The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1902-01-10
DINED WITH ROOSEVELT
Burnett" Describes a Visit to the
White House.
FRANKEST LIVING AMERICAN
A Wholesome, Laughing Personality,
with Quick, sympathetic Interest
Power of the Open Heart.

Roosevelt the other day at the White
House and no doubt readers of these
weekly letters would like to know the
impressions of a Badger so far from
home and in so distinctive a setting.
A sign "Closed' was across the
White House entrance to greet the
eye after the considerable walk in
side the irOn-fenced grounds by semi
cicle path on either hand. 1t was the
holiday season and there was supposed
to be a cessation in the strenuous life
of the president; but once within the
doors, there was business enough go
ing on. On the asphalt outside was
presumptive guard, a man informally
watching the OccasiOnals who came to
the entrance, and inside the portals
were one or two officials who cOurte-
ously directed the visitors upstairs to
the reception rooms, if their coming
had the color of privilege.
The left end of the low, wide White
House is given over to the official bus
mess life of the president; and the
opposite end to the living apartments
of the family. These last, however,
are large, high. stately rooms that sug
gest their official character. The
building as q whole is sadly aged and
inadequate to it's uses, especially for
a family with six children as the
Roosevelts have. 1t has long been pro
posed that Il new construction be sub
stituted and this congress will pre-
sumably make a beginning.
The Wait in tho Reception Room.
After Il tortuOuS climb and walk |
found Myself in the waiting room
where were a dozen people. A com
Portable old gentleman was seated at
a desk whose duty it seemed to be to
ascertain the business of the visitors,
and from this outer room we We're one
by one advanced to another smaller
apartment-the reception room. Here
was seated at desk the great Secre-
tary COrtelyOu, whose devotion and
aid to President Mckinley in life and
death endeared him to all the people.
He was silently sitting d huge pile Of
correspondence and an assistant at his
side was likewise engaged. Mr.. Cor
telyOu began life as a StenOgrapher.
He is quiet and unaffected and the
newspaper men are very fond of him.
He spoke to each of the visitors,
learned the nature of our business,
whether social or otherwise, and occa-
room, from which came vigorous
sOunds-nOW hearty laughter, again
vigorous declarations Those of us
who were waiting were strangers to
each other, but we were Americans.
AS we listened we smiled. A touch
of the presidential strenuousness made
us akin.
1t was an interesting wait Some of
the people who came and went We're
celebrated. Senator Mason Waddled
out of the cabinet room, shouting after
him an apology to "NIr. President for
taxing his time Professor Gunton the
economist Of New York city, who has
insisted in his magazine that protec.
ton and vested wealth were entitled to
faiy play, chatted with Frederick w.
Hollis, the peace commissioner to The
Hague. The only surviving son Of
greetings with Mr.. COrtelyOu. He is a
young man of 80 now. He writes for
the New York Tribune and was in
Washington for a holiday visit to his
mother, who makes her home there. l
knew the boy in Maine when he wore
knickerbOckerS and the town sprink-
Ter ran away with him down Rhines'
hill. We boys collected stamps and
Jim had the inside on fresh depart
ment issues and we held him up with
apples and other inadequate compen-
SatiOn.
Historians Pay Respects.
A delegation from the historians
y
Charles Francis Adams, Professor
Jameson of Chicago and others. A
fat, puffy old darkey come into the
room whenever Cortelyou pressed the
button and carried messages some
where. One does not see such colored
men north. He had benignity, a def
.erence. a pride in his work that saw
-ored of the Old Dominion. There is
charm, in fact. about all the auspices
of the White House, in all depart
ments. There is a spirit of order and
dignity, but no austerity or monarch
ial snobbishness. 1t is such quiet SIM
plicity and cordial dignity as befit the
official headquarters and typical home
of the republic.
Roosevelt Comes in with Dash.
At last the period of waiting was
over. The door of the cabinet room
opened and before it could close with