Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-12-23
Moving Pen Picture of Observ.
anCe of the Nativity from
President Adams Time
to the Present.

III TIC SSiSpTdlloH Oh SIIElStHfdS az 'hO
White House since the days of Presi-
dent Adams to the president. Sun
shine favored most Of the occupants,
the shadows limited to a few.
Mrs. John Adams, the first mistress
of he White House, had an unpleasant
Christmas. The great house was an
nounced ready for occupancy, but When
she reached it from Philadelphia, she
found not a single apartment finished;
no fence, no yard, 40 convenience what
ever. In November, 1900, she wrote
to a friend that she had made a drying
room for the family wash out of tie
great unfinished audience ROOM"
Thomas Jefferson's White House
Christmases were truly on the JEFF
f~ersonian style" He was q WidQWer,
with four daughters, the eldest of
whom, Martha, presided at the White
House during her fathers second adj
miniStration.
While James Madison served two full
terms as president, he and his beauti-
full wife, Dolly" did not spend all of
these in the White House. In August,
1914, the British gave this section a lit
tie surprise party, sacking and burning
the White House and other government
buildings.
In Jackson's Time.
The first Christmas dinner served
after the French methods OF cooking
at the White House was given by Mrs.
James Monroe in 1917. President Mon
roe insisted that the turkey be baked
after the "Ole Virginy" style. Two
daughters, Eliza and Maria, saw that
the holidays were celebrated after the
old style Of the south.
Although it is a matter of history
that in 1926 congress protested against
q bill for the billiard tables for the
White House and declared billiard
playing a species of gambling and
'alarming to the religious, moral and
rejecting portion Of the community,
there was anything but extravaganza
,n the John Quincy Adams administra-
ton.
After the good old style Of Tennessee
President Andrew Jackson saw that
Christmas was properly celebrated
while he was in the White House. He
| was a widower of only a few months
when he became president and calum-
hies had embittered his life.
Marriage in White House.
Four sons but no daughters aided in
making Christmas merry at the White
House during the administration OF
Martin Van Buren,, and under the di-
rection Of Mrs. Angelica Van Buren,, the
presidents daughterinlaw, the holidays
were pleasantly passed.
There was no White House Christ
mas for President Henry Harrison. He
lived but n short month after his
Inauguration and the office was as
sumed by Vice President Tyler, of Vir-
ginia. Letitia Tyler, the presidents
first wife, enjoyed but one Christmas
at the White House. She died in Sep
TENDER, 1912, leaving several children
President Polk had no children and
O. new era dawned at the White House
when Mrs. Polk became mistress there.
of. She was puritanic in her taste and
intolerant in her views There was
little entertainment beyond that de-
manded by official etiquette. Christmas
was celebrated in the simplest manner
possible.
The hero of the war with Mexico
Zachary Taylor, spent but one Christ
mas at the White House, but that one
was pleasant for all inmates. President
Taylor believed in good living and in
extracting all the pleasure possible on
of the holiday season. He died on July
9, 1850, having been in office a little
more thar one year
Shadows in Mansion.
Willard Fillmore, of New York, die
not have a happy occupancy of the
White House and each Christmas was
filed with sadness. Three weeks after
Ills dCCluGnLdl dCCtSSlOu 10 the DTGSl-
dency his wife passed away and the
next year his only child. a daughter
followed the mother.
Shadows and sadness went into the
White House with Franklin Pierce,
Three m died in early youth and
the fourth was killed in a railroad &C.
cident four months before the father
was inaugurated president. Mrs. Pierce
never from the shock and
was in feeble health during her four
years as first lady. There was no happy
Christmas for the heartbroken presi-
dent and his good wife.
Though outwardly a happy man, per-
haps the most wretchedly unhappy
president was James Buchanan, Of
Pennsylvania, who was a bachelor be-
cause the mother OF the young woman
to whom he was engaged objected to
the match and unholy falsehoods were
circulated which caused breaking the
engagement.
While the administration Of Abra-
ham Lincoln was the most mOmentous
in the history OF u government, the
chief executive was never happier than
when seeing the young enjoying them
selves. His three Christmases at the
White House were made even the more
joyous by the fact that he took a lead
ing hand in the festivities of the holi-
days.
EIabor ate Celebrations.
When Vice President Andrew Jack
son took the oath as president he car
risd with him to the White House a
beautiful wife and three young sons.
He also had among his possessions the
southern way Of celebrating Christmas,
and there were lively times at the
White House during the holidays.
During the two terms of President
Grant Christmas was celebrated in the
most elaborate manner at h White
House. Mrs. Grant would not have
thought 1t Christmas without the
Christmas tree and the -four children
were permitted TO invite their young
friends.
President and Mrs. Hayes made a
model home of tie White House, and
the Christmas reunions were among
the happiest events OF the administra-
ton. There was an absence OF Christ
mas cheer in liquid form, but nothing
else was lacking from the holiday bill
of fare to make n occasion entirely
pleasant to inmate and friends.
James A. Garfield, the second pres
! ident to die at the hands of an assassin.
did not live to spend a Christmas at
the White House
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