The Washington herald., 1913-06-29
Potentates ofForeign Powers,
Milionaires, and Common
People All Contribute to
Make White House a VERT
able Museum.

Thousands of gifts, from millionaire
and laborins man. constantly remind
President Wilson that. though he is con.
stitutionally precluded from receivins
presents from prince. potentate. or for
eign power. the people Of his own coun-
try do not forget him.
In unending procession the gifts have
come. In all sorts of packages grotesque
I gifts have poured in upon him A stan
of clerks at the White House spend no
small part Of each day in properly re-
ceiving and acknowledging them, and,
perchance. returning them with thanks.
The stream Of gifts to the new Presi-
dent started on the day of his induction
into Office. It will continue with more
or less intermittency until the day he
ceases to be President of the United
States. The gifts are marked by ca
tholicity of choice that is truly amazing
Gifts Made Personally.
| These unknown friends Of the Chief
Executive do not confine the mediums
by which the gifts are sent to any one
carrier; In fact. the methods chosen TO
send them. large and small. are almost
as varied as is possible.
A favorite method Is the old and tried
4
| strenuous attempts are made to deliver
the Gift In person. The proposed donor.
or his agent will search the very heavens
as well as the earth to find a plausible
| excuse to get by the watchdogs OF the
secret service and Secretary Tumulty'
| and take the little token Of affection
and esteem to the President In person
Visitors with suspicious looking buiges
about their clothing have been stopped
on the White House grounds by the
police or secret service men. They nave
been taken to one side for examination
and a harmless article has been taken
from its hiding place within their cloth
ing. On questioning. they have admitted
II was intended as a gift to the Presi-
dent. They usually drop the fact that
they were attempting to reach the Presi-
dcnt through some pretext In order TO
deliver 1t themselves and personally re-
ceIye the thanks of the chief executive
Mail and Express.
II the distance Is too great for the
giyer to reach washington-or II he mas
no acquaintance here. or II he cannot
prevail upon his Representative 10 pre-
sent the gift for limit will be re-
luctaptIy trusted to the tender mercy of
the express companies or the mails
During the present administration the
favorite method OF sending the smaller
articles to the White House has been by
parcel post. Larger packages from un-
known senders are always opened at
safe distance from the executive rooms
TO provide against unpleasant possipii-
ties.
a way that the President might possess
good start toward collecting a museum
on curiosities or even establishing ZOO
logical park Pamphlets and books
enough to furnish a good-sized library
accumulate every few weeks. Just Tor
the sake of variety a mud turtle, sent
by admirers on the Eastern Shore OF
MARYLAND, was found. carefully wrapped
In the mornings mail one day not IONS
ago. The reptile had not been harmed
in any way and was Immediately turned
loose in the expanse of the White House
Grounds where he may thrive for many
wears. A vast number of pamphlets are
received. many of them autographed oy
the authors. They deal with every SUD-
iect under the sun, from giving sure
cures for animal distempers to furnish
Ing a cure for all social and political
evils, the same being duly guaranteed
by the author. 1t is remarked oy tne
force at the White House that many OF
the pamphlets have been printed at the
regarded as beins significant
Photographs also form a goodly burden
In the mail of the chief executive They
are sent with the understanding that
they are to be kept and treasured py
him. Most of them are autographed ana
IL the photograph is group picture the
names OF the persons are duly INSCRIBED
on the back. The sending of photographs
OF large families, started in a previous
administration, still continues. and the
new President was greeted with an array
of Iikenesses that plainly indicated race
suicide was not imminent, at least In
many quarters.
Secretary Is Not Forgotten.
Secretary Trrmulty. on account OF the
size of his family, also is favored with
a number of photographs Of family
groups. There Is a deal of human inter-
est In a large family. and 1t must be ad-
mitted that these photographs receive
much scrutiny at the White House
Bibles come In large numbers. Many
of the books received are valuable, some
of them are highly priced by the Presi-
dent who is notably a lover Of books.
But the vast majority OF them are stored
I'm the White House attic, where they
will remain until final disposition is made
Of them.
The stories printed concerning the
prowess of the President as bicyclist
caused his mails to be temporarily hood
ed with books upon that sport, with no
ANAL number of advertisements OF dif-
ferent makes of wheels in their wake. !
Golf books and golf balls are commonly
received
Recently dollar bill was returned to
a woman in South Dakota. The bill was
old. crumpled. and the letter accompany
ing IL pathetic in the extreme II TOLD Oh
the suffering and privation OF the g1ver
in skimping and saving from her small
living the dollar she sent to be put 10 |
some good use polite note from the
Presidents secretary accompanied tne
money when 1t was returned. stating
that the woman could put the money TO
a better use than could the nations
Chief Executive.
Following the fixed policy at the
White House, II any gift seems to have
any intrinsic value. or IL 1t Is money,
II is promptly returned to the sender, as
he-President refuses to receive contri- /
buttons that obviously possess particular
value.
Nor will the President want for canes !
or umbrellas-that is. II he will but use
some of the number sent him. The
most unique idea in the way of a cane
was sent from a small town In Califor-
mia. The enterprising aspirant for
the postofice appointment in the
town-in order to get ahead OF the OPP
position-conceived the idea Of sending
his request with cane. So an elaborate
stick was made of vari-colored wanut
woods The head was followed. and
v.rifh tina cane came n note to the Presi- |