Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-16

number, and, as a final stroke, she decided
that she did not want an official steward
that pompous major domo, who since time
lmmemorial, in obedience to established
custom, has guarded the cyockery, bought
the meats and wines, and superintended
in a general way all the internal affairs
Of the White House.
Instead Of a steward, Mrs. Taft decided
that she would have a housekeeper-a
woman, to do a woman's work. And, to
fiji the position, she chose a Eentlcwoman,
Mrs. Jaffray-a clever ana competent per
son, who does all the marketing herself,
and controls all the ordinary domestic ex-
penditures, paying for everything, and sub
hitting her accounts for final audit to the
presidents wife.
Fortunately, Mrs. Taft is relieved to a
great extent OF domestic cares by the
housekeeper, Mrs. Jaffray. All she has to
do in such matters is to exercise a general
supervision. In the morning, after break
fast, which is at $3.50 o'clock) she has a
consultation with Mrs. Jaffray, and de-
oides such questions as have to be sub
mitted to her. There may be certain things
in the way Of food supplies, for example,
which she specially wants.
The food problem at the White House is
one of no small Importance, the quantities
of provisions and groceries required for so
large a household being very great-wtth-
out reckoning the extra supplies demanded
for entertaining. Under the present ad-
minlstration. however, comparatively little
entertaining OF a general character is done.
No longer, as during the Roosevelt regime,
do cow puncherF, rough riders, foreign dig
n~itaries, %clergyrnen, journalists and people
of all sorts meet on an ndiscrlminate
footing about the White House lunch table
every day. Instead, Mrs. Taft holds a
sort of informal reception nearly every
afternoon. to which a limited number Of
friends are invited.
After finishing her business with the
housekeeper Mrs. Taft summons her secre-
tary, Miss Alice Bloch, and attends to her
correspondence. Her letters, before she
receives them, however, have gone through
a certain weedlng-out process. Many hun
dreds Of nmunicRtions addressed to her
reach the White House every month, the
great majority being from total strangers.
All OF them pass through the hands Of a
clerk in the business office of the White
| f1OubS, VIII IlllilStiL OpCilH uilu siio "
those which Mrs. Taft would not care to
be bothered with.
When she is through with her letters
Mrs. Taft is likely to go down town, either
on foot or in an automobile. Like other
women, she likes to shop. II she stays 1t
home she viii see some Of her friends who
call. Lunch is at 1:O o'clock. In the early
afternoon she goes out in the automobile
for e spin over the country roads, return
ing in time to receive her friends, who ar
rive in considerable numbers to partake OF
tea and cake. These little afternoon re-
c~eptlons are held either IN the library up
stairs or in the green room Of the first
floor.
When the mistress Of the White House
wants anything new for housekeeping
purposes she is not obliged to speak to
her husband. She simply summon the
official master Of ceremonies-an army
officer who is charged with the business
OF keeping the mansion and all it's APP
p~urtenances in order-and tells him to do
this or to buy that Her word in such
matters Is the law absolute. ,
Suppose, for Instance, that Mrs. Taft de-
sires q new set of furniture for one OF the
bedrooms. She sends for Colonel Cosby
and tells him what she requires or picks
1t out herself and orders him to pay the
bill. There is always plenty Of money for
such purposes, for congress gives $50, 900
a year for the upkeep OF the White House,
and in addition, 1t a~ppropriates $4,000
every three years for extra repairs"-this
sum being required for renewing ~hangings
and rugs and for recovering with blue silk
the sofas and chairs in the blue room,
-
No plated ware is used in the White
forks and metal dishes that appear on the
presidential table are of pure silver-every
piece Of 1t marked with the American eagle
and the words, Presidents House" No
polace In the old world is maintained on
so complete a scale Of luxury, one OF the
most remarkable features being the cleo
trical equipment. There is an electric ele-
vator, which a child can manage. In the
tpantry is an electric dumbwaiter. and an
electric plate warmer, used when enter
tainments are given. heats 5000 plates in
five minutes. There is, In. addition, a
Machine for cleaning silver by electricity.
In the basemen Of the White House are
two large kitchens adjoining which are the
bedrooms OF the servants, These latter
were in the attic OF the mansion up to the
time when, eight years ago, II was partly
rebuilt. Three cooks are required to pre-
pare the meals, all OF them women, and
three men serve in the dining room and
pantry. Every day is wash-day In the
White House. owing to the great amount
OF clean linen demanded. and three women
are kept at work all the time In the laun-
dry.
Thus It will be seen that the White
House, though a private residence, is on
the scale OF a small hotel. It's manage
ment involves not a little care and re-
sponslbility. But Mrs. TAFT, having ar
ranged the machinery properly allows It
to run Itself. II is safe to say that she
greatly enjoys the business Of being the
first lady in the LAND And why not9 She
has the advantage Of everything that privi-
leKe and plenty OF none can bestow. There
Is no luxury that is not at her instant
-cOmmand-even TO the matter Of flowers.
Of which unlimited quantities are always at
her disposal. She can have a carload OF
roses every day, II she wants them. In the
basement OF the mansion IL a flower
room" as II IL called. In which flowers
and plants IRE prepared for the decoration
Of the dinner table and the rooms up
stairs-an ice chest being kept at all times
fun Of roses and other blossoms.