Evening star., 1909-03-04

the door opening at the head of these
stairs. and down the eastern half of the
stairway TO the wraproOms, and thence
eastward through the east terrace to their
carriages. The people in lines thus make
a complete circuit, those who have shaken
hands with the President passing, in go
ing down the divided stairs, those who
are about to meet him coming up. The
arrangement works perfectly, and there is
never any confusion.
The Main Floor.
The main floor of the White House
that floor to which the public is admitted
when it appears at the north entrance,
facing Pennsylvania avenue-is devoted
to what may be termed the state apart
ments, as opposed to the rooms given
over to the family life of the President.
The only family room on this floor is the
private dining room, small, handsomely
furnished apartment In the northwest
corner of the building, into which visitors
are sometimes permitted to peep There
is large pantry directly west of the pri-
vate dining ROOM
The visitor enters the White House
through the north, or Pennsylvania ave
nue.. entrance. AS he passes the portals
Of the rather small swinging plate glass
doors, where a vigilant usher is always
which in itself constitutes a magnificent
apartment A few feet from the door, set
in the flooring of Joliet stone, is the seal
of the President of the United States, In
brass and circular in form. The Ameri-
can eagle with shield and arrows in the
talons in the center of this piece. sur
rounded by the words: 1.-THE Seal Of the
President of the United States" few
feet farther on an oval design in brass,
also set in the floor, gives the dates Of the
haprinninor
House and the date of its remodeling as
it is today-'1792-1902." Its border con-
ssts of forty-five stars, representing the
states. The colors of the walls and cell
ing are buff and white, and six large col
umns of marble impress the eye. The
spaces between these columns are filled
with tubs of Istrian stone filled with
palms and plants, and extending the full
height Of the east and west walls are
two broad plate-glass mirrors set in
frames of gold. On the west wall of the
grand hall hangs the Sargent portrait Of
President Roosevelt, executed in 1903, and
facing him on the opposite wall is the
Murphy portrait Of the late President Nc
Kinley. These are the only portraits In
the hall. Bronze standards carrying cleo
trio bulbs and a bronze lantern furnish
the light for this room.
The State Dining Room.
Passing westward through the wide cor
ridor, the visitor approaches the entrance
to the state dining room, magnificent
apartment in the southwestern part Of
the building, large enough to seat about
100 guests at the table. The walls are
paneled from floor to ceiling in oak.
richly carved; the chandelier and wall
branches are of silver, and heads of
American game are used around the
frieze. The ceiling. in stucco. is elabo-
rately decorated. There is an India car
y,af in, nm hn0r
chairs are upholstered in tapestry. The
draperies are in green velvet.
Two tapestries. one bearing a text from
Virgils Eighth Ecloque, are OF Flemlsh
workmanship of the seventeenth century,
reading:
"Nysa is given in marriage! What may
not we lovers expect?
"Griffins now shall mate with horses,
and in the succeeding age the timorous
does shall come to drink with dogs.
Begin with me, my flute. Macmillan
strains.
"Neopsus, cut fresh nuptial torches: for
a wife is on the point of being brought
home"
The state dining room measures 40 by
GO feet, is 81 feet from floor to ceiling,
and is the second largest room in the
White House. the east room being the
largest
room into the red room, lying directly east
of the former apartment. The wainscot-
ing in the red room is in white and
enamel. The wall covering and the cur
tains are of red damask, but the feature
of this room is the many fine oil paint
ings of the Presidents and one of Martha
Washington, hanging upon its walls. They
are all mounted in heavy gold frames,
and include Washington. JEFFERSON,
Adams, Madison, Monroe, Zachary ray
carved mahogany cabinet of delicate ORR
entail design containing number or male
and female Japanese figures. Inc capl-
net was a present to Mrs. Roosevelt from
the japanese legation
The Beautiful Blue Room.
The blue room oval in shape, is direct
ly south of the main hall and between
the red room and the east room, with
windows and doors opening on the south
portico Rarely beautiful in its proper
tions and colorings. the blue room has
been made still more beautiful by the
recent changes in the interior or the
White House, and it is by many consld-
cred the most beautiful apartment In the
building.
The furniture is in white and gold. up
holstered in blue and gold. The mantel
in this room. new one placed during
the recent alteration, is OF pure white
marble with bronze tips and feathers:
the wainscoting is in white enamel: the
wall covering is of heavy corded blue
silk. on which is embroidered at top and
bottom the Grecian fret; the curtain
hangings of the same material as the
wall coverings. are embroidered with
stars. and the curtain poles are sur
rounded by gilt eagles. The Grecian fret
appears also in the ceiling. Blind doors
are in the walls near the southern end
OF the room. and at receptions the guests
coming from the red room pass the re-
ceiYing party standing in single line di-
rectly in front of the windows The
guests especially invited to share the blue
room with the receiving party face the
President. a silken cord Is stretched
across the room from door to door to in
sure freedom of passage for the guests
while being presented.
On the mantel in the blue room stands
the massive gold clock presented by La
fayette to George Washington. The clock
is kept running every day. and is said
to be an excellent timekeeper.
Rich Velvet Hangings.
The green room occupies the same rel
ative space on the eastern and southern
side of the White House as the red room
does on the western side, and. like that
room has doors communicating with the
blue room. One door also opens into
the large east ROOM and another into
the main corridor behind the reception
hall. The wall coverings and curtains of
this room are copied from an old piece
of Genoese velvet. Nearly everything In
this room is new including the mantel
the furniture. the rug. the mirror the
crystal chandelier and sideIights and the
andirons.
Large oil paintings of the Presidents
adorn the walls OF the green room, the
largest being a full-length portrait of