Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-24
At THE WHITE HOUSE
President Did a Good Deal of
Work Today.
FULL FORCE OF CLERKS
WAS OCCUPIED WITH CLEARING
UP THE CORRESPONDENCE.
He Took a Drive in the Morning and
Dined With His Family and
Few Friends.
FULL FORCE OF CLERKS

administration so forcibly exemplified as on
holidays these seasons of general festivity
throughout the country, when all men cease
their labors, being characterized at the
White House by at least the usual amount
of work and sometimes more than on other
days. Today the full force of clerks was
at work in the executive offices, with no
probable cessation until the close of the
official day. Correspondence from all parts
of the country called for their attention, and
from the President himself, who was at his
Office shortly after he had breakfasted, and
from his secretary down to the clerks, tele-
graph operators and the humblest messen-
gers the force of the White House was at
work on the day which the American pub
lie holds sacred to the elusive turkey and
the coy cranberry.
Power to Get Rid Of Work.
President Roosevelt has long been noted
for his power of accomplishment; for his
concentration of effort and for his excep-
tiOnal ability to encompass more than the
average man under parallel circumstances.
His assistants never denied this accom-
plishment, and they are now more than
ever convinced that it Is thoroughly de-
served and that he can get through with
more work In a given time than any man
who has preceded him In the office. Mat
terS which ordinarily, in former adminiStra-
tions, were left to the consideration and
decision of members of the cabinet and
bureau chiefs are now considered at the
White House.
This entails a great amount of corre-
spondence which ordinarily falls upon
other branches of the government service,
but the President is a great man for
work, and believes that the best efforts OF
every man connected with the personnel
of the great piece of machinery which car
ries cut the principles and precepts of the
Constitution are demanded If that result
is to be attained. He has never shirked
work himself; in fact, aches for more than
ordinarily comes to him, and never de-
mands more of a man than he himself Is
ready and capable of covering In the
course of a specified time.
Today he managed to rid his mind of a
great accumulation Of work that had been
placed on his desk and be ready to meet
Mrs. Roosevelt and some of the children
for a drive and ride by II o'clock. 1t had
been generally believed that he would at
tend church this morning, but his DISPOSE
tion is of such an athletic nature that he
felt that an outing for few hours would
be of more actual service to him. and con-
sequently made arrangements for a horse
back ride in the country. The party left
the White House in a carriage, the usual
small corps of secret service men on bi-
cycles accompanying them discreetly near,
and took their way to the outskirts of the
city, where horses awaited them. From
that point they made their way through
the woods in the neighborhood of Chevy
Chase, thoroughly enjoying their ride, and
returned to the White House for luncheon
and to be ready for the great turkey dinner
at half-past seven.
A Family Dinner.
At the dinner this evening there will be
present only the immediate family of the
President and a lew house guests. among
. <I,a lot haiy Nfr ND oil oCS
Robinson and Miss Robinson of New York.
Mr.. Robinson being brother-in-law of the
President Miss Alice Roosevelt, who has
returned from New York, will dine with
her parents and will be the acting mistress
of the White House for the time her father
and Mrs Roosevelt are absent from Wash
ington on their trip to the exposition at st.
Louis They leave tonight at midnight.
A turkey more nearly like an ostrich in
size than the bird with which the mass of
the people are familiar will grace the table
OF the President when he SharpenS his
carving knife this evening and proceeds to
perform the autopsy on the patron ornitho-
logical saint of America. 1t is said that this
wonderful specimen Of the bird fancier' 8
art tips the scale beam at thirty-five pounds.
1t is the gift of Mr.. Horace Vose, whose
Rhode Island turkey farm annually supplies
the President Of the United States, be his
political affiliation what 1t may, with the
finest bird that year produced The GUS
tom dates back to what America considers
almost antiquity, and without the famous
bird from Rhode Island the Thanksgiving
dinner at the White House would seem
lacking In completeness. live turkey
came this year from Minnesota, a present
tc the President, but the bird was such a
magnificent specimen that 1t was decided
at family conference to. send him to the
farm at Oyster Bay, it being felt that he
| might be used to better advantage In i'm
proving the breed of the Presidents turkeys
than in gratifying appetites at the dinner
at the White House.
Chrysanthemums were the principal flow
ers used in the decorations of the table
when the President and his family and
guests sat down to dinner silver candelabra
glass and dazzling danlask lending to the
whole a beautiful effect. The dinner was
| manufactured after the old-fashioned reci-
pes, which are delight to the simple ap-
| petite of the President. mince and pumpkin
| pies and cranberry sauce vying with celery
| and oysters for the place of honor after the
/ unapproachable turkey.
1t is currently reported that Quentin has
| a regular refusal Of the left drum
| stick" and Kermit holds the promise of the
| mate but In this instance 1t Is highly proba-
/ BILE that there will be enough of both to
| give each member of the family party q
! is always a delight for anyone. every age
| admitted, to separate from the springy bones
| which once bore the monster on his way tC
| the fattening pen. .4
| No Callers Today.
| There were no callers at the house or the
| executive offices today, the President 70,
| once being left entirely to his own devices
| and the ordinary mail being attended to he
| took himself out upon his day of recreation
| and thanks for many things. And Presi.
| dent Roosevelt knows what he and every
| other American has to be thankful for to.
| day and did not forget single one of his
\ obligations. TO him the day was an idea
| one and to those who were favored with
| close participation in his 4enjoyments the
| anniversary will be long remembered as
one of the specially delightful days of theil
| lives.
Presidents Message in Printers Hands
| The President has completed his annual
message to Congress aArd 1t now is In the
| hands of the printer: indeed. printed copies
| of the document already have been placed
| before the President Mr.. Roosevelt was
anxious to finish work on the message be-
| fore he started for St. Louis, and for 9
| week or more has been devoting every min.
| ute of his spare time, both night and day
TO the preparation Of tho paper.