Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-02-29

break army precedent, for no other
officer, SO far as is known to memory,
ever cared to give up the easy engi-
neer stations in the big cities for the
hardships of mounted service.
Captain Grant is the only mathema-
tician in the Grant family. His father
barely escaped being found deficient
In mathematics at the military acad-
envy, and graduated at the foot of his
class. The ~lieutenant's grandfather
stood t~wenty-first at graduation in Q
class OF thirty-nine members. and he
showed no particular aptitude for fg-
ures and equations.
The grandson went to the academy
and jumped to the first section In alge-
bra at the first transfer. He stayed
there all through the course of higher
mathematics, and finally graduated In
the engineer corps, of which "math."
as the army calls it, is the backbone.
AS a cadet the third Grant was among
the nv young men whose names
borne In the army register of distin-
gulshed pupils. He o~utclassed his
grandfather as a student, but as an
army officer put 1t recently, 'he will
have to work some to beat him as q
soldier"
Real Historic Chamber.
Visitors to Washington generally
seem to think that the East Room
OF the White House Is the his
tor1c chamber" of the old build
Ing. The general run of visitors prob
ably is likely to look on social events
OF Importance as fixing the fame of a
spot. 1t is perfectly true that the
weddings Of presidents daughters to
men OF their choice have taken place
In the East Room and that there great
receptions have been held and also
lest 1t be forgotten, that a great
wrestling match took place there pre-
sided over by a president Of the
United States and looked on more or
less admiringly by cabinet officers,
foreign ambassadors and ministers
but on such doings as these the East
Rooms celebrity must hang.
At the head of the main flight Of
White House stairs is a room which
Is historic. In 1T the Monroe doctrine
was formulated. In 1t Andrew Jack
son prepared for his attack on the
national bank and In 1t he made up
his mind what to do IL notification
should be attempted in South Caro-
lima. In this room overlooking the
rear grounds Of the White House be-
yond which lies the Potomac, Buchan-
an thought On the approach OF civil
war and there struggled with himself
on the question Of duty. There be
met Jefferson Davis and other south
ern statesmen, until that time loyal
to the flag of the Union. In this room
President Lincoln drafted his emanci-
patton proclamation, and in 1t Presi.
dent Mckinley spent the entire night
following the destruction of the Maine
in Havana harbor thinking of the
probability Of wal and w~ithstanding
urgings that 1t should begin at once
disappointing Events.
This room on the second floor OF
the White House has been the study
and the library Of presidents since
the time that the building was erect
ed. The Office wing Of the White
House is of recent constructions, hav-
ing been completed just about the
time that Theodore Roosevelt became
president. Most of the messages which
have been sent to congress on minor
and major subjects we're written In
the second story study of the execu-
tive mansion proper. 1t was the room
in which foreign ambassadors were
received by the president when
charged with messages of moment
Lincoln and his secretary of state and
the British ambassador passed twelve
hours of one day and twelve hours OF
another in earnest consultation and
at times in earnest controversy. fol
lowing the receipt of the news thai
tie Confederate commissioners. Mason
and Slidell, had been taken from the
British ship Trent on the high seas
and had been made prisoners of the
United States.
When the office wing of the White
House was built the study and office
room became a study only. 1t Is there
that the president passes his evenings
and 1t is there that he receives call
ers whose errands are of such a ma
ture that they do not car to go pub
licly in the daylight hours to the room
adjoining the cabinet room in the OF.
fee annex. Originally 1t was an OF.
fee, a study and a library. Books on
the shelves have changed with each
incoming administration and they re-
feet the literary tastes Of the incum.
bent in office. The Oldest employe Of
the White House says that Lincoln
had many books of poetry on the
shelves; that Grant had few books,
but that those which he had were OF
the best.
When President Roosevelt was in
the White House the study was In
nature that of a circulating library.
He had books upon all kinds Of sub
jects, although nature books and hunt
ing books predominated. 1t is said.
however, that there was not a book
on fishing in the whole collection, for
Mr.. Roosevelt liked every other kind
of outdoor sport. but never went and
never goes fishing, a fact which has
been somewhat resented by the fol-
lowers of the sport.