The broad ax., 1908-08-01

A4Go A~N0 - A-0AJ ALuuS Jhat A -
years pass a new residence to-
president Of the United States vn ne
come a necessity. So many %
rooms OF the White House n. &
have always been devoted n nuS, uu
and Ofhcial business that the presidan.:
and their families. the tenants A. --,s
Of the people, have always been ~
tied as to sleeping rooms.
A Future Possibility.
The cloudy idea which I'm the tr,u.-
may be embodied In another strnct..e
Is that the nation should SUNNY t-s
residences for the chief executivo ~
Official and a personal one.
The White House, rich as Il Is IN "a.
toric associations, could be used :.
the public office building Of the nro.,
dent, be more accessible TO the cone,
public than 1t now Is and be the 80
fetal theater Of state functions :,
addition, and separate from this r.
executive and his family sbouId ~
given a private residence in some d
sirable section Of the city.
The item in the APPROXIMATIONS I'm
which some interpret as looking fo-.
ward to this provides for the purcbass
Of a tract Of land for park PURPOSES
This tract is about two miles NORTH
Of the White House and easily scca,Sf.
BILE by the Sixteenth street boulevard
Over . Century Old.
1t is almost log years since Geor,u
Washington presided at the LAYING ~
the cornerstone OF the executive man,
sion In the federal city" as he caTla5
the city which was afterward TO boa,
his name. This ceremony took plara
on Oct. Is, 1892, the three hundredth
anniversary OF the landing Of ChristO.
pher Columbus. Eight years were con-
sumed in building the presidents pal
ace" and Washington had been dead
almost a year when the second prest
dent, John Adams, and his wife. abb
gail, took possession Of the mansion.
Despite the cries Of extravaganee
100000 had been granted by congress
for the building and furnishing of the
house. in those days no small sum.
Architect Of the White House.
The plans Of the building, submitted
IN a competition for a prize Of $500.
were drawn by a young Irish architect
Of Charleston, S. c., named James HO-
ban. Since it gained its name. the
White House, from a coat Of white
paint bestowed after its sacking and
burning by the British in the war Of
1872, some inlanders Of reverential
mind cherish the fond idea that the
building IS OF marble. 1t may lose IN
artistic and poetic value when they
learn that It Is built Of sandstone from
Maryland and Virginia quarries.
It was not Hoban's fault that the oc-
eupants OF the nations house had space
limitations placed upon their WELDON
ing and social instincts. His fist
plans called for a three story building,
and IN the third story were to be the
sleeping apartments. An economical
democracy decided that this was Civ
ing the executive too much; that two
stories and a basement should satisfy
all requirements. That Hoban planned
well is shown In the fact that until
1902, when the executive offices were
removed to the annex provided for
them, the building was unchanged eI-
cept for the addition Of porches and
Conservatives and for repairs.
A Historic Herb Patch.
Close to the Dutch garden which
decorates the south side Of the White
House is a little space where herbs
have been raised ever since the first
mistress Of the executive mansion
marked or a spot for a flower IN
closure. There grow minis, savory'
mArjoram and other plants, many Of
which, tradition says, still come from
the roots originally planted. All the
dishes for the presidential table are
seasoned with the products Of this III
tie patch. and the present mistress o.
the White House Is as careful Of this
section Of the grounds as Of the hand
soonest flower bed. She has taken
roots Of spearmInt, marjoram, SWEEP
basil, tarragon and thyme to Oyster
Bay, and she now has at the summer
place one Of the best herb gardens u
Long Island. Parsley, Of course ng-
ures IN the collection, including
French variety, unusually pungent.
New Treasury Pillars.
Long delayed work OF tearing out
the thirty ionic pillars which ornament
the east front Of the treasury building
and replacing them with granite cor
umns Is now going on, and soon inc
last Of the sandstone work viii nave
disappeared, and the entire structure
win be Of granite and marble.
The contract was let for $29s,960 anu
calls Tor the replacing Of the SANDSTONE
pillars with monolith granite.
The granite must match that "
which the north, south and west Wlnss
are constructed and was quarried D.
Milford, N. n.
A Costly Building.
The contract calls for the compieuOH
Of the work By the end OF this year,
but In view Of the delay the time VII
Be extended
The granite pillars are a perfect re