Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-01-08
.DINED WITHROOSETDLT'
Burnett" Describes Visit to the
White House.
FRANKEsT LIVING AMERICAN
A Wholesome. Laughing Personality,
with a Quick, Sympathetic Interest
Power of the Open Heart.

Madison. Wis, Jan. IL had IL
honor Of lunching with President
Roosevelt the other day at the White
House and no doubt readers of t csc
weekly letters would like to know the
impressions Of a Badger SO far from
home and 10 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 a semi
cicle path OH either hand. 1t was the
holiday season and there was supposed
to be cessation in the strenuous life
OF the president; but once within the
doors. there was business enough GO
inR on. On the asphalt outside Tas a
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
Y,,fIJiD,r &c n ,rf,oIo ie so,11,, ne,od opd
inadequate to its uses, especially for
family with six children as the
Roosevelts have. 1t has long been pro-
posed that a new construction be sub
stituted and this congress will pre-
sumably make a beginning.
The Wait in the Reception Room.
After a tortuous climb and walk 1
found myself in the waiting room
where were dozen people. A com
Portable old gentleman was seated at
& desk whose duty it seemed to be to
ascertain the business Of the visitors,
and from this outer room we were one
by one advanced to another smaller
apartment-the recc ption room Here
was seated at a desk the great Secre-
tary Cortelyou, whe Sc devotion and
aid to President Nc i<inley in life and
death endeared him to all the people.
He was silently sitting huge pile of
correspondence and III assistant at his
side was likewise engaged. Mr.. Cor
telyou began life as a stenographer.
He is quiet aud 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-
sionally disappeared into the cabinet
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 were
celebrated. Senator Mason waddled
out of the cabinet room, shouting after
him an apology to Mr.. 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 We're entitled to
fair play, chatted with Frederick w.
Hollis, the peace commissioner to The
Hague. The only surviving son Of
James G. Blame cam" in to exchange
greetings with Mr. ,rtelyou. He is a
young man OF 80 nov. He writes for
the New FORK 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 Ecspects.
A delegation from the historians