Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-10-17
LIFE IN WHITE HOUSE
CONDITIONS WHICH EXIST IN THE
PRESIDENTS HOME.
HOUSEHOLD is DIVIDED
Provisions for Maintenance is made
quate, Although Much Better Than
was Formerly the Case-Quite an
Allowance Made But President
Has Many Expenses.

Washington, Oct 13.-Life in the
executive mansion at Washington
stands midway between the privacy of
the family and the publicity Of ho-
tel. Perhaps it may be best described
by saying the president and his family
occupy the positions of tenant, leas-
ing for four years a furnished house
with servants, having the privilege OF
adding to the number of regular ser
wants as they please and authority to
dismiss servants attached to the house
and of employing others in their
stead but with a large portion OF their
home open to the general public. Only
the salaries of the servants who go
with the house are paid by the pro
prietOr, Uncle Sam, and if the tenant
desires additional servants, as he
usually does, especially if a married
man, he must pay their wages him
self.
AS the white house is divided into
two distinct parasitic residential por-
ion and the 0ffices-So the presidents
household is divided into four parts
those who belong to the executive
force, who are attached to the house
hold proper, and the police officers AMI
others whose duties are neither wholly
of a domestic nor of an official char
acter and those whose duties appe1
tain exclusively to the household. The
provision for the white house is no
tGriously inadequate. While the ap-
preparations are much more liberal
than was the case some 20 years ago
the various leading officials connected
with the white house are compelled
to resort To every eXpedient in order
to ind ways and means for carrying
on the work intrusted to them. For
instance, in order TO recruit the eXecu-
tive force the secretary of the preSl-
dent is compelled to borrow from the
members of the cabinet the services
Of clerks employed in their depart
ments. borne on their rolls and paid
out of their appropriations, who are
detailed to the white house for tenn
porary duty.
How Force is Increased.
Aside from the police who patrol
the white house grounds, Major Rich
ard E. Sylvester, superintendent of
police, assigns a number of officers to
do duty inside the white house, who
wear the undress uniform of police
officers and are paid out of the appr0-
priation for the district police force.
Tn cir 1ar ThnnHnro A
Bingham, superintendent of public
buildings and grounds, who is prac-
tically chief of staff to the president
major dOmo" he would be called in
Europe-borrows from his various
forces landscape artists, gardeners and
labOrers, to say nothing of the ser
vices of army officers who may be de-
tailed to duty in the executive man
sion. In this manner the president s
household includes large number Of
persons with whom neither the preSi-
dent nor Mrs. Roosevelt has any con-
nection, except that i'll case the pres
lence of any Of them should be dis
tasteful to the president or his wife
they would speedily be replaced,
The president, in addition 10 the
secretaries allowed him, has military
and a naval officer detailed as his
aides, as he is commander-in-ehief Of
the army and navy.
Midway between the doors of the
white house. and the red, blue and
green parlors is a magnificent stained
glass screen, dividing the great recep-
ton haH into two parts Of almost
equal size. At this screen the of
fetal life ends and the private life be
gins What comes before it belongs
largely to the country and is open to
the inspection of visitors. Behind II
lies the domain of Mrs. Roosevelt.
Congress makes an appropriation an
nually toward the maintenance OF the
domestic part of the presidents house
hold, averaging about $500; some
times more and sometimes less.
Duties of Steward.
At the head of the male domestics
is the steward whose position at the
white house is one Of much RESPONSE
bility and OF no little prestige. Aside
from his salary which comes out IF
the government appropriation, he often
receives handsome perquisltes. Ar
the male servants are under his dirac-
ton and all Of the larger affairs of the
domestic household receive his per-
sonal attention. He purchases the
supplies for the household, attends 20
the marketing and sees that the house
is kept i'll order The responsibility
for the perfect arrangement at state
banquets rests on his shoulders, includ-
ing the preparation of elaborate menus
for these occasions. When the presi-
dent leaves the city the steward sees
that his car or train IS properly
stocked, arranges for the transporta-
ton Of the domestics who accompany
the party, and when an extended stay
is contemplated, puts the presidents
summer home in order and sees that
his horses and carriages are ready for
his use when he arrives. For a posi-
ton Of this responsibility President
Roosevelt has decided that he wants
man of his own selection, and has ap-
pointed Thomas Pinckney. a colored
man of Albany, N Y, in the place of
w. I. Sinclair, who was steward under
Cleveland and Mckinley.
To assist him the steward has a
head butler, sometimes called the first
butler, second butler and footman.
as well as a man of all work and sew
eral laborers. One Of his three as
sistants waits on the table when the
family are dining in private and the
others are employed for this purpose
according to the necessities of the oc-