Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-08-17
EARLIER WASH DAYS
AT THE white HOUSE
Abigail Adams Is Said to Have
Dried Her Clothes in the
Famous East Room.
From the Denver Times.

From the Denver Times.
1t is doubtful if any woman familiar
With the lives OF the mistresses of the
White House YER entered the east room
without recalling visions-sordid ones
OF the time when its first mistress, abb
gail Adams, had the laundry dried in
the big room.
Many momentous events have trans
pired there-the social history of the
mansion is replete with them and Off
cial history has written them down,
from weddings of White House daugh-
tiers to weddings and funerals of presi-
dents; but standing out sharply from
stories of these are two which women
o to tell-of the time when Mrs. Abb
gall Adams hung her wash in the place:
and the time when dear Mistress Molly
Madison, aided by some gentlemen
there at the time. had the full length
paintng OF Washington taken down
from the east room wall and secreted
burn it. as they were then engaged In
burning everything which was of value
I'm the infant capital.
Time brings many changes in senti-
ment. as in other things. and descend
ants of some of the men who pillage the
White House. looking on this splendid
portrait OF Washington, by Stuart. de-
clare themselves glad that a brave
woman's wit saved it for the world OF
art; though patriotism was he9 only
motive.
Just a Common Meal.
The story has been told that a BAN
quet was in preparation at the White
House on that August day. 1914, when
the British, after the battle of Gladens.
burg. Md.-a few miles northeast of the
city-entered Washington; and that
President and Mrs. Madison and all the
official household fed to VIRGINIA, leav.
invaders. One OF the British present
vouched for this story In his reminis.
cences, but it has been denied by some
of the White House attaches of that
day.
Some are inclined to believe that ~
was just one of Mistress Dolly's ordin-
airy meals that they enjoyed; for it has
been said by some delicate gentleman
who thought Mistress Madison toe
buxom, in appearance and taste, that
her dinners We're more like harvest
suppers for hard working men than re-
pasts for ladies and gentlemen" 1t
was a social sin which thousands for
gave generous Mistress Madison, and
even her spirit-could it return-would
have tainted at sight of invited crowds
turned away thirsty and unrefreshed:
even by a glass of lemonade. in some
subsequent ADMINISTRATIONS.
Taylor Died Of the Collie.
An old lady who used to move in
Washington society In administrations
stretching from Folks to Lincoln's said
to the writer. several years ago: g"
never eat ice cream but l don't think
OF Mistress Dolly Madison. My mother
told me that the first time ice cream
appeared i'm Washington was when
Dolly Madison was i'm the White House.
She trova u po vdaD ma vt " and infrOInca3
the ice cream to the guests. The ladies
took to it quite naturally: not SO the
gentlemen. Some of them put 1t in the
sun to get warm. and those who for
sock The punch BOWL and the mint julep
jugs for the novelty returned to their
first favorites With extra ardor. Some
gentleman even took whisky straight. !
believe they complained of colic!"
And" sh@ went on, "speaking about
colic. reminds me that President
Zachary Taylor came to his end
through cole. or to be more correct,
cholera inorous. | remember we'll, for
| was present at the dedication of the
Washington monument, which took.
place July 4. 1850, ana it was there that
President Taylor. who attended. drank
so c%opiously of ice water. The day was
fearfully hot-you know how blazing
hot it. can be down on the
grounds?
Well. do you know that old warrior
dian't have any better Judgment than
10 drink all that iced water-pump
water would not have hurt him-and
after going through the heat to Tho
White House, made a lunch of iced milk
and cherries! He was shortly after
ward attacked with cholera morbus.
which took the form Of typhoid fever.
and In five days he was dead
when it became known thai our
president had cholera morbu many Of
our citizens sent home and other RENE
dies to the White House, but none was
used; so his death could not be attrib-
uted to too much physic. But among the
cures was one which a man said he
was going to patent, and claimed that
it was a sure cure OF course they
would not use that, either. But the
strange thing about it is that very soon
after the remedy became popular and
wen reputable physicians used it for
collie and kindred complaints. I often
heard people say that perhaps if it had
been tried for President Taylor he
might nave recovered"