The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-12-01
THANKSGIVING AT THE WHITE
HOUSE
From Wednesdays Daily:


On Thanksgiving Day there will b,
spread at the first home of the nation
the White House in Washington
a typical, old-fashioned New England
dinner. 1t will be dinner that woult
have gladdened the heart of a Pill
grim in the rock-ribbed days of yore
The president and his family are o.
the old New England strain; they love
home life, plain and substantial, an(
are lusty people with good appetites
The Thanksgiving turkey is already
waiting to grace the table of the
president and Is the pride of a flock Ct
fancy birds owned by Horace Vose, q
New England turkey breeder. 1t has
been his custom for many years tc
send the presiden a fowl at both
Thanksgiving and Christmas Mr.
Vose takes special care of the presi
dental bird, feeding it with nuts and
other special foods that insure a care
full fattening up to a week before
Thanksgiving.
The dinner at the White House last
year was of the old-time Thanksgiv
ing sort, with it's roast turkey, boiled
Virginia ham, pies and nuts. And the
one for the present season has beer
planned along the same lines. There
will even be Old-fashiOned apple cider
but very few up-to-the-minute frills
1t has been the aim of Mrs. Taft tt
convert the White House into a home
instead of temporary abiding place
and she has succeeded to a marked
degree. There will be no suggestion
of football games, country club din
ners, etc.; instead, there will be the
reversion to the customs of the gen
leration of our grandmothers.
Mrs. Taft will superintend all The
details of the dinner personally. Fo
weeks the White House staff has beer
preparing for it. Every corner of The
great white mansion has been give1
4 thorough cleaning. The master flor
ist of the government will decorat,
the home with his choicest blooms
and finally everything will be made
ready for the piece de resistance
the wonderful New England turkey
In most ways Thanksgiving at -
nations first home is much like h
at other homes. The children Ie+n-l
from their respective schools tc~ thei
vacations. There are nc grandchi
dren in the presidential family, bu
there are :1any nephews aId nieces
who consider a Thanksgiving span
at the White z s. es the best tina
cou, POSSIBLY . raised anywhere
Bot of tn Il tcys bring school
mates home ' = them, and Miss Hell
en- has lrequ J invited one or more
If her friends tc La present.
After the Thanksgiving breakfas
at the White House everyone goes II
church. A light lunch at noon keep
away hunger until turkey time, anC
at 1870 the table is ready for dime
in the state dining room. There IS
sparkle of cut glass, with rich ARA,
of damask and bloom.
The president sits at the head 0
the table and draws the carving knit
across the steel and, just like othe
American fathers, Mr.. Taft dishes
Iout-a little white meat, little darl
meat, and some dressing, please. The
come the vegetables of the good ole
fashioned sort-mashed potatoes
cranberry sauce, mashed turnips, boi
ed onions, steamed carrots, caulif1oN
er and celery. The table fairly groan
beneath the weight of the goo
things, and the youngsters are at it j
the same way as the children of Tol
Jones, the carpenter, who lives jus
down the street.
The official housekeeper at tn
White House purchases all the ed
bles at the Washington markets, wit
| the exception of one or two thing
Mrs. Taft may herself prefer to selec
The housekeeper goes to markt
each day, and everything is purchase
in season, so that the White Hous
table may always have a bountif,
supply of the choicest the market
afford.