Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1903-02-25
CHINA FOR WHITE HOUSE.
Mrs. Roosevelt Selects Dinner Set to
Cost About $50, ooO


Welt retires as mistress Of the white
house she viii leave q souvenir which
will endear her to future presidents
wives.
With the change in the interior
decorations an2 arrangements Of the
white house there will be new set
Of china and glassware which will be
the envy Of every housewife in the
country. 1t is doubtful, says the
Washington Star, if there is another
set as handsome in use in the United
States. The price to be paid for this
porcelain service is not divulged, but
it is said that it will be about $4,000
for the 500 or more pieces.
When Mrs. Roosevelt began her
duties in the white house she found
that the china for state occasions and
large receptions had been in use since
1880, having been selected by Mrs.
Hayes. The first social function Civ
en- by President Roosevelt showed
that the service was entirely made
quate. This service is very haad-
some and cost $25, 900, but time and
servants have left their marks upon
it. 1t was designed by Theodore r.
Davis and the decorations we're Amer
lean fauna and flora. Itwas manufac-
tured by Haviland & Co. of France.
The designs were made in water
color, and although in nearly every
instance they were bold and strik-
ing, they were difficult to reproduce
upon porcelain with hard min
eral colors. To successfully accom-
plish this it was necessary to invent
new methods and have recourse to pc
culisr mechanical appliances.
Mrs. Roosevelt sent nearly year
ago for Charles M. Van Heusen, Of
Albany, and commissioned him to
visit the noted factories with theidea
of submitting a collection of china
and glass for inspection. President
Roosevelt was very much interested
in the matter and took part in the dis
cussions relative TO what should be
selected. 1t was decided that the
great seal Of the United States, which
is so rarely seen that few are acquaint-
ed with it, should be enameled on the
service. Then the hunt for samples
commenced.
After several months Of searching
Mr.. Van Heusen submitted to
President and Mrs. Roosevelt 78 diff
ferent and exclusive designs. They
ranged in price from SIS, 900 to $780,
900. Noted decorators of china had
been at work for months, and possibly
never before has there been such a
beautiful collection of original de-
signs in ceramic art presented to the
consideration of anyone with a SIM
liar idea in view. 1t seemed as if
any taste could be gratifed. Deep,
rich reds, beautiful blues and yellows,
rose Du Barrys and the different
shades of green Of the very simplest
treatments that can be imagined
were submitted.
1t was hard matter to arrive at a
selection, but Mrs Roosevelt was de-
termined that The design should be
simple and not at all gaudy. Assist
ed by her husband, Mrs. Roosevelt
finally selected for the white house
service simple colonial pattern in
gold, with the diverse of the great
seal of the United States enameled
in color as the decorative feature. 1t
was made by Wedgwood. This de-
sign will be exclusively for the white
house and copyrighted. 1t is the first
time that the great seal has been used
for such a purpose.
That there might be no flaw in the
service Mrs. Roosevelt declared the
manufacturers should take all the
time they needed to have perfect
set. 1t is expected that the service
will be ready for use in one Of the
January functions in the white
house.
The white house service will con-
sist Of Is dozen dinner plates, ten
dozen breakfast plates, den dozen tea
plates, five dozen bread and butter
plates, ten dozen soup plates, eight
dozen after-dinner coffee cups and
saucers, ten dozen teacups and sau.
GERS, ten dozen oyster plates, ten
dozen fish plates and "a platters
The glassware is also strikingly
beautiful. 1t consists of IA pieces
The goblets are very thin and SC
/ FRAGILE tbat fbo el;orbFoct ,,,,..,, -