Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-26
WHITE HOUSE VISITORS
SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ASKED
THE USHERS.
Most People Want to See the '.other
Rooms" and Desire to Call
on the President.

Hi'SA frequently put 10 US. repeated one
OF the gentlemanly ushers at the White
House TO a Star mans query this morniu :.
well. that is not difficult 10 answer. and
il is this: Can't We see the other rooms
or Is the east room the only one open TO
the puhlic?'
There are an average OF I.O0o visitors
a day entering the historic portals OF this
building Assuming that 500 people ask
one or the other of these questions day
we hear it 1903 times a week. or l5G0lo
times year. IL the White House were
ot'en, for instance. 3l3 days in the year. as
ii is closed to the public on sundays. and
each one OF the visitors asked the same
question. il would he put 3I3.0l0 times a
year, and this would be record breaker for
any one single question and answer 10 be
asked and responded To every day before
: O'Clock, when the building is closed 10
the general public.
The desire to see the remaining narlo-s
which are closed to the general public Il
surprisingly general and intense. especially
with the ladies'. Some accept our formula
reply. which is, The rooms closed TO
the public except upon order Of the sscrc-
tary to the President in polite silence
ana good grace. while others Will express
their sorrow and regret in a manner which
betokens their real disappointment
As rule the throngs OF visitors who
file in and out all day are quiet. and speak
IN subdued tones, moving around the lower
corridor and in the east room taking I'm
all that may be seen, and nearly all cast
ing wistful glances up the wide staircase
ana toward the closed lower doors indi-
eating their anxiety to penetrate the for
oidden and hidden rscesses beyond OF
course questions are put to us and re-
marks dropped OF every degree and variety,
from asking If their baby isn't real sweet
10 whether the President really works all
night, as Mrs. SO and So said when she
came back from Washington last spring.
IL Is our business to afford the public all
the information We have at our command
and Ii is never any trouble to place this
Information at their disposal.
The Ideas of Some of Our Visitors.
Some OF our citizens have an odd con-
ception OF their citizenship, and Of their
irdividual and collective ownership OF the
government, the White House and the
President and OF his time and attention
Thus. we often hear people say. We pay
for this or We own this or The White
House is our property, too. for we are tax
payers and many different remarks along
similar lines Of thought. Some will at
times show signs OF impotence or of dis
appointment, depending upon their respec-
tive temperaments and dyspeptic qualities
when We tell them that. while the Presi-
dent would no doubt be glad to see them
and make their acquaintance in accordance
" iAfl lutlr expressed desires, he Is rDnSfrain-
ed to limit such meetings by appointment
through the secretary. They think IL so
tunny, as some say. because they cannot
go upstairs and just shake hands When
We cite the rule that visitors having busi-
ness with the President will be admitted
from II to l O'Clock daily. excepting cabi-
net days, so far as public business will
permit. they say, Well. I have business
with him; want to shake hands with him:
that's public business The President
would do little else but shake hands If no
construed this rule as freely as our visit
ors.
When we say that the public receptions
nave been discontinued. they are inclined
to be incredulous. and point to their guide
DOCKS In which 1t is noted that the public
reception days are Mondays. Wednesdays
ana saturdays. These public recaDtions
We're. as Westinghouse know discnntir
ued by President Mckinley at the outbreak
OF the Spanish war. and have never been
revived; The guide books. however. have
NOT mace the necessary correction. In fact
there are many here who are still r,ndar
the impression that these DAYS are kent un
because we have visitors state they were
told so by the clerk at the hotel
Unparalleled Season of Activity.
The past season has been one OF the
heaviest that I can remember in attend
ance. sometimes several thousand peopIe
coming in day. especially when there
are two or three big excursions in town.
Every one OF these tens of thousands ,,f
eAcursionists come here once and Soma
come more than once. Many Of these GET
around the rule as to the President re-
ceiving the public except so far as the
public business will permit. by hunting nm
lheir representative or senator. and re-
questlng him to present them to the Presl-
dent The representative or senator while
wei aware of the tremendous pressure
upon every second Of the Presidents very
limited time for entertaining. cannot deny
the requests of his constituents az the
visitors become once they make them
selves known to him. and he accompanies
them To the White House and they thus
secure the presentation and handshake
which they otherwise would have been
Obliged to forego. This method OF pre-
senting Constituents while not new il
lergely on the increase. to the great graft
hcatfon Of the favored ones
Our visitors all evince silent gratifca-
ton or open expression OF admiration at
the many features of interest in and about
the White House. In fact, the grounds
TINS season are now at their perfection OF
early spring. The flower beds on the front
lawn are radiant with the brilliant color
ings of yellow and Nariegated tulips,
pansieS white ard blue crocuses now in
full flower and beds of Chinese lilies around
the base of the trees or the inner circle
of the drive. The two large magnolia
trees in front of the fountain are a snowy
mass Of blossoms We are often asked the
rame of the two beautiful Towering trees
Immediately behind the magnolias. which
are now dense mass of reddish pink
blossoms. : These two trees among the
prettiest of the many beautiful towering
trees in Washington, are a species of plum
tree, known, L believe, as the scarlet-leaf
variety, the leaves being as red as a piece
Of raw beef and are called by some the
blood-leaf plum. They bear, but the fruit
is small in quantity. In short the impress
sion our visitors take home with them OF
the grounds at this season cannot fail to
Ice lasting. especially those coming down
from the far north, where these trees do
not grow