The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-11-11
WASHINGTON LETTER
tspeclal Correspondenee.1

Installed III t1e DHselIeHt HVVAhS VA WV
main building.
The building was In good shape for
the president when he got back the
early part of November. He found his
new chamber fitted out to large ex.
tent with woods from the Philippines.
The Presidents New Office.
The presidents private Office In the
new addition Is a circular room, plain
IN appearance. but light and attractive.
On the east side of this room IL the
cabinet room, and OH the west Is the
private Office of Secretary Carpenter.
The main entrance of the executive
offices, heretofore used as q waiting
room for visitors not officially connect.
ed is to become u lobby, new wait
ing room for the public having been
provided out of the portion of the
building formerly used by the secreta-
ries of presidents as their room.
Ample Railways are provided
throughout the building. The former
office of President Taft has been con-
verted into a congressional waiting
room. and the old cabinet room be-
comes an extra room for clerks.
New Building Cost $4,000.
The contractors have put the work
through IN unusually fast time. They
did not begin to break ground until
the first part Of August and were not
able to do any real work until the
president left Washington about the
9Th of August When they did get to
work, however, three shifts of men
were kept going. every hour of the
day and night.
The building has cost over $4,000
large amount-but Is most substan.
tial throughout. The work has been
done under the superintendent of pub
lie buildings and grounds.
Mrs. Taft's Health Restored.
The smart colony at Washington 10
convinced that Mrs Taft wife OF the
president has been restored to health
During the summer It was believed
that because Mrs. Taft had secluded
herself at Beverly and was not per-
mitted to receive callers she was In a
serious condition. Since her return to
Washington Mrs. Taft has taken occa-
sion to show her friends how well she
Is by doing just the things she had
been accustomed to do before she left
| Washington in the summer.
Interested In the Speedway.
Mrs. Tafts nervous collapse came
suddenly. She has BY no ineans lost
interest In the enterprises she fostered
during the spring, as was manifested
by her desire to visit the speedway
It was through her interest and efforts
that the speedway, road leading
along the shore of the Potomac. was
converted into the fashionable drive
way of the capital and series of band
concerts organized there for the sea-
son. AT the first opportunity which
presented itself after her return to the
capital Mrs Taft attended one of these
concerts and was delighted to see the
long line of motorears and carriages
that nttested its popularity.
The Official Social Season.
A social season OF wild hiiarity can.
not be expected, nor would Ii be were
Mrs. Taft the most robust woman III
the land, for That Is not her taste. but
there IL going to be a well balanced
official season, which will probably go
down III history as unequnled. at least
as a starter for new administration.
Mrs. Louis More and Mr.. Heron. the
sister and brother of Mrs. Taft. are the
guests at the White House. and 1t Is
probable that there will be house
guests all during the winter, as the
president and his wife are VIGOROUSLY
hospitable. Mrs. More attends the the
alter with Mrs. Taft, and they con-
stantly drive about together. but she
will probably rejoin her own family
before the official season begins.
In the Hall Of Fame.
Statuary hall ut the capitol which is
the nearest approach to a national hail
OF fame In Washington. Is to have i've
notable additions In the approaching
winter. Two of them. magnificent
bronze figures of Robert b. Lee and
George Washington, have been sent by
the state of Virginia, mounted on their
pedestals and placed in position. THESE
are to be followed by statues of Gen-
eral Lew Wallace of Indiana, soldier.
statesman and author: john q. Cal
houn OF South Carolina. the protag0-
mist Of Clay and Webster In the days
when the tariff aud slavery were be-
coming live political issues, and George
L. Shoup. who represented Idaho IN
the senate FROM 1890 until 1901. In
diana has fixed the unwilling of the
Wallace statue for Jan. II. 1910, aud
Henry Cabot Lodge, senator from Mas
sachusetts, will make the address
Washington In Bronze.
When the Virginia legislature au-
thorized the Lee statue 1t ordered one
of Washington IN bronze to replace the
old plaster work which was one Of the
earliest placed In statuary hall. Com
pared with the other statues In mar
bic and bronze. II was disgrace to
the state and was kept In the back
ground as much as possible.
The original Washington likeness at
Rlchrnund Is the work Of Houdon, the