Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-10

parlor of the house was not completed for
thrty-siX years after the first occupant
moved in
So small were the appropriations for
furniture that each President down to
Jackson had to bring in part Of his pri-
vate furniture TO make the White House
habitable. When Congress gave Mrs
Madison $1,000 for refurnishing the house
she caused some comment by spending
$4lS of this for a piano and 500 for 4
guitar Part of the remainder was spent
Tor table linen. mirrors. yellow satin
drawing room furniture and damask VIM
dow hangings festoohed in "sunbursts'
But when the building was reconstructed
after the British burnt IL In 1914 $4,000
was appropriated for repair. BY the time
Hayes came in about half million had
been spent on refurnishng. yet this money
had been used TO such poor advantage
that the architects who had charge or
the recent reconstruction found but
half dozen pieces Of furniture which they
regarded as intrinsfcally worth keeping
Instead of adhering to any uniform style
OF artistic decoration. the ephemeral fads
had been adopted. TO the beautiful col
umns Of the front portico had been at
tached heavy iron lanterns, and the great
corridor Of the lower floor was bisected
by a great garish screen OF coIored glass .
The furniture represented about every
style of the cabinetmakers' art, and the
arrangement of the grounds violated
about every tenet of the landscape gar
denerS' art
The eagle screamed loudly whenever
anything was purchased outside the land,
and this began in Madison's time, there
being a furore because some of the arti-
clcs bought with the appropriation for re-
construction. after the fire Of 1914, had
been purchased abroad. Indeed. In 1S4l
Congress went so far as to stipulate that
'all articles purchased for the Presidents
house shall be Of American manufacture.
so far as may be practical and expedient"
*
Political rivals OF Presidents continued
to attack them whenever unusual repair
or redecoration was needed. and as .
result tenants of the White House became
cowed
BY Harrison time the office space had
so overrun the house that guests had to
of the upstairs corridor. and even upon
the billiard table. President Roosevelt
was the first to take the legislative bull
by the horns and ask for relief.
He sent for one OF the leading archi-
tects Of the country. and IL was discovered
that under JeffersOn'S direction two
terraces had been added to the White
House one to the eastward and the other
to the westward. line west terrace IdU
later been used however. as foundation
for greenhouses and that to the east
where the public now enters-had been
removed entirely, to make place first for
cow stable and later for a flower garden
The architect called by Mr.. Roosevelt
ferreted out the original plans OF HOban.
who designed the mansion. and of La
trobe who added the porticOes and ter
races 1t was proposed by the archl-
tect that these plans be carried to COM
pletion and that a temporary office build
ing be erected at the end OF the restored
and completed west terrace.
Congress readily agreed and the recon
struction was effected at cost of $3.50 ,6i1.
future Presidents thereby being assured
a comfortable and decent place Of abode.
JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS.