The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-11-29

Z
leave the White House and drive to the
Icapitol with the man who Is TO become
his successor, and the president of the
United States VIII 60 TO the White
| House TO take up the reins of govern
ment. For one man it Will be the
Iproudest day in the history of his life;
for Theodore Roosevelt it VIII be a
memorable anniversary. tinged with the
sadness which, since the beginning Of
the nation, has been felt by every form
er president of the United States, says
the milwaukee Sentinel.
The retirement of a president from
the White House is a pathetic milestone
in the lives not only of the president
and family but in the lives of the
household staff of the mansion. Many
of these officials, earetakers and serv-
ants have served for years. The average
term Of a president nowadays is eight
/ wears. and in this time friendships are
formed between the family of the ex-
eeutive and the people gathered about
them to serve them. President Roose-
velt's young children have practically
/
| House. The leave taking viii be,
naturally, sorrowful for them, as well
as for the doorkeepers, messengers and
attendants who have been their COM
panions for seven years.
The actual moving of one family out
| of and another family into the White
House is simple operation, attracting
in itself but little attention on the part
of the families concerned, and none at
all on the part of the general public.
Preparations are being made in adj
vance personal effects quietly packed,
and possessions sent to the future home
The leave taking on the part of the re-
firing president, his wife and children
consists only of the goOdbyes said and
the handshakes given. For the White
I House is entirely furnished by the gov
eminent. The furniture, carpets, rugs,
draperies, linen, plate, glassware
everything is placed there by Uncle
Sam. These articles are not removed
| by the retiring president, but remain
| for the use of other executives until
Congress sees fit to replace them.
No preparations have yet been made
for the removal of President Roosevelt
and his family, although he has but a
| few more months as tenant of the White
1 House This summer the mansion is be-
ing painted within and placed in "apple
pie - order. No new furniture is being
added, however.
In the winter the president will begin
preparations for leaving, the details of
which will be under the personal diree
| tiOn of Secretary Loeb and Colonel
Cromwell. superintendent of public
buildings and grounds. In the first
place, all the papers which have ac-
cumulated in the White House during
the last seven years will be carefully
looked into by the president and his
| Office staff. All personal papers will be
packed and sent to Oyster Bay; all
| official papers and documents will be
sent to the various executive depart
ments of the government, according to
the usual custom. Then the personal
effects of the ROosevelts will be packed
and early in the year viii be sent to
the Sycamore Hill home. Steward
Pinkey, President Roosevelt s colored
servant, will take charge of this work,
directed by Mr.. Loeb.
With everything necessary to COM
Portable living provided by the govern
ment, President Roosevelt has added
but comparatively few pieces of fur
niture to the place which has been his
home for so long. In 1902 the White
House was remodeled and refurnished
so that in furnishings it is quite COM
plete, modern and in good condition.
Many presents, useful and ornament
al, have been given to the president
and his family. however. and these will
~ e. - L.
problem of moving. Although the pres
ident has a magnificent library. it is
1t Oyster BAY. and he has, eomparative-
ly speaking. few of his own books at
the White House, although for the aver
age man those which he keeps near
him in Washington would constitute a
large library. The books. of course,
viii be shipped to Oyster Bay with the
other effects.
The White House contains a library
on the second floor. over the blue room, /
but it is not up to date. Some time ago
the library of congress catalogued it Z
and found many volumes missing
These, doubtless, were taken away from /.
the shelves by relic hunters, with which /.
the White House, in former years es-
peeially, has swarmed. The average .
man of culture and moderate means
possesses a larger library than the of /
fetal White House library, which is
much smaller than the president 5
library at Sycamore Hill.
Of those who have long been asso-
eiated with the White House. none viii
witness the departure of the Roosevelt
family with greater regret than Colonel
w. III. Crook, the veteran disbursing of
ticer of the White House, who entered
the executive mansion service in the
first term of President Lincoln and has (
been there ever since. He has seen
every president say farewell to the
White House since the war.
"The departure of president is one
of the saddest things l know" said
Colonel Crook. 81 am scarcely able to
describe the emotions I have felt in
saying goodby to the different presi-
dents under whom l have served and
the members Of their families I be-
lieve ] never felt quite so badly as
when President Cleveland retired at the
close of his first term, and perhaps they
felt il keenly, too. Mrs. Cleveland re-
NAMED until the last moment on the
of March +. lOath to take her
departure She visited the different