The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-27
by w. w. Jermane. Colorado Building,
Washington, p. C.

Washington, Dec. 24.--Mrs. Roose-
welt has been greatly pleased over a
recent opportunity to make a substan-
tlal addition to the historic White
House china in the form of three pieces
from the Jefferson dinner set. These
have been loaned by the owner, in Mas,
sachusetts, who came into possession a
number Of years ago of almost the en-
tire set. The dishes have been properly
tagged, and now are to be seen in cab
met in the basement corridor.
The idea of collecting pieces of
china representative Of each admins
tration from the beginning was evolved
some years ago, but Mrs. Roosevelt has
done more to develop it than any other
presidents wife, and under her foster
ing care the collection, rather scant
when she began her labors, is now as
Stunning respectable proportions. In the
basement corridors there are now some
four or five cabinets holding pieces rep
dents. Each president, it is to be under
stood, selects a design for china as soon
as practicable after taking his oath Of
Office. The china is then made accord
ing to design, the government footing
the bill. and is used until another presi-
dent comes along. IN.
For years there has been a search
for even small piece of the Jefferson
china, but until now this search was
fruitless. The loan, as with various
others, is permanent.
years executive clerk at the Whit
House, is authority on the subject, and
it has been thru him that the search
has been made at various times by
wives of presidents. Colonel Crooks
likes to tell how it was that he discov-
cred, quite accidentally, one Of the Mad
ison plates in secondhand, store in
this city away back in the seventies.
1t is a small tea plate, with narrow
gold rim edging wider pale blue band
encireled by small golden stars; A
another band of gold. In the center
of the plate is medallion, outlined in
gold, and filled with tiny, badly blurred
gold stars. Unfortunately, the White
House has never had a curator whose
duty it was to care for its furnishings,
and it is now impossible to make any
thing like complete collection.
"Altho the Washingtons never lived
in the White House, says Colonel
Crook, ",yet the china they used, both
at Mount Vernon and at the executive
M mansions rs in Philadelphia and New
heading. Luckily for posterity, more
of it is still extant than of the house
hold ware of all the other presidents
combined. Much of their china was
disposed of by will, and has been care
fully handed down from father to son.
"'Most of Mrs. Washington china
went first to her grandson, George
Washington Parke Custis, and included
the Cincinnati and Van Braam sets, to-
gether with numerous other specified
r1a Px1 &c 1oF4 10 III
grandson, George Washington Custis
Lee, the eldest son of General Robert
B.. Lee. During the civil war it was
taken from the ancestral home of the
Lees, at Arlington, and stored for safe
keeping in the patent office in this
| city. When the Arlington estate passed
into the possession of the government
following the war, this china, with
many other /, Washington 2. relics, . was
placed on permanent exhibition in the
national museum in this city, where it
leased it to Miss Mary E. Lee, daughter
Of General Lee, in the summer of 1898
gesThere are to be seen in this inter.
esting and valuable collection many
pieces of the old blue and white earth
enware, some of the gold-rimmed white
French china set, and many r1nclassifed
pieces. There are also more than thirty
| dinner plates and soup plates and num-
erous other dishes such as platters,
gravy bowls, cups saucers, ETC., which
belonged to the Van Braam, and Gin
cinnati sets.
"Because Of the mistake which Loss
ing made in his Home of Washington,
in calling this last-named set. French
china. and in describing it as a gift
to- Mrs. Washington from Lafayette
and his officers, there has been much
apprehension concerning this ware. Any
one who has seen it may detect at a
glance that it is not. of French make.
It bears unmistakable evidence Of
Chinese handicraft. Professor Clarke,
curator of the national museum, who
is probably the best living authority,
has told me that he could find no refer
ence in any of the Washington manu-
scripts to any present of china from
Lafayette or any other French officer