The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-24
IN THE WHITE HOUSE DOORWAY
L Footprint of a Child That Refuses
to he EnucPd-

If anyone doubts the democratic char
aCter of American institutions il is only
necessary for him 10 pause for moment
today upon entering the main door o5 IN
official home of the President OF the Unit
cd States and cast Il glance downward to
the floor There upon the sheet of cop
per which forms the threshold as plain
and distinct as If it had been drawn by
an artist no less distinguished than Lit
tie Billy of Trilby fame is the imprint
of childs bare foot Every lire and
curve is easily discerned. and the FIVE
tiny toes show up as clearly as the thumb
marks which .PudG'nhgad ~ SON took
of the Missouri babies on his strips Of
glass Nor can this chiId'S FOOTPRINT be
effaCed until in she course of time 1t shall
wear away by constant stepping on the
copper. and the srrubbiug md washing
which it from time to time receives
In vain did Jerry the old ccl,rcd fani-
tor Of the Executive Mansion. labor with
securing soap and acid yesterday to re-
move this foot print, 50 conspicuous upon
the White House threshold His brush
only served 10 Eive It a brighter Iustre
and to bring out the imprint more dis
tinctIy
Deed. Massa' Jimmie he remarked
to Policeman JamisoG. who stood on duty
at the doorway, folks talks about de
footprints on de sans o time but dey
washes away q heap easier dan dish heah
one" And Jerry limbcred his old rheu-
matte elbows in an effort TO polish the
imprint from the copper. without success.
Visitors at the White House yesterday
and there were scores of them as there
are every day even throughout the sum
mer when the President is away stop
ped and looked with d strange expression
upon their faces upon this little outline Of
child's foot. Presidents. Senators. dip
lomats. jurists Of high renoTu. in their
embroidered CATERS and their polished
patent leather boots. have time and again
passed across this step. but left not a
trace Of their presence behind. The cor
rfdor has resounded to the tread of the
makers OF law and the makers Of histo-
ty- yet not one Of them has left 50 much
as heel print upon the cold hard foor>
ing. IT remained Tor q ragged uTchiR 20
leave the impress Of his foot where
great men have walked and left not
mark
The little fellow wandered in yesterday
wearing straw hat whose tatJercd bTim
Topped over his bright eyes This, with
pair Of knee trousers and q shiTtwajstr
constituted all the raImeat which he wore
He stroHad into the spacious East Room
saw himself II the big mirrors and was
not a5ashcd. With a score of other visit
OTIS ne viewed the handsome oil portraits
OF George and Martha Washington and
Lincoln Then he looked up at the spark
ling chandeliers until his visit was sur
feiled with wonders For a time he sat
upon one Of the soft GivanS swinging his
bare SUnbUTHt feet. Then he saUHteTCd
slowly cut and al uucuu-cie51sly lett the
peculiar imprint Of his foot upon the
threshold.
People who saw 81 yesterday wondered
if such a thing could be possible upon the
threshold Of Windsor Castle. in TIE ElySee
in Paris in Der Kaiserliche Schluss in
Berlin. or any of the palaces Of the rulers
Of any other nation OF the world They
wondered if a barefoot boy would be vel
coined in any Of these mansions inhabited
by the royalty and bIue-biCoded ariSloc-
raCy of the old world