davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1916-12-10

given by one of his patriotic descend1
ants. Mrs. Helen Singleton Green OF
South Carolina.
Mrs. George w. Fall of Nashvilles
Tenn. presented the White House sew
eral years ago with some pieces of old
Meissen which belonged to dinner set
owned by her forbears, the President
and Mrs. Polk. More recently Mrs.
Walter II. Stauffer of New Orleans and
the children of Capt. John Taylor Wood
all of them grandchildren of President
Taylor, presented some interesting me-
mentos. Mrs. Stauffers gifts included
a pair of handsome silver candlesticks,
the head of a gold cane on which 10
inscribed ITO the Hero of Buena Vista"
and an ornate Mexican spur which was
presented to Gen. Taylor during tho
Mexican war. Capt. Woods children
sent wine decanter and glasses and a
brooch which bears entwined locks of
hair from the heads of both President
and Mrs. Taylor.
Mrs. Charles W. Richa rdson. who also
comes from an old Washington family.
made a generous contribution last
week. A. White House sale. which
took place many years before the civil
war her mother, who was an ardent
collector of the antique purchased a
harrel-shaped, long-stemmed, deep blue
water bottle which at the time was
said to date from President Jefferson's
administration. At the same sale she
purchased a dinner plate with wide
Elauve border outlined in gold and
with a gold medallion in the center
which was accredited to the Monroe ad-
min:stration Both of these Interest,"
ing pieces Mrs. Richardson placed In
the White House cabinet. and in addt-
tion added a Buchanan cup and saucer
a Dolly Madison tea plate and Will
liam Henry Harrison campaign
pitcher
The latter bears Harrison's face on
one side and a campaign taglet on the
other. The pitcher was given her years
ago by Mrs. V. F. F. Doggett of Fred
eric6sburg. Va. who told her at the
time that ii was sent to the whig can
diIate in 1910 by the manufacturers
and was always highly priced by him.
Mrs. Richardson's tea plate has an in.
teresting story. 1t was sent one day
from the White House by fair Mistress
Dolly Madison to a sick friend. bearing
a luscious piece of pound cake The re-
membrance was so appreciated that the
little plate was never returned to the
gracious first lady.
Years afterward il came into possess
sion of Mrs Richardson's mother, and
now her daughter is sending it back to
the present frSt lady of the land that
II may add luster to the collection OF
relics.
The work of gathering the relics has
been carried forward continuously, al
though necessarily slowly. since tho
collection was started in 1903. While
the new cabinet contains pieces of
china which were purchased by every
President of the United States. save
two, vet many of the Presidents are
represented SO inadequateiy that the
effort to find the relics to secure
them for the White House is still being
pressed vigorously.
The collection room is already bring
ing good results. 1t awakens interest
among the visitors at the White House,
and already several of the fortunate
poSsesscrs of presidential heirlooms
have written signifying their intention
to place some OF their relics in the new
cabinet.
Evening star., 1916-12-10

voters sits down and dictates letter
to the DEPARTMENT impressing on it all
the logical and sentimental reasons
Why the government should bring to
bear every possible pressure for the
release of the budding Napoleon.
In Inany cases the letters come with
out money enclosures. and the State
Department has no fund to apply in
this direction. To make some of the
more important requirements clear.
forms are sent out setting forth what
is necessary.
1he circular states that on the pres
entation of satisfactory proof. through
the American consulate general at Lon
don, the British war department will
release any American citizen who was
minor at the time when he enlisted.
He will be discharged without pay at
the place where he happens to be when
the discharge takes effect, IL the re-
quest is presented to the proper authori-
ties during the minority of the boy
Here are some of the facts that must be
Evening star., 1916-12-10

don paya BILE to the order OF the Ameri-
can consul general there If he is in
Canada the draft should be made pay
able to the American consul general at
Ottawa
The letters received inauiring for
boys who have 'joined up" are elo-
quent and often illiterate compost
tions of love and fears. Most of them
are from mothers who are willing to
DO anything to prove that their sons
are too young to belong to any army.
In the files of the department are clips
full of correspondence that include
pages ripped from the family Bible.
showing the entry made a the birth of
the boy who is under international dis
cusson. Many ludicrous stories have
come before this interesting bureau.
One of them is the case of Willie:
Willie is seventeen-goins on eight
cen. He disappeared from his home in
Akron and the next his father heard
of him was a letter mailed in Toronto.
Willie set forth gleefully that he had
joined a highland regiment and that
he was at the time of writing dogged
out in pleated plaid skirt and bare
knees.
The father sat down at once and took
it up with the State Department. After
the usual formalities the release of
Willie was conceded by the courteous
Canadians. But Willie had known what
it was to feel like "A soldier and he was
not going to give up his uniform with
out fight.
Three weeks later anotheT letter came
from the agitated father.
Willie has enlisted again" it said
"He took still another name and was
taken into another regiment
Again the forces of the State Depart
4 ment were set in action and Willie
was once more released. The two
workers in the bureau imagined that
they had heard the last from the
boy and disnl: Ssed his case in the press
OF the others. The rest was brief. After
another
from Willie's father.
THAT boy of mine"-a tone of exas-
peration was plainly evident in the
pages-"has taken a third name and
has Joined a battery of Canadian field
artillery. VIII you please see II you
can get him discharged again."
The department for the third time
secured Willie's release. SO far as
they know now. Willie is at home in
the bosom of his family-but, being
familiar with Willie. they will not
venture a definite statement on the
at last become discouraged and decid-
ed to wait for his eighteenth birth
day.
Not all the boys whose release is
asked of the State Department are un-
der twenty-one. A worried mother In
Kansas wrote to Washington recently
asking about what was necessary to
get her son out Of the British army.
The communication lacked details.
and she was asked for proofs that her
son was under the age required. The
mother wrote back:
my boy isn't under age. In fact. he
10 forty-four years old. But / don't
want to have him killed, SO I thought
you would send him back to me"
Evening star., 1916-12-10

protection abroad. 1t says that any
American citizen shall be deemed to
have expatriated himself when
he has taken an oath of allegiance to
any foreign state" And oaths OF al
legiance are required by the British
authorities before any one can join
their forces.
Another source of work and worry to
the State Departments new division
are the boys who go across the AT
lantic as Wallets for war-boVnd horses
When they get to Liverpool they are
certain to feel the effect Of the strange
psychological ave that grips every
traveller in the danger zon"
Mothers whose sons have "ioined W.
do not stop at writing the state De-
partment themselves. They Immediately
enlist the aid of their representative
and both senators from their state.
Often. also. they get the whole con-
gressional delegation of their district
into line. This means that each law
maker. alive to the requirements of his
Evening star., 1916-12-10

that of minor who was in Austria
liza when the war broke out. He caught
the fever and volunteered for the An
zac forces. when the father, out in
Ohio. heard of it, he got in touch with
the State Department, and started iru-
mediately for Melbourne. The Aus
tralian authorities agreed to discharge
the youngSter. But
This boy of yours they said to the
old gentleman, has had several
months training here. We figure that
this training cost the colony $50. 1t
has been entirely wasted. and we think
that it would be only right for you to
pay our government $3.50 in compen-
sation."
The father paid. lie brought his SON
home after a trip that took five
months in time and over a thousand
dollars in money.
Sometimes the Investigations of the
bureau are brought to an abrupt and
ira gic end. Three eases have been
ended with the terse communication
from the British war office;
Private - has been killed in ac~
ton
Evening star., 1916-12-10

a y important change has been
IN made recently in the White
~ House collection of presiden-
81 S tial relics. collection which
since 1903 has been one of the show
features of the mansion.
From its inception under Mrs. Roose-
welt the relics of this unique and his
torical collection have been kept in
small walnut cabinets which have
stood in the ground floor corridor,
where the thousands of sightseers who
visit the White House annually have
had chance to see and enjoy their in
teresting contents.
More than two years ago the relics
outgrew the capacity of the six cab
inets which held them. and plans were
made for setting aside a room for the
exclusive use of the collection. To in
sure a safe and permanent place of ex-
hibit it was proposed that the ca abinets
room. Owing to series of circuui-
stances the plans We're not put into eX-
ecution until recently.
A short time before the President
La
last fall Col! w w Harts, su-
perintendent of public buildings and
grounds, who has taken an interest in
the presidential collection, brought to
Mrs. Wilson's attention the plans for
remodeling a room for the collection
and showed her drawings for the first
of the new cabinets for the relics
Mrs. Wilson heartily approved the
project She selected the room to be
used and expressed the wish that it
should be remodeled while the family
were at Shadow Lawn.
The room decided upon by Mrs. Will
son for the collection is directly at
the south OF the main stairway on the
ground floor corridor of the White
House, and Immediately after the de-
parture oe the Presidents family for
shadow Lawn Col Harts let the con
trGct for remodeling il and for putting
in the first Of the ca binets.
The walls and ceilings OF the room
were tinted a deep cream and the
woodwork painted ivory white
Eventually all the walls in the room
will be liaed with cabinets. but as Yet
only ore has been put in. 1t extends
the full length of the west wall from
the south to The doorway leading into
the Il plomatic reception room and is
OF the Georgian type and is in har-
IRONY with the architecture of the
building.
The woodwork is of hard pine,
painted an ivory white. The long glass
doors are divided into colonial panels
and the shelves are lined with hand
some ecru velvet, which gives a perfect
background for the relics. A simple
carving decorates the pediment OF the
cabinet on which is 1ettered in gold:
China Used by the Presidents The
room is furnished with part ot the
teakwood furniture purchased for the
east room during Presidents Nckin-
ley-s administration and is upholstered
in brocaded light yellow satin har-
ronizing rnouuet rug covers the floor
and 2 large heavily framed gilt mirror
eraces the east wall.
The relics in the cabinets are ar
Evening star., 1916-12-10

set forth and verified by oath or affir-
nation Of one of the parents or guard
ian:
The boys name. the branch of the
service in which he enlisted, the date
of enlistment and the place whsre he
was last heard from.
The age and citizenship of the boy.
with a certified col y of his birth record
where such exist.
The citizenship of the minors father.
1t is made clear that as the State
Department has not appropriation for
these youngsters transportation a
sum of money not less than $45 must
be furnished for bringing each boy
from the place of his discharge. Since
the discharged trooper is not allowed
to wear the British uniform, parents
are advised that 1t is a good plan to
forward $25 in addition SO that the
youth can buy necessary clothes and
sustain himself until he gets home. II
the boy is in England the money should
be sent in the form of draft on Lon
Evening star., 1916-12-10

ranged as far as possible in chrono-
logical order according 10 the presi
Dental succession. Two open sections
mark the center of the ca binet and the
relics read from this center to the
right and to the left.
Upon the upper shelf of the center
section some of the oldest pieces of sill
Yer are placed. They include a number
of pieces of the Won Tuyll plate. The
rebuilt White House-rebuilt after the
British fire of 1S14-was handsomely
refurnished during President Monroe's
administration.
Evidently the supply of table silver
was rot sufficient. however, for during
the next administration. that Of Presi-
dent John Quincy Adams, there was
purchased by the government from a
retiring Russian minister plenipoten-
tiary. Baron de Tuyll. two chests filled
with his family plate. The purchased
plate comprised table silver of every
description Each piece was snugiy
packed In a chamois lined compart-
the chests bore a silver label engraved
with the barons name.
For nearly century these two
chests remained in the White House
storerooms and held the greater part
of the White House table silver.
few years ago u rly-constructed
vault, lined with shelves and drawers.
was built out from the stewards room
and the silver was transferred from
the old chest into the vault.
All of the silver which came in the
Won Tuyll chest originally was engraved
with the baron's coat of arms and on two
of the pieces selected for the cabinet,
arms can still be traced in dim outline. A
hot water pot from this same silver also
Evening star., 1916-12-10

House during the administration OF her
grandfather. .fohn quincy Adams.
The three wine glasses that stand
with these pieces in the cabinet were
the property of Mr.. Hull and Miss
Elizab beth Adams and came to the col
lection as gifts of Mrs. Bowman Nc
Gala of Washington. whose home on
X street contains much interesting FUR
nj ture over two hundred years Old
On the left of the center of the White
House cabinet are the relics represent
ing the Presidents from Fillmore to Ben
jamin Harrison The Pierce dishes were
a memorial gift from Miss Harriet crump
Of Washington. whose father was steward
of the Unite House through part of three
admuistra tons.
There are a number of Jackson relics
and all of them have interesting histories
Miss Mary wilcox of Washington made
memorial for her mother, Mary Emily
Donelson Nilccx. of some Of the most his
torical heirlooms> in the collection. Mrs.
Wilcox was the daughter Of President
ackson's nephew, who was his secretary.
Andrew Jackson Donelson, and she was
born at the White House during her
grea t-unces administration
Among the heirloomS which descended
to Mrs. Wilcox we're a pair of old Sheffield
candclahra which Tammany Hall in
scribed and gave to President Jackson.
Evening star., 1916-12-10

W vii Hs5,s. H',5s.- :,.ss ,n .,,..,,.-
observed Frank y. Bauskett-
Put this one is unusually So" per
sisted Miss Marsh. 1t is from the
mother. of course. Her fourteen-year-
old boy has joined the Canadian forces
and begun his training for the cam
n.{gn in France. Wen have TO get
him out.
Mr. BausIlett agreed. And they
wirh the aid OF various forces and in
auences-eventually go. the hopeful
,rooper released for that is their every
day business
There are so many cases OF young
ren under age who have Joined the
dghting forces against the wishes OF
their parents, that a special division to
handle the work has been created in
the diplomatic bureau OF the Depart
rlent of state. Mr.. Bauskett and Hiss
Marsh are the staff of the new division.
Under the direction of Sidney Y. Smith,
chief Of the bureau
The case Of the militant fourteen
yeSr-Oa1 Is one OF t4lt iiioic Sti i'>'''s
incidents that have come TO their
notice This youugster fired his imag-
ination by reading stories of poison
gas, bayouet charges and the tossing
of hand grenades. He decided to have
a try al the war game on his own ac-
count He figured that he would be
especially good with the grenades be-
cause he was pitcher his base ball
team Accordingly he slipped across
the Canadian line. applied to recruit
ing office and was accepted by the otii-
in charge.
In spite of his youth. the boy passed
the physical examination and was
booked for service He was not to go
as drummer boy. mind you-he was
taken an infantry recruit with the
understanding that he was to tote the
regulation rife and carry on his shoul-
the soldier calls his kit. With his uni
form on his back and his dream OF bat
tie in his eyes. the happy youngster
wrote the great news home.
AS is usually the case. the mother
did not share in her sons ardent de-
sire to die for some other country.
She wrote a fearful and insistent letter
to the Department of State.
He is but fourteen years DID,, she
said. and he's the only boy I've got.
II IL were a case of giving him for my
own country. l would not say a word.
But I do not want to lose my boy
see the world and the excitement of
war. He is but q child-and l still
think Of him as baby. i inclose his
Evening star., 1916-12-10

boy-in knickers.
AS soon as the facts were submitted
to the Canadian war Office the king
lost an ambitious Tommy The boy
was at once released. Since then there
has been another boy of the same age
who succeeded in getting into the
Canadian recruits and who had TO be
yanked out again by the long arm of
Washington ofiiciaidom.
These two SO far represent the far
thest north in martial juvenility. But
there was the more recent case of
Bostonian sixteen years old who hac
TO be forcefully ivorced from his
dreams of blood and glory by the busy
bureau in the Department of State.
The total of these belligerent youths
is startling. A fourstory cabinet in
Mr.. Bausketts office is stuffed tightly
with correspond, nee on these matters
In this ca abiret the Investigations con-
cerning 5000 enlisted boys are filed
And these are only the cases that have
not yet been settled. There are as
many others that have ended with the
discharge of the disguised young war
riors. Inquiries pour in at the rate of
fifty a day.
There is an Indication in these figures
oI tBt loFut OF Americans VINO nave
joined the fighting forces in one ca
pacity or another. These G.000 are ali
boys under age. They probably rep
resent but small percentage of the
Americans old enough to go to war
and get shot if they feel that by so
doing they are satisfying their con-
sciences or curiosity thereby
Up to six months ago there was no
difficulty about obtaining the release of
youngsters under twen;y-one by the
British war authorities at London.
There are no grounds on which the
American government can demand the
discharge of these boys. Discharges
were granted by the British purely
as a courtesy to the United States
authorities.
But recently there has been less senti-
ment in the matter. Now only boys
undsr eighteen are turned out by the
war Office. II the boys parents can
prove that he is less than eighteen
II is comparatively easy for the State
Department to secure his release.
IF he is eighteen or more, observes
Mr.. Bauskett, "the present chances are
that he will have to stay where. he
is and fight for the allies. 1t Is less
difficult to secure the release of boys
from the Canadian force"
In discussing this matter Mr.. Baus-
kett points to section Of the act of
Congress of March 2. 1907. in reference
to the expatriation OF citizens and their
Evening star., 1916-12-10

birth certificate and a picture of him
that was taken but a month before he
left home
The picture showed serious faced
boy-in knickers.
Evening star., 1916-12-10

Mr. Satterlee sent the little book to
Mrs. Roosevelt and wrote her that
while it was not "crockery" it might
be regarded an adjunct to it, and as
the history of the book was so interest
ing that he thought it deserved place
among the presidential relics.
1t had belonged to Martha jefferson
Randolph tand is so inscribed by the
author), and her father, in the leisure
of his later life, wrote into the little
book many of the cooking recipes
which had tickled his palate when he
had been the plenipotentiary of the
young republic at the epicurean court
of Paris.
Evening star., 1916-12-10

The Lincoln exhibit occupies whole
shelf and always awal<ens admiration.
The most of the Lincoln dishes We're
selected from the White House closets,
but Woodbury. Towle Of Boston pre-
sented an exquisite covered custard cup
a few years ago. and Mrs. Dickens, the
willow of Admiral Francis W. Dickens
l. S. n. recently presented the collec-
ton with a Lincoln coffee cup and
saucer. an exquisite tea cup and
saucer and d dainty after-dinner cof-
fee cup. The last two articles are of
an especial value. there are no dupli-
Gates of these pieces in the White
House closets.
President Van Buren, is represented
in the collection by an elegantly en-
bossed silver water pitcher which was
Evening star., 1916-12-10

graces the cabinet as does a castor for
oil and vinegar and which has small
spaces for the salt and pepper cruets.
The castor is minus the bottles it held
originally, is also dainty mustard
castor which stands in this group.
A filigree silver toaster and a pearl
handled dinner knife lie near a small gilt
fruit knife. The latter is probably one
of DANDY Vans knives of god.' which
awakened the ire of Congressman Ogle
in 1870. The quaintest piece among this
old silver is a bristling little porcupine
which has been bereft of many of his
spineS and each missing spine supplied a
place for a toothpick.
In the center section of the cabinet are
the Washington and Adams relics. Miss
Mary custis Lee. daughter OF Robert +.
Fee and the great-Sreat- grs nddaughter
of Martha Washington. presented plate
from Vashington's famous Cincinnati
dinner set to the collection last year. Ii
hangs on the wall of the cabinet at the
back of the old silver with an old blue and
white platter and plate which were used
in the first Presidents house in New
York, and which Were presented to the
White House by the Misses Thompson Of
Elizabeth. \. J.
The Adams relics are on the lower shelf
of the center section of the cabinet with
some of the Oldest glassware il the man
sion. A silhouette OF Abigail Adams
hangs on the cabinet wall ut the back of
the glass. 1t is of interest to note that
this is the only picture Of the first mis-
tress of the White House which the man
sion contains. The John Adams goblet.
presented some years ago by Mrs. Harry
Reade of Lowell! Mass, stands directly
below the Silhouette.
These constitute the President John
Adams exhibit st present. but as some of
Mistress Abigail Adams lovely Sevres.
which was the first china used in the
White House, is still in existence. it is
Evening star., 1916-12-10

ERE"S an unusual one, re-
HH III il marked Miss Frances
* < They're all unusual,