The Globe-republican., 1901-10-10

The family of President Roosevelt
is the largest that has ever occupied
the White House at Washington. AS
the house has only five bedrooms the
Roosevelts with their six children and
several servants are said to be suffer
ing great Inconvenience.
How these people are going to be
accommodated in house which only
contains five bedrooms, a sitting room.
q dining room and a parIor, is one of
the mysteries which confront Colonel
Theodore Bingham, u s. A
He, by the way, also acts as master
of ceremonies at the Presidents pub
lie receptions.
The White House was the first pub
lie building erected in Washington,
and it's first cost was paid by the states
of Maryland and Virginia. President
Washin gton selected the site.
A prize of $500 for the design was
awarded to a young Irish architect
named James Hoban. who modelled his
design after the castle of the duke of
Leinster, near Dublin.
The corner stone was laid on Oct
I3, 1892. and although the mansion
was not completed, President John
Adams and his family took possession
in 1900.
In 1914 during the British invasion
the White House was almost Quilted
by fire and was only saved from total
destruction by a thunder storm
The work of restoration not
completed until 1918. The building
Is ITO feet long by Sc feet wide, and
the private grounds contain 20 acres
Tt consists of a rustic basement, two
stories and attic.
Having the peculiar characteristics
of public office, which is at the same
time the home of a private family. the
wear and tear upon its household be-
1ongings are almost incredible, and
change in the decorations. The gov
eminent has spent nearly 50. 500. 900 in
repairs the building.
At the present time the first of the
state apartments is the east room
the nations parlor-which is decOrat-
ed in white and gold. Full length pOr-
eEaits of President and Mrs Washing
ton, Jefferson and Lincoln occupy the
panels along the east side, and eight
large mirrors, with three chandeliers
of cut glass add greatly to the mag
nificence of the room From the east
room wide corridor leads into the
state par1ors.
The first of these. called the green
room, is used as music room. and is
furnished tastefully in pale green
plush Next the green room is the
blue room. an eIIiptical room in the
center of the suite The blue room
is the official audience room. where
tiers on their presentation of creden-
tials, and other distin guished guests;
and on such occasions at public recep-
ton and often at less formal gather
ings, the presidential party stands in
line at the upper end of the room
West of the blue is the red
room, which. being the family drawing
room, seems more home-like than the
other parlOrs. with its towering plants
shaded lamps and bric-a-brac- Though
red IS the dominant color, 1t is used
only in subdued tones
Beyond a screen partition is the
family stairway; on the right is the
private dining room. handsomely fur
nlshed in carved mahogany, and at the
end of the corridor is the entrance to
the conservatories- On the left is the
state dining room. lately remcdeled.
where the decorations are in yellow:
and harmonic with the Iavfshly-yild-
ed table ornaments
The eastern portion of the upper
floor is devoted to the executive of
Aces. The end of the central corridor