Evening star., 1901-11-02
WHITE HOUSE KITCHENS
ARE MODELS OF MODERN SANTA
TION AND CLEANLINESS.
Small One for the Family Cooking
and the Big One for State
RanQuets.

Written for The Evening Star.
Mrs. Roosevelt's kitchen-that is. this
kitchen in the Presidents house-is some
thing that is of interest to every woman.
How the Presidents wife keeps house is
OF as much import to the average femi-
nine mind as how the President runs the
affairs of state is to the average masculine
one, SO here Is little description of the
culinary department as Mrs. Roosevelt
found it. The present kitchens In the White
House are directly under the family dining
room and the buffers pantry, in the north
west corner of the basement. The original
kitchen, which was used as such from the
time that Madame Abigail Adams was it's
mistress until Mrs. Lincoln's regime, was
In the central part of the basement, in
What Is now the engine room. The great
fireplace, brick ovens and heating crannies
are still there, but the room is just under
the shadow of the wide front porch, and
must have been a dark place for work at
It's best, That was probably the reason why
Mrs. Lincoln had it changed to it's present
sunny corner.
Furnishing Details.
There are two kitchens, a small one to
the west, and the main one leading out Of
it, which Is about forty feet long by
twenty-five feet wide. Both rooms have
cement floors, while the walls are wains-
coted to the height of six or eight feet
with white tiles. These rooms are supplied
with every modern kitchen appliance Over
on the south side of the large room is a
great hooded range covering almost the
entire wall and provided with numberless
baking and warming ovens. In the center
of the room is a long deal table and sus-
pended from the ceiling directly over it is
mammoth circular swing, on which are
hanging the cooking utensils brass kettles
and pans shining like FURNISHED glass Over
on the north side of the room are two
closets reaching from ceiling to floor. Their
upper parts are ,shelved and filled with
tinware and crockery, while the lower Is
divided into -four. meal and cereal bins
with other compartments for sugar, salt,
spices, and so forth Over on the south
washing, while on the, north, underneath
the big windows with their ground glass
panes, are the side, tables. In the north
east corner of the family Kitchen, which
Is furnished on a smaller scale in the same
manner as the large one, is the dumb b-wait-
er, where the food for the dining room Is
sent up to the buffers pantry.
State Dinner Nights.
AS may be ina giried, it is something of an
undertaking to prepare.an of the viands in
these kitchens, for, the magnificent state
dinners which are given each winter in the
Executive Mansion, but that it is done in
so faultless manner reflects credit upon
those who manage it. The state dining
room is a stately, spacious apartment, but
1t can only seat forty persons and is now
too small for the number of guests who
must be entertained at these official func-
tions. For that reason during the past
three years the tables for these dinners
have been laid in the long corridorS-an eX-
pediency which should make us realize the
necessity of a larger dwelling house for
the President of this great nation.
On the night of state dinner the entire
main floor of the mansion is turned into a
fairyland of beauty. Every nook, corner
and available space is filled with palms,
decorations. Chains Of vari-colored cleo
tric lights are swung across the ceiling,
over the mirrors, and frequently outline the
floral designs. The table is as handsome as
rare buds and blossoms, cut glass, price
less china, silver and fine napery can make
it, while the bill of fare itself is such as
any lady of taste and refinement would
place before her guests at choice dinner.
It usually comprises from six to eight
courses, and Is about two hours in being
served.
An Official Duty.
These dinners are, of course, official az
fairs and are given by the President as
part of his official duties. In consequence
Of this fact 1t would seem natural to fol-
low that the government would pay for
them, but such Is not the case. With the
exception of the music and flowers, the en-
tire expense is borne bs the President. The
cost of each of these dinners rarely falls
below $500, and there three regular
ones-those to the cabinet, the Supreme
Court and the diplomatic corps-besides the
lesser ones which constantly have to be
given the honor Of = distinguished peo-
pie whose duties bring them to the capital
and whose positions make 1t incumbent on
the President to show them this attention,
1t can easily be computed what a drain
these entertainments are on the executive
salary. The government appropriates $2V,-
600 annually for the expenses of the White
House. This includes the s1,SOO paid to the
steward: all servant hire. with the excep-
tion of the cook, eoachman and one maid;
all usual repairs and ordinary refurnish-
ings. The President will pay out of his
own pocket the housekeeper Mrs. Roose-
welt has installed.