The National tribune., 1902-08-21

President johnson was d very generous
man. He used to have table set in the
room which was later used by the stew
ard, and here meals were prepared. and
| the doorkeepers and the help about the
| house did not have to go out to luncheon.
No other President ever did this. to my
knowledge, either before or since the time
of Mr.. Johnson. "
| MRS. Patterson was Il very nice lady
and did the honOrs of fhe White House in
way acceptable to every one with whom
| she was brought in contact. Her hus-
band was at that time Senator from Ten
nessee and the entire family resided at
The Presidents Mansion. The family con-
| sisted also of son and daughter, Mrs.
Slower. with her. two daughters and
son (smau children: Robert johnson, the
oldest son Of. the President, then his pri-
Younger Son. oat Of that entire house
hold there lives today only Mrs. Patter-
son and her son Andrew. both of whom
reside in the neighbOrhood of Greenville,
Tenn,
GRANTS FIRST INAUGURAL.
The first Inauguration of Gen. Grant
was grand affair.
On the evening of March 4, long after
the procession had all passed. youth in
West Point uniform with three or four
menced moving in. l stopped him and
told him the house was closed to visitors.
He said. Il am Gen. Grants son, Fred
l said, "All right. then, sir; you and your
friends can pass in"
Gen. Grant brought all his chief staff
officers with him. Gen. Rawlins, Chief of
Staff; Gen. Dent, his brother-in-law; Gen.
Horace Porter, now Embassador to
France; Gen. Comstock: Gen. Badeau.
who wrote the Memoirs of Grant," and
Gen. o. Z. BabcOck.
Throngs Of people besieged the White
House day after day, so persistently that
it was necessary to put up guard chain
on the inside of the door, in order that
we could open it just wide enough to talk
to the people outside and find out what
they wanted before we attempted to let
them in
UNwELCoME VISITORS.
After the General had been in the
White House some time, as President,
and things got to running smoothly, the
crowd thinned out considerably, SO that
the President could take Il walk. One
evening on his return | opened the door
for him and he said, in Il very quiet way
Il think that fastening. could be taken
off the door now" / said. "All right, Mr..
President: it shall be attended to at once. y
And it was. Gen. Grant and Mrs. Grant
were certainly very popular with the peO-
pie, and the number of people who called
on them, socially, in the evening, was
simply wonderful.
On one occasion some company. called
on Mrs. Grant in the afternoon. There
we several ladies and gentlemen in the
pa -. ] took their cards up to Mrs
Gil; mt, who WAS in the library at the time
and the President was sitting ut the pi.
ano. humping the keys with one hand
/ presented the cards to Mrs. Grant. and
Il ILL
people," He replied. in that dry way OF
his, Mrs. Grant. that's your funeral, moi
mine" and they had good, hearty laugh
over it. She finally went down to ser
the callers for a short time.
GEMS. SHERMAN AND SHERIDAN
When Gen. Sherman or Gen. Sheridan
called on the President, he was always
heard to say. why. Sherman, how do you
dog" or. why, Sheridan. how do you
do: Come in and be seated" There wa.
no formal General about it. but JUS
the address of familiar friendship.
, One day i saw two gentlemen comm;
up the sidewalk II was after 3 o'clOcl
in the afternoon. / said 70 myself, :.
do not think the President VIII see thes
: two gentlemen" ! stepped TO the door an,
met them and said, ..Gentlemen, it is afte
: the hour when the President receives Wis
itOrs." They said, We have an engage
' ment with the President" / said, "Al
right. gentlemen; if that is the case, wall
u in" / went into the inner corridor, an,
: there met the President. who had just Ii
a cigar. and was about to take his even
n ing stroll. l said. Mr.. President, thes
two gentlemen say they have an engage
i ment with you. told them it was afte
your hours for receiving visitors" TIL
4 President Immediately spoke up and said
Yes. l had an engagement with them a
o'clock; it is now after 3 o'clock, and
: must poke my nose ont Of doors bit I,
] get u little fresh air." He said to me
: where are the gentlemen" ! said. al
the little waiting-room, Mr.. President
He stepped to the door and they met hin
Immediately. and he said, Gentlemen