The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-11-13
THE WHITE HOUSE
CHINA COLLECTION
How 1t Happened to Be Started
Mrs. Roosevelt Is Inter-
ested.

10 y A'o a.
White House at Washington one OF the
most interesting historical collectlohs
to be found IN the country. writes AMY
G.. Baker. in the Century. 1t is a COZ
lection of presidential ware-lafgely
composed OF pieces OF china, but also
| containing a few pieces of plate-pesuiN
by Mrs. Roosevelt soon after n oe-
came mistress of the famous old nam
| sion.
The inception of the collection was
almost by accident. While General
Theodore A. Bingham, now police COM
missioner OF Greater New York, was
superintendent of public buildings anu
grounds at Washington. a pos1tloh
House, he found thai there was COM
paratively little of the china or the
plate left which had been used through
the administrations OF the various cflle1
executives.
Before his appointment es superin-
tcnden he had served as military
aide to our American embassies at poth
Berlin and Rome, and While there had
noted the v~eneratton and care bestowed
upon the royal residences and their pe-
longings. 1t did not take him long 10
discover the painful lack in that regard
In the presidents house. Meeting the
writer of this article one day in the
early summer of 1901, he asked her why
she did not write a story. on inc
presidential china In the White House
and awaken an interest in 1t that would
lead to ITS preservation.
How 1t Started.
IF somebody does not do that pretty
soon," he added c1lergetically, there
won't be any left to preserve"
When the article was published
cupied the White House and Colonel
Thos. w. Sy1nons had succeeded as su-
p~erintcndent OF public buildings and
grounds. h article, however, came
under his notice and he called 1t to the
attention of the presidents Wife.
' Mrs. Roosevelt has always taken tho
greatest interest in everything pertain
ing to American history. and h saw
that 1T lay within her power to preserve
at least specimens of the historic ware.
them placed in the lower east corridor
of the mansion, where they could be
inspected by all visitors. and then
asked the writer to come to the White
House and select the pieces OF china
which should he placed IN the cab
inets.
While .nis VIC V Mas being done the
new state dining set which Mrs.
Roosevent had ordered for The White
House arrived and. 'nclualng Ine
were filled with china which was used
during the administrations of Lincoln,
Grant. Hayes Arthur. Harrison, CleVe-
land, Mckinley and RooseNelt-a shell
to GaCn Administration.
In Good Taste.
The china selected by Mrs. Roose-
welt for the state dining, set could not
be in better taste. 1t Is WedgWuod and
is decorated in a simple Colonial pat
tern, with the diverse OF the great seal
%enaInelled in colorS on each side. There
are over 1900 pieces in the set, and TIC
it she ordered 144 pieces OF
glassware. A dinner platter, dinner
breakfast, tea and soup plates, with a
tea and a coffee cup and the saucers
were selected from this set for the col
lection.
Neither Mrs. Mckinley nor Mrs
Cleveland ordered much china for the
executive mansion, but plates and cup
and saucers Of their selection were
placed in the cabinets. The plates
|. selected by Mrs. cleveland We're cNquis-
: lite Wedgwood and Minturn patterns
and one of the odd, flag design bonbor
, dishes, used first at the Cleveland state
, dinners. was also Included on the
!, Cleveland shelf.
i Mrs.. Harrison was very artistic tr
: her tastes, as well as patriotic. anc
|, she greatly desired to have. the golden
/, rod adopted as the national flower
4 When she found tina she would have tt
4 order some new him she designed the
q decoration for it, combining the gold.
enrol and leaf with the Indian corr
and stalk. On each piece his design
With the Goa OF arms of the United
States and a rim of golden stars, was
emblazoned. In addition she selected
many pieces OF cut glass, and they ais
y bear the coat of arms.
Through the public press it was
v made known that the collection haG
i. been started and in order to secur.
their cooperation wherever 1t was pos.
sible the ~scendan of the presidents
I We're correspondent with or seen per-
sonally, and q. number OF Invaluable
e contributions We're secured in that way
From the first Mrs. Roosevelt desired
!, that the collection should be patriotic
and that the pieces for it should be
: either given or loaned rather than pur.
chased. While this has sometime.
added to the difficulty of obtaining The
ware, it has made the collection O
vastly more worth.
They confiscated It.