The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-06-09
IN THE ROOSEVELT HOME
UPSTAIRS IN THE WHITE HOUSE
SACRED FROM INTRUSION.
Curious Visitors Denied Admittanee
| There-chambers. once Public
Offices, Now Reserved for
Guests-Attic Used

Upstairs in the White House un.
7 der the reign Of the Boosevolts Is a
sacred and exclusive domain. How
ever the sovereign people may roam
through the lower rooms; however.
they may Justly claim that the
grounds are their own, when they go
mp one night they find that just as
an Euglishman's home is his castle,
so are the upper floors inviolatc and
strictly the privatc residence Of an
American gentleman and his family.
/ II never was exclusive during ear
. lier administrations, mainly because
/ onc.third OF the second or residential
/ floor was occupied by officers and
| the stairs leading thereto were trod-
den by the feet OF thousands of Of
fee seekers and other persons who
hoped TO get something from the
president That part Of the great
corridor running length-wise through
the middle of the mansion which Is
directly over the East room was util-
! ized as an autedood. chairs being set
along its walls for the waits" while
a table for the newspaper reporters
stood in the middle of the space
the result being that the privacy of
the executive household was serious
lly impaired.
with the remodeling OF the his
'toric dwelling. four years ago, all OF
Tis was done away with. and the
former Offices were suitably trans
formed for domestic use. Only the
fortunate and privileged guest is
now permitted to view the precincts,
forbidden to the multitude. above the
ground noor-the latter including
the famous East room (but barring
the private dining room) being in ef-
feet the public portion of the man
sion employed for Official rather
than Ior private purposes.
As might be imagined there never
was n time when the general public
WAS allowed. for the purpose OF
gratifying an innocent curiosity, TO
inspect the rooms at the White
House. Put now more than ever,
owing TO the modified ARRANGEMENTS.
and particularly in consequence OF
a special eNclusiveness OF the Roose-
velts. the upstairs department Of the
dwelling has ACQUIRED. from the view.
point OF the vulgar, a certain quasi
mysterious interest Visitors from
afar gravely speculate I'm regard to
the arrangement and furnishing OF
tie bed chambers, and would especi-
ally like to know how the members
Cf the family are distributed. where
the bedroom of the president and
his wife is located. what quarters are
allotted 10 Miss Ethel and the BOYS.
and so on. But the uniformed guards
on the premises. when questions OF
the Kind are addressed 10 them only
shake their heads, refusing informa-
tion.
Now. inasmuch rs access to the
,penetralia from below is denied. It
may be rs well to elude the guards.
iimaG nary visitor by taking him
through the roof. where there
is a convenient scuttle. II
is flat roof. comfortable to
walk upon, and in the mid
die of It there is tall Flagstaff
whic.. in itself-or rather the flag
that floats from it's an object of
no small interest. For this flag Is
not only a patriotic emblem. but also
a signal. giving notice of the where
abouts of the president. When Mr.
Roosevelt is in Washington II Is al-
ways to he seen waving proudly alo't,
but in his absence, though for onlY
a day. II Is hauled DOWN. and the
pole stands bare and naked.
Rv way of q short fight of stars
leading IN from the flagstaff TO the
roof of the portico on the south
front of the building-now the rear.
but anciently the main facade OF the
mansion, by which road ran-the
visitor may be readily conducted to
a small trap door. which, being OPEN
ed. gives admittance TO the attic.
This attic one may say. Is rather an
interesting portion of the structure,
roomy, old fashioned (after the men
ner of the typical attic of a coloniaO.
and extending over the entire length
and breadth Of the building. That
Is TO say. II was old fashioned until
the somewhat radical alterations
we're made by Mr.. Roosevelt Up TO
that time II was n sort OF curiosity
shop, filled with all manner of odds
and ends, including articles OF fur
niture discarded aud left over from
earlier administrations. There 100, a
fairly spacious room Of red cedar, in
which the president and his family
kept their summer clothing In win
ter and their winter clothing in the
summer time.
II used 10 be said, and currently
believed, that the attic was haunted
hv the Ghost OF President william
Henry Harrison. who died in e
White House early In his administra-
tion. Several OF the negro SER
wants emploved there at various
times declared that they had them
"edves hehold he specter: and Uncle
Jerry" Simpson, whose services dat