The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-04-10
History Of the White House, conelud-
Ing Paper on Series Before Lo-
cal Chapter, Given by
Mrs. Roberts.
MONEY FOR BELGIANs
Contribution ls Received and Wffi be
Forwarded at Once-Nomlnation
Committee Named for
Next Meeting.

The Keokuk chapter ID. A. K. was
entertained on Saturday afternoon in
q very delightful and interesting meet
ing at the home of Mrs. Robert M.
Lapsley. There was a large attend
ance of the members and NUMBER OF
guests, among them Mrs Paul NC
Clintock of Hainan, China, Mrs John
N. Irwin of ST. Louis, Mrs. John R.
Irwin, Mrs. Sam Hitler Of Kahoka,
Miss Alice Dennison of Royalton, VT,
Miss Vivien Forbes of Rochester, n.
Y, Mrs c. II. Feldman OF Kahoka,
Mrs. vanF1eet of Peoria, and Mrs.
Bruce Gilfillan.
In the absence of the regent, Mrs.
J. F. Elder. the vice regent, presid-
ed. and Mrs John W. Marsh served
as secretary.
Saturday being the day set apart
by the president general, Mrs. Will
liam Cumming Story, as Belgian day
among D. A. RS, Mrs. D. A Collier
was named as a committee to receive
contributions and twenty dollars was
raised for the Belgian relief fund.
Some mem bers of the chapter had
sold the little Belgian flags which had
been sent out by the national So
ciety. Miss Anne B. Davis and Mrs.
Elder had charge of the collection of
unsold flags. which with the twenty
dollars collected. were returned 70
the national society. Other D. A. RS
wishing to contribute TO the fund may
do so by sending their gifts TO Mrs.
Collier
Annual Meeting Next.
The next meeting being the annual
meeting for the election of officers
Mrs. Elder read the nominating COM
mittee as appointed by the regent,
Miss Elizabeth Dunlap, Mrs. n. T.
Wilcox and Mrs. Theodore A Craig.
The paper for the afternoon was
given by Mrs. w. j. Roberts and was
the concluding one in the chapters
study of the lives of twelve of the
most interesting wives and mothers
of the presidents, all but two of whom
were mistresses of the white house.
Mrs. Roberts paper was history of
the white house itself
Story Of the White House.
She said: "The white house was
designed by James Hoben, an Irish
architect, who received five hundred
dollars for the designs and for super
vision of the building He had not
had a great deal of experience but he
had the good judgment to design the
house after one of the best houses
he knew, that of the Duke of Leicester,
at Dublin. The corner stone of the
white house was laid in 1892. the
stone masons conducting all the cere-
mony there was and Geo. Washing
ton gracing the occasion by his pres
ence. The white house received its
name from the Virginia home of
Martha Gusts, who married Geo.
Washington, and who was its first
mistress. The white house is CON
structed of Virginia free stone. very
porous stone, which has TO be kept
covered with a thick coat OF white
lead to prevent the interior from be-
coming very damp This white lead
has 10 be applied every ten years at
enormous expense. Architecturally,
the white house is both beautiful and
dignified with a colorado Of eight
Ionic columns in front and semi
circular DorticO in the rear. It has
been said to be the most consistent
piece of architecture in Washington
with the exception of a portico on the
north which was added in 1890 Hap
PLY it is almost hidden by the foliage
of trees which have been planted to
screen it. For many years the inter
ior of the white house was only partly
completed and the first presidents
lived in it under uncomfortable trying
conditions. When President Madison