Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-13
THE DAY ATTHE WHITE HOUSE
Sunny Side Of Christmas Life in
Presidential Families.
SOME SHADOWS NOW AND THEN
MOvinR Pen Picture of the Observ-
ances of the Nativity from Presi-
ident Adams Time 20
the Present..

TO the present. Sunshine favored most OF
the occupants, the shadows limited to a
few.
Mrs. John Adams, the first mistress of
the White House. had an unpleasant
Christmas. The great house was an
nounced ready for occupancy. but when
she reached It from Philadelphia, she
found not a single apartment finished; no
fence, no yard, no convenience whatever.
In November, 1900, she wrote to a friend
that she had made a drying room for the
family wash out of the great unfinished
audience room"
Thomas Jefferson's White House Christ
masses were truly on the "Jeffersonisn
style" He was a widower, with four
daughters, the eldest of whom. Martha,
presided at the White House during her
fathers second administrator.
While James Madison served two full
terms as president, he and his beautiful
wife, dolly" did not spend all of these
in the White House. In August, 1914, the
British gave this section a little surprise
party, sacking and burning the White
House and other government buildings.
In JacksOn's Time.
The first Christmas dinner served after
the French methods Of cooking at the
White House was given by Mrs. James
III III lolls iu' biiAp
that the turkey be baked after the ''ole
virginy" style. Two daughters, Eliza and
Maria, saw that the holidays were cele-
brated after the old style of the south.
Although it is a matter Of history that
In 1925 congress protested against a bill for
the billiard tables for the White House
and declared billiard playing a species of
gambling and alarming to the religious,
moral and rejecting portion of the COM
munity," there was anything but extrav-
agance in the John Quincy Adams admin
istration.
After the good old style Of Tennessee
President Andrew Jackson saw hat Christ
mas was properly celebrated while he was
in the White House. He was a widower
Of only a few months when he became
president and umn had embittered his
life.
Marriage In white House.
Four sons but no daughters aided IN
making Christmas merry at the White
House during the administrator of Martin
Van Buren,, and under the direction of Mrs.
Angelica Van Buren,, the presidents daugh-
ter-in-law, the holidays were pleasantly
passed.
There was no White House Christmas for
President Henry Harrison. He lived but
one short month after his Inauguration
and the office was assumed by Vice Presi-
dent John Tyler OF Virginia. Letitia Tyler,
the presidents first wife, enjoyed but one
Christmas at the White House. She died
in September. 1912, leaving several children.
President Polk had no children and a new
era dawned at the White House when Mrs.
Polk became the mistress thereof. She was
puritanic in her taste and intolerant in her
Views. There was little entertaining beyond
that demanded by official etiquette. Christ
mas was celebrated in the simplest manner
possible.
The hero of the war with Mexico, Zach
cry Taylor, spent but one Christmas at
the White House, but that one was pleas
ant for all inmates. President Taylor be-
lieved in good living and in extracting all
the pleasure possible out of the holiday
season. He died on July 0. 1850. having been
in office a little more than one year.
shadows I'm Mansion.
Millard Fillmore of New York did not
have a happy occupancy of the White
House and each Christmas was filled with
sadness. Three weeks after his accidental
accession to the presidency his wife passed
away and the next year, his only child,
a daughter followed the mother.
Shadows and sadness went into the
White House with Franklin Pierce. Three
sons died in early youth and the fourth
was killed in a railroad accident four
months before the father was inaugurated
president. Mrs. Pierce never recovered
from the shock and was In feeble health
during her four years as the first lady.
There was no happy Christmas for the
heartbroken president and his good wife.
Though outwardly a happy man, perhaps
the most wretchedly unhappy president was
James Buchanan of Pennsylvania, who was
a bachelor bpcausa the nathan Of tho ,,o,.-
woman to whom he was engaged objected
TO the match and unholy falsehoods were
circulated which caused breaking the en-
gagement.
While the administration OF Abraham Lin
coin was the most momentous in the his
tory of our government, the chief executive
was never happier than when seeing the
young enjoying themselves. His three
Christmases at the White House were
made even the more Joyous by the fact that
he took a leading hand in the festivities OF
the holidays.
Elaborate Celebrations.
When Vice President Andrew jackson
took the oath as president he carried with
him to the White House a beautiful wife
and three young sons. He also had among
his possessions the southern way of cele-
brating Christmas, and there were lively
times at the White House during the Holt
days.
During the two terms OF President Grant
Christmas was celebrated in the most elab-
crate manner at the White House. Mrs.
Grant would not have thought it Christmas
without the Christmas tree and the four
children were permitted TO invite their
young friends.
President and Mrs. Hayes made a model
home Of the White House and the Christ,
mas reunions were among the happiest
events OF the administration. There was
an absence Of Christmas cheer in LIQUID
form. but nothing else was lacking from the
holiday bill OF fare to make the occasion
entirely pleasant to Inmate and friends.
James A. Garfield. the second president
TO die at the hands OF an assassin, did not
live to spend a Christmas at the White
House.
Two children. a boy and a girl. went with
their widowed father. Chester A. Arthur,
TO the White House when he became presi-
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