The National tribune., 1907-07-25

earetul StuUN Oh tHp tTlSsilldl utSiS ilS anu
colorings of the ceilings and walls of
the old home of George Washington at
Mount Vernon, a likeness of the interior
of the rooms as they We're during the
colonial days has been brought about,
which at present is as nearly a perfect
reproduction of the old style as human
ingenuity can make it. The same stuc-
co work that adorned the walls and was
admired by the people of the olden
days and by the Washington family it.
sci famong others, is still in its place.
Three generations occupied the man.
sion on the eminence overlooking the
beautiful Potomac River. and the hills
in the distance, after George Washing
ton died. Several times during the
time of each family in the house the
walls We're painted and kalSomiEeI uu-
til eventually the original work was
practically covered and buried, perhaps
under an inch of the accumula ton of
the painters brush for many years.
Last year the idea of scraping the
kalsomine and paint from the walls was
suggested to members of the Mount
Vernon Memorial Association. and early
in the Fall II. H. Dodge, the Superin-
tendent of the grounds. was instructed
to secure the services of several artists
and the work was begun. The expert
ment was tried in one of the rooms,
with the result that the original Stucco
WAS lUcdltu- HSil Tile WOEh WIS start
ed with the idea in view of reproducing
the old-time designs and colors all over
the house. Last week the task was fin
ished
Not only the old designs just as they
stood more than century ago, but the
colorings and the various tints and
shades as well, just as they were when
the Father of His Country lived there,
have been brot out by the workmen.
who, instead of the usual way, took off
kalsomine and paint, instead OF putting
it on. The walls and ceilings of every
room on the lower floor were gone over
and scraped thoroly. Afterward the job
was completed by the final touches and
finishing tints, which have transformed
the historic rooms to resemble in color
ing as near as is possible the exact
shades of those of the early days.
The banquet room has been finished
in white and gray, the stucco work on
the ceiling standing out prominently,
just as it did when George Washington
walked under it. day after day, and
year after year. The walls of the parlor
are mauve, with ceiling of gray, and
a touch of gilt done artistically about
the edges of the stucco work
The large, spacious hall, where hum
dreds who were guests of the Washing
ton family first entered the old home
stead. has been finished in robins egg
blue. with gray and white The shades
blend gracefully ard are particularly at
tractive to the eye.
The dining room, with its stucco and
relief work, just as it was a hundred
the original coloring. The walls have
been painted delicate shade of brown
with a ceiling of gray.
The boundary lines and the ap
proaches and driveways to the mansion
are also being improved, and when the
IL Tu r7r.1n- tod ft1xx y-T11 hn r.1n
like they were at the time of Washing
toms occupancy than at any time since.
Mt Vernon is owned by stock COM
pany of women, and not by the Govern
ment, as many believe.
When Congress made the appropria-
ton of $4,000 for the travelling ex-
penses of the President and practically
forbade his accepting any favors from
railroads the country groaned and said
that it was an awful extravaganza and
that it would take more than that to
pay for Presidential trips. There was
time when this would have been true,
but times have changed.
Before President Roosevelt started
on his recent trip of the Middle West
only $4,000 had been expended out of
the s25, 900 fund The expenses of his
last trip will not aggregate S1,100.
His trip to jamestown and up to
Oyster Bay did not cost much, and on
July l the President turned back into
the Treasury some $4,000 of the sum
Set as for him.
Formerly these expeditions were elab-
crate affairs, the travellers being fur
nished with all the extremes of lux
ury that resourceful railway managers
and unlimited cash could produce Spe-
cial trains. with any number of private
cars equipt with the most skillful crews
and stocked with al! the delicacies the
market afforded, were at the disposal of
the President and those whom he Sc
lected as his guests. No expense was
spared in catering to the comfort and
entertainment of the distinguished tray
elers, and the elegance Of the excursions
created universal comment.
Now all this is changed. The trips of
President Roosevelt since the adoption
Of the $4,000 law have been marked
py extreme simplicity. He has travelled
With a reasonable degree of comfort
but there have been none of the sump-
tuous accessories such as made the
trips under the old custom appear like
triumphal tours. There have been no
special trains, no private schedules, and
no banquets served by railway officials.
On the contrary, the President has trav-
eled in such democratic, unpretentious
manner as to cause serious inconVen-
fence to those who were attached to his
party.
Down at the White House they do
not believe in the suction" way of
cleaning carpets.-not any. The 500
odd yards in the big yellow velvet rugs
that lie on the polished floors Of the
East Room are taken out and batte,I
with long sticks exactly as the thrifty
housewife with her 30-odd yards of
body Brussels punches hers before
she puts il away for the Summer These
rugs were taken last week out onto the
green grass in the big back yard Of the
White House, and about a dozen
irawny-armed colored men whacked AT
them for most of one day. Then they
Were rolled up, wrapped, and packed
away till next Autumn.
Secretary Garfield has been elected
President of his Alma Mater. OLD VIII
liams College, New York.
In connection with the stir made over
the departure of Admiral Evans for the
Pacific i story is told of Il boy. a great
admirer OF the Admiral, made happy
thru the gift of his photograph. Little
Herbert Price is at the Home for In
curabies, in Georgetown.
He is a great adnsirer of the Admiral
and when the famous fighter is on a
cruise he follows him from port to port
on a big chart. This fact was recently
hrot IN the Admirable