The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-30
WHITE HOUSE SHUT
TOURISTS TO WASHINGTON MEET
 WITH DISAPPOINTMENT.
Many Refuse to Believe Ttzaf Presfdent Roosevelt sx Not i'm Washington and Demand Peep at Ex-
 eeuxay@s


 Washineton, July 29s--( Special )-- Ever since the President went to his summer home at Oyster Bay the White House has been absolutely closed to visitors.
 This has been sore disappointment 10 tourists. for they dislike to come to washfn gton and go away without having the pleasure of telling their friends at home they entered the historic mansion. Tn spite of the hot weather hundreds of peope arrive here daily.
 They come from all parts of the country; and at this time of the year are enabled to procure from tha rail- roads through the tourist bureaus re- markedly low excursion rates Be- sides there are great many bridal couples who make t q point to in- elude the nations capital stopping place for a few days ct least. The reason for closing the White House is that the old building Is undergoing extensive repairs Something has to be done on this line every year The mansion is a rickety foneern. lt re- quireH many thousands of dollars afl- nualIy to make 1t habitabie Many bad leaks were sprung in the roof this wear. and that is why the army off, cer in charge of public buildings and grounds here found 1t necessary to close the building this summer to visitors.
 For the past decade there has been a movement on foot to have Congress appropriate millions of dollars to erect a new executive mansion on the present site. It was also at one time proposed to use the present White House for offices needed by the Pres. ident and his assistants, and to erect in another part of the city living nIaoe for the head of the nation and his family; but Congress did not lis- ten to the appeal There Is q general sentiment that the old White House should be preserved no matter how much 1t costs to keep up the repalrs;
 The annex known as the executive offices in which the President and his official stan do their work Is pronounc- ed by most intelligent visitors to- De a disgrace to the Government of the United States. Many q lumber concern or d coal company in this country can boast of ofice buildings better fur nished and better appointed than this annex. OGlcials of foreign govern Inents who call upon the President look u,ith utter astonishment upon this one story building. The big room In wticn callers srgt have to finger has an oil cloth covering on the hoor
 The chairs are clumsy and cheap, and there are absolutely no decorations. I O the right as the callers enter is very small room which is used by the rep- resentatlyes of the press associations and the men who hustle up tEe White House news for the local papers. There ara number of telephones in this room and when anything is going on ana if is necessary to rush bulletins these 'phonAs are kept busy The men at work in the room also rattle away on tvnevriters. It Is a cramped and crowded little room. and has very few if any comforts, but it Is the pest that can be had at present, ana the writers who occupy 1t are thankIul tnat they even have this much space allowed them. . 4. vatt out in the big reception room, ana if ia not often that they can md a scat nr 1et a place at the one table In the rao1 to write urgent dispatches. They are con,pelled to either so to their or 6ces ar to the main offices or the tele- graph companiss ,,
 Ii is an astonishing tact that even III tbis dull summer season a large per eantoSe of the visitors imagine that tha presIdent is still in town. They 70 to fhe executive offices expecting to so. ,iinonse of him. When told that a9 Oyster Bay they do not believe tba attaches of the buildlng, ana keeI tns,sting that as 1t is their first visit to Washtngton they think as free born Ar,arIcan citizens they ought to have tha risht to place their optics at least ,,..a,, iha head of the nation, even II tha,, cannot have the privilege of shak- ,,ssr hts band or conversing with him.
 Te, ana women by the score go there ..eh taav Of course if not accompa- nied by a Senator or Representative or sor1. 1overnment official they cannot oossihiy even get a look at the Presi- sert Several of the secret service n,ar state that nearly every day wher tha prestaent Is in the city women will | insist mat there ought to be window froro which the visitors could take 2 ias1tr at inc President. Almost invari. shIv when informed that there is nc such peeping privilege theSe ieilaie ViS' | itors go away mad .. - AL. Not infrequently they pour tnei l abuse upon the building stan and de | clare that but for their lnterferenc' they would be permitted 10 get a peer at the head of the natloh. Al thls U l very amusing to Preslaeht hooseNeit | who likes to hear what IS sald 70 m men intrusted to keeping him protected | from the visits of the crowds wh' | gather at the offices
 Tt ia estimated that within the nexl seven months the new union railroad ! station will havb been completed, and win be in good order. This Will be oni | of the finest stations in the world ! with it's system of tunnels and the new