The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-19
SOME WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
THE PRESIDENTS WIFE A. BUSY
WOMAN.

Executive Mansion Something
About the White House Table
FurnitUre-Facts About the Visit
of the Prince of siam-Other Mat
tiers of Special Interest.
Washington, oct. 17.-Mrs. Roose-
welt, who is nowadays about the busiest
woman in the country, left yesterday
morning for oyster Bay, TO put in
strenuous" fortnight between her
home there. arranging for the later
removal to Washington. and New York
city, amid shops, milliners and mo-
distes. After her departure, her dot
ing husband-who is now hObbling
about on crutches and showing him
self daily to the delighted public in a
carriage on the avenue-remarked rath-
er disconsolately to a friend that he
was "again a widower. pro tenn
Grass or sod?" said the other. The
President stared for a moment; then,
seeing the point, replied Grass this
time thank Heaven!"
The chances that the Roosevelts
may take possession of the new White
House before winter sets in, grow more
and more remote. Instead of Oct. l,
as was originally planned, it is now
stated that possibly they may have
their Thanksgiving dinner in the re-
modelled mansion, and if not then, the
house will certainly be ready for oc-
cupation before Christmas. When the
new executive offices are completed the
family will be more comfortable in the
Temporary White House because
they can then spread out over the
whole floor now given over to the pub
lie and the Presidents clerks. By the
way, the yellow stories now appear
ing prominently in certain New York
papers that are adverse to the adj
ministration, concerning Mrs. Roose-
velt's extravaganza in buying china for
the White House, are without much
foundation. The fact is that although
great deal of china has
been purchased by the wives of sue
cessive Presidents during the last half
century, the supply is to-day so lin
tied that those pieces which are used
in one course have to be washed to
do duty in another. Doubtless this
hasty washing between courses is re-
sponsible for a vast amount of break
age, and it would have been a matter
of economy if the supply had been
ample in the first place. In the hands
of the average darkey servant espe-
Ltally If he or she be hurried or ex-
cited, fragile china seems to dissolve
like bits of ice under a tropic sun.
Besides, in spite of all precautions,
many of the smaller pieces of table
ware are stolen every year-often sly
ly pocketed by guests as souvenirs.
Most of the china and glass is en-
graved with the coat-of-arms of the
United States and the silver is mark
ed with the words Presidents
House" All of the best linen is en-
broidered with the letters ~. S." The
state table cloths are ten and a half
yards long and bear the lettering in
four different places. The best nap
kins are each as large as a small table
cloth, of the thickest and heaviest of
Irish satin damask, so big and bulky
that to hold them on ones lap is a
burden; and the way they persstently
slide off satin skirts to the floor, in
the midst of ceremonious banquets, oc-
casions much awkwardness on the part
of both guests and servants.
Everybody is cordially interested in
the young heir presumptive to the
throne of Siam, Chowfa Maka Val
quirtbudah, who is spending the week
in Washington. He is a bright-faced,
well-behaved school boy, with skin and
color of an old tan shoe, an earnest
expression of countenance and eyes
that glow like smouldering fires. A
greater contrast cannot be imagined
than this crown prince from the Far
East, and that other young scion of
royalty who so lately preceded him, the
festive Boris of Russia, Prince Maha,
as he is called "for short" says very
little and rarely smiles. He goes about
as If on the gravest kind
of a mission of state and
seems to absorb information
from every source. 1t is said that Mr..
Hays usher was laid up with a lame
tongue the other day, after a formal
dinner which the Secretary of State
gave to the Siamese party. And no
wonder! Think of announcing, in rapid
succession, such a string of names as
his royal highness, Chowfa Maha Va
Jiravudh; Prince Chakrabongse (his
royal highness' brother) Phga Akara
Karadhara, (the Siamese minister in
Washington; Col. Rajavallooh, first
aid-de-camp to the prince), and so on
to the end of the list. Last night the
royal party were entertained by the
Siamese minister, by a banquet at the
Arlington Hotel. with twenty Ameri-
can guests, including Secretary Hay
and others of the cabinet in the city.
Admiral Dewey, Gen. d. B. Sickles,
Gen. Halderman, who was once minis
ter to Siam, and several other gen.
tlemen. The table was nearly hidden
from view under a profusion of La
France and American Beauty roses,
while from the center sprang a foun-
tain with five hundred sprays of Amer
lean Beauties. The entire big ban
quet hall was a veritable bower of
roses, chrysanthemums, palms and
ferns.
The minister from Hayti and Nine.
Leger have returned after a summers
absence to their legation OH K street,
which is the house formerly occupied
by Mr.. and Mrs. John c.. Carlisle when
the former was Secretary of the
Treasury. Nine. Leger has brought
with her for the season her two young
nieces. the Misses Bourke. They are
good-lool1ing and accomplished girls
who will no doubt prove an interesting
acquisition to capital society. Like their
aunt, the Misses Bourke were educated
entirely in France and England, and
speak the languages of those countries
as well as their native Spanish. Sena-
tor and Mrs. Depew are spending this
week at Tuxedo Park where they are
staying at the fashionable club house.
Do you remember the marriage of NJ
Eugene Thiebaut, late first secretary
of the French embassy in this city, to
Nine. de Rengifo, widow of the for
mer minister from Colombia, which
was chronicled in these columns about
a year ago? Well, "the old, old story
has progressed at the usual rate, and
to-day word has been received from
Paris that f- AN.