The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-19
SANTA CLAUS REMINISCENCFdQ
By JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS

house Christmascs forsvov n
good old grandpa died af.c- When
ident but few weeks, peing ID.
III was through the aid of sanuut pert,I
who knows THAT the son" u,a "a CipU
cd little boy did have farr ,alsappS:|
inlcudes in the samo ,,ery tss~
where he became tho seco"s a'Ie ha,|
kce. Vi haby y
President Van Burcn did -.
Kris Kringlc much charco "a1 gyt
the White house. for his cb;ii22f ;ii2f IN
all grown and dignilica w5"n 5In.on a
IN. while no grandchi!dren :, me ne IN
til after he moved out. "iived
Old Hickory's vuload,.
But inst before ''Littlo ",
therein the big house had sm;as a
Claus full well. for il boS Siuited 81,
the laughter of a merry GROW, 'uag
who gladdened the heart ~ ,sp o. oits
less and now widowed And7eu.ne .ne
These were the children ~ = Jaskr.
aent @ S ADOPTED son, Andrew JseSs;opp' JF; p,
ana p5 ms private secretary AZ AZ;
Donaldson And before Old M.sn MHa,n
mad come John Quincy Adams. nts''| nes'|
lamsy OF scns, but they VIZ, w sIi
olu t93T SANTA Claus when thov az
into the I" Presidents palacs ), ao'<
was called in those days s,s y
seemed very quiet at holiday u i;m. !
ont n little girl such as ,s p.Ml w
Monroe had brought there w;s ;.ssl
] This was little Maria. wbo -ha ~
teen whc- her father was o,a.sss, ,"s ~
who was destined TO be the Sse1, S,'s ~ ~
house bride She had como -. mlr
! brilliant but cbildcss admin;..,s.
President Madison. who had nnIn ,u'.
son. Payne Todd. wild and Ia AZ 9e
youth, who dIsgraced and d;ssns?a'
his mother, Mrs. Madison. iussp0IiI ins
ing of the great and good friend, n +
santa SS S!aus. here was one, the ssl,
Dolly Madison. who presided y
the White house sixteen years j.
eight years during her second /.
bands administration and eioM =.
during that of his predecessor H.
owed Thomas Jefferson. Shs
| Christmas presents in Abundance s'
one Of the happieSt Christmas My,9-
in the White house was ono ., ~
she cut the steaming mince nis a.,
httle grandchildren Of President IL n
| ferscn.
First White House Xmas Bshv
And. going back lust one adminaA-
ton more, wo now come 10 ;hs e.
White house youngsters whom old h
hriuole cun remember. In tho ~
of 1900 this Presidents s uaIacen i,
rs yet unfinished when its frs, ~.
moved in He came aIopg with b
rest Of the moving from philadrlsl
where the national capital had forr,.
ly been, and brought with him M
mite of four, Susanna, the orphan n y
son Charles II IS related that 8 N
set of dishes which Santa Claus brts
this little girl one Christmas was sr,,
ed all 10 pieces by 4 little plsy-tl
who had been overcome with ensy
the sight of such pretty TOYS. but II,
Mistress Susanna. so the story q.
J got her revenge bv biting oil the y,
I Of this naughty little girls new 81
doll. which opened and shut ,s ev
Susanna Adams s little cousins, NJ
Smith children. sometimes came d
| stayed with her in the then cold q
draughty house, in whose uufmhH
east room-the scene Of mort Of n
later Christmas festlvities-linen 81
now drying. And one of these s0sf1
was Master John Smith, who usi
drive his grandfather around the W.
house corridors in strenuous gaEa
horse. during which the prcsider.
the United States was unmeTcift,r
slashed with willow switch.
George Washington enjoyed 10 W.
house Chrlstmases, for the simple q
son that he never lived in tho W.
house. Nor did he have any childru
his own to enjoy the day with an
the presidential mansion in New ~
and Philadelphia, where he lived Vi.
he was the chief magistrate Of the ~
But before becoming president,
father of his country had adopted
wife IS grandchildren. George and y
lie Custis, who were eight and ten Je
old when they were brought along "
their grandmother on her trurn@
Journey from Mount Vernon 70 ihe
porary presidential "palace" IN 4
York. Old Santa Claus FeTfrl
these youngsters as yividly as % c,
any Of the real White house eana
who came after them; and be riol;
full well the many consplracle' d
with the great general to give
happy Yuletide surprises.