keep a guest chamber besides
in the White House was a regular Chi
-nese puzzle to that worthy woman. She
managed it somehow as she did all
the bothersome things of the home-
life, without troubling her husband
about them. Mrs. Roosevelt, with her
six boys and girls, their maids and
governesses, will inherit the same diff
ficulty-perhaps the more keenly felt
after the spacious Oyster Bay home,
in which all have spread out" at will.
If anything could spoil the Roosevelt
children it will be the foolish way in
which their lightest doings are COM
mented upon in the daily papers. AS
of any claims to distinction on ac-
count of their fathers fame. They
are sturdy, vigorous lot, who have
been reared in the greatest simplic-
Ivy and now the younger boys,
though the sons of a Presi-
dent, will go to the public
schools in Washington, along with the
children of the White House servants.
To many, that looks like carrying
democratic simplicity" trifie too far
TO sufficiently dignity the high place of
the family which stands at the head of
the nation.
So far Mrs. Roosevelt has received no
visitors but her personal friends, being
100 busy with getting settled in her new
nome; although her customary after
noon drive with her children has been
aally enjoyed. The White House is be-
ginning to look home-like and cheerful
again. The new carpet for the great
East Room is good deal like the old
one, which was Mrs. Cleveland's selec-
tlon ana put down five years ago. The
hVe hundred yards required for the
vast apartment is of oak and. saffron
tihts and combines we'll with the old
solo furniture, and walls and ceilings
Vi white and gold. The room that Mrs.
mckinley occupied as a bedroom was
pdpered, painted and decorated in blue
ana WHITE to please her taste. fur
hllure, carpets and all having been her
personal selection. The present much
younger mistress of the mansion is not
particularly fond of blue, as was her
PREDECESSOR, but she has gracefully ex-
TIessed desire that none of Mrs. Nc
hlHley arrangement be altered. This
apartment, situated in the southeast
oorher OF the building, was first used
a. a. bedroom by Mrs. Cleveland, and
men everything in it was decorated
NY I'm her favorite flower, the violet.
"hen the annual season of renovating
sam rolls round and Mrs. Roosevelt
her innings, the sleeping room will
2oaoly change it's hue to rose-pink or
Try her favorite colors. 1t looks as
the simplicity with which the White
Iiouse VIII be ordered for the next few
SSSols VIII continue to be its greatest