The National tribune., 1906-07-05

is served and sometimes dinner on the
south portico, the one which looks out
on the storied Potomac, with the velvety
circle and the fountains and the great
trees and the Washington Monument in
between. The White House is far from
i~being maEsion-in fact. plenty of s5,-
0G9-a-year clerks in Washington are
housed more handsomely than the Pres
ident, yet the great big rambling old
barn of White House is so full of ten
der memories and delightful as well as
sorry associations that no one whe en-
fers 1t fails to be touched by the charm
of 1t.
Housekeeping at the White House
does not bother Mrs. Roosevelt in the
least. She never knows what comes in,
nor does she care; neither does she
know what goes out, and she cares less.
There Is housekeeper and a steward
and an army of help" maids, porters,
cooks and the like. Mrs Roosevelt new
er has TO bother her head about the
menus for the meals. The steward. SIN
fclair-not the Jungle" man, thank
heaven-but light-colored black man
who has the most Chesterfieldian man
ners. does all the marketing. 1t is not
probable that the mistress of the White
House ever makes a suggestion as to
what shall appear on the table except
In very rare instances. The best that
the market affords goes to the White
House. yet the menu is usually simple.
THE Roosevelts are blessed with good
healthy appetites and are hearty eaters
All the china, crystal, silverware and
table linen are Government property;
that is, the Government is supposed to
keep on hand full supply of all such
appurtenances both for the dining room
end the kitchen. As matter of fact,
however each President has pieced out
with his own silver and china When
there is state dinner or anything of
That kind the whole business is put in
The hands of a caterer outside the White
House. and he brings to the tables all
the silver. crystal and china. The White
House linen is used; he brings all the
baked meats, the salads and all that
sort of thing right into the kitchen, and
simply takes possession for the few
hours. The reason for this is that the
White House menage is not run on 4
sumptuous plan, and there are not
dishes of one kind sufficient to lay COW
ers for more than so people, and the
White House dinners have run up to
nearly 199 covers. while the banquets
are even larger. So a caterer brings
enough of one kind of ware to lay COW
ers for all the guests.
Hill. There she bosses and sees to
everything. None of the White House
servants go there with her. They re-
main in charge of the White House dur
ing the Summer. Mrs. Roosevelt early
in the Spring had sent to the Sycamore
Hill home a lot of fine bulbs shrubbery
and plants from the Botanical Gardens,
and it Is said that these are all in fine
shape to welcome the homecoming of
the RooseveltS. The President went
Saturday evening.
When at Sycamore Hill the President
transacts just as little business as pos
sibie. and refuses himself to all except
invited guests. He considers that when
he is off on his vacation he should not
be worried with anybody or anything
that can be put off till he returns to
Washington. Most of all does he dislike
TO have anybody break in on him down
there with a political spiel" He is
pretty well guarded, and only those peo-
pie whom he wishes to see ever get a
glimpse of him. He is the delight of
his sons when at Oyster Bay, and they
have grand times together. They go on
long tramps among the hills: they have
fishing excursions picnics when the wo-
men of the house can join them, and
most of the grub is cooked over a
campfire.
And red tape gets a black eye while
d young officer is getting justice.
The President has decided to send to
the Senate the nomination of Second
| Lieut.. Vernon W. Boiler, goth Inf, to be
First Lieutenant. and has thereby glad
| dened the hearts of no less than so
| young infantry officers. whose promo
: ton has been blocked for just year.
When Lieut.. Boiler originally came
! up for promotion something in his rec
I ord operated to prevent the Department
! from sending in the nomination. Mean
while the names of Is Second Lieuten-
ants below him in his grade We're sent
| TO Senate for promotion. But Boiler
/ demanded a Court of Inquiry. and al
though the Senate had confirmed the is
! nominations the President withheld
their commissions and acceded to Boil
! ler's request The court has now found
/ that the officer was wrongfully denied
| promCtio in the first place. so he will
now be nominated as First Lieuten-
ant While the court has been at work
and the case has been under considera-
ton AZ other Second Lieutenants have
been held back from promotion. making
( the list of detentions just 60 In number,
and all of these will now move up.
Because the meat-inspection amend
ment 20 the Agricultural appropriation
bill was not sent to conference by the
Senate last Monday week. Senator Rev
eridge cabled to Paris canceling his en-
& gagement to speak there on July be
fore the American Chamber of COM
merce.
Senator Bailey. of Texas, ought 10
take the rest cure. He is growing wasp
fsh. Here is n nasty thing he said the
other day which is uncalled for and not
Just exactly in accord with Mr. Bailey's
weli-known courtesy to a high office:
Il think the honor of the (PrcsIden-
tiai office, together with the salary is
quite enough as it now stands. l did
not know that 1t is absolutely necessary
that the present incumbent of that Of
flee should have additional compensa-
tion, for that is what il Is. But If 1t is
necessary that anybody should have IL
! airobab bly, he is the one who needs it.
understand the expenses at the White
House have been increased something
like 100000 under this Administration
OF course. / do not know that this /.
true. II Ii Is true, all | have TO say /.
that the President has cost more and
been worth less to the country thar
anyone we have ever had"
Playing soldier will not be as plcasan
this year as il was last for the maneuvel
camps authorized by the War Depart
nent The following from the "boss'
IS significant:
''It is the purpose of the Department
In carrying out the scheme of instruc
ton. TO approximate. on the march ant