The National tribune., 1904-04-07

know their prayer books. They can tell
you just when and where it was manu-
featured, how much it probably cost. and
very often just exactly how many family
hands it has passed through up to now.
1t happened SO about the famous fruit
bowl. A dear old lady i'm Georgetown
hearing of Mrs. Harrisons inquiry, set
about tracing the bowl up, and found be-
yond the shadow of a doubt that it had
belonged to Dolly Madison! She identified
it through Virginia records as belonging
to the set of Dolly Madison china which
the British destroyed so wantonly when
they burned the White House in 1914
The bowl is i'm blue and gold, and is
held by standard. the upright shaft of
which bears exquisite figures of the
Three Graces," and it is nearly two feet
in hight. The bowl has wide band of
gold, then q narrower curved rim of the
blue, followed by a wide band of small
gold dots. outlined with threads of blue
and gold. Medallions of gold decorate the
bottom Of the bowl and the same design
is carried out in the standard. This is one
of the most valua BILE treasures of the
White House collection. There ought to
be a full set of the Dolly Madison silver
spoons, but when Mrs. Cleveland cnme
back to the White House the second time,
she found the table silverware short, and
took those precious spoons, very heavy
and clumsy, it is true, to the silversmith
and had them melted and made into two
dozen lighter-weisht spoons. l saw the
guarantee given by the silversmith that
the silver used in the spoons returned TO
Mrs. Cleveland was the same which she
gave him in the heavier spoons, and that
the Ighter-weight spoons were exact cop
les of the Dolly Madison spoons. These
were perfectly plain and had small,
heavy beading of silver around the edge of
the handles. The new spoons will bend
at touch, almost.
Going through the old accounts in the
Treasury Department to trace vouchers
for money which has been paid for White
House china, it has been found that only
five Presidents have purchased full sets
of china for the White House. They were
Presidents Lincoln. Grant, Hayes, Harri-
son and Roosevelt. President Cleveland
purchased an almost complete set of china
and an enormous quantity of cut glass.
Other Presidents have bought largely, but
the Presidents named bought full sets of
china sufficient to entertain dinner parties
of So guests. Usually 10 dozen Of each
piece is purchased, so that some leeway
will be given for breakage during an Ad-
mnistratiOn. 1t is not possible to enter
tain comfortably i'm the State Dining Room
above 80 guests. though few more are
sometimes added. Yet, ont of this enor-
nous purchase of dishes Of the finest man.
ufacture, at the end Of an Administration,
it is difficult to scare up enough china to
set table for 30. And by the time the
new President gets into the White House
there will not be enough of the predeces-
sor's china left to give q luncheon to a
dozen people. That used to be the rule,
but there seems to be a change for the
better in this respect, since Mrs. Roose-
welt came into the White House. She is
immensely interested in everything Of
that kind. and it is through her efforts
that provision is now made for gathering
and preserving the choicest bits of White
House China. Very handsome cabinets
have been placed in the basement of the
White House. and in these, under lock
and key, but in plain view. and properly
labelled, are samples of china used by
about a dozen Presidents in the White
House.
The Lincoln china is the oldest of
which there is any quantity left. 1t was
fine white china with a reddish-purple
border and the Great Seal of the United
States in the center. There is large fish
platter, tall fruit dish, water pitcher
and two plates of the Lincoln china in the
cabinet collection.
The Grant china was pure white with a
border of pale yellow. and each piece bears
the c0at-Of-armS OF the United States, and
an American wild flower in the center of
each dish. Of this set. long fsh-platter,
a tall fruit dish i'm open work pattern. a
small compete. breakfast plate. a tea
plate and small butter plates are in the
cabinet
The Hayes china was the wonder of the
country when it first went to the White
House. 1t was painted to order, and all
the fishes of the water. birds of the air,
beasts of the field. and lilies that toiled not
neither spun. with luscious fruits. formed
the decorations of the fish. meat, fruit and
other sets of the Hayes china. 1t was
not pretty. 1t was dark and heavy looking.
and it marred the beauty of the dainty
White House linen. Its artistic merit was
without cavil. if you wanted to frame it
and hang it on the wall. but as tableware
it was distinctly an artistic nightmare. A
great many specimens of this china are
yet in the White House.
The Harrison china, of which but little
remains, was dainty and artistic like the
mistress of the White House. who was an
artist Of rare merit herself. and who de-
signed the china for that Administration.
1t was pure white, with the eaat-Of-a arms
of the United States, and a branch of
golden-rod and stalks of, Indian corn. Sew
erai Of the finer pieces of the Harrison cut
glass are also preserved.
The Roosevelt china is of finest wedge
wood, and each piece bears q simple Co
l0nial device in gold. with the diverse of
the Great Seal of the United States enam-
elled in colors.
Among the scattering bits of china are
two or three plates of the selections made