The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1916-07-19
1YT1RIES AND COMFORTS THAT
m WITH OFFICE OF PRESIDENT

| PASA0 IA VIC PASoluSnL ONCE receive
as much salary as was allowed John
Nicholay, while above them is an ex-
ecutive clerk dawing $4,000 a year.
The payroll of this force now to-
tails goodly fortune every year, and
this not include a contingent fund
of $4,000 annually appropriated for
the stationery, record books, tele-
graph and telephone service, furnish
ings and conveyances used by the ex-
ecutive Office, besides such new books
as are needed for the white house
library and miscellaneous items at
the discretion of the president"
The business correspondence of the
president goes through the mails free.
He has to buy stamps only for pri-
vate correspondence with his sisters,
his cousins and his aunts, or near
friends. When he gives state func-
ton there is messenger at hand to
go about town leaving invitations at
the doors of the invited guests.
The victor in this years campaign
will have men to read the papers for
him and clip such items as will inter-
est him, men to answer by formula
thousands of letters which he will
never see or hear of, men to keep
! away from him every petit and an
noying detail.
All Modern Improvement.
The residence portion of the white
house offers far greater conveniences
to a prospective tenant than Presi-
dents enjoyed at the beginning of the
present century. Until after the
Mexican war the mansion was lighted
solely by candles and oil lamps, while
there was no central heating or ven
tilating system until a few years be-
fore the civil war. Water for use in
the house was dipped out of spring
beneath what is now the front por--
tico. Today, however, the most mod
ern system of electric lighting, heat
ing, ventilation and plumbing are in
stalled and colonel of engineers is
entrusted with the task of keeping
these in repair. Whenever the next
mistress of the white house wishes
any new furniture or new decora-
tions she will call upon this officer
and will pay for the improvement
out of an annual fund of $4,000
allowed him for scare" "refurnish-
ing" and repairs" 1t has ever been
a tradition of both political parties
that the presidents abode shall look
spick and span, that none of the fur
niture shall show scratch or worn
spot, that none of the draperies or
decorations in use shall be allowed
to fade or grow threadbare.
The government pays for all this,
as we'll as for all of the fuel, heat,
light and flowers used in the house,
offices and surrounding grounds, the
appropriation for all of these items
during one year being enough to
make you or me independent for life.
The white house has special green
house which supplies flowers for pub
| lie and private entertainments as well
as for family use and the beautiiica-
| ton of the extensive park surround
ing the grounds.
A Fund for Costly Purchases.
Out of the fiat fund for care, re-
pair and refurnishing past mistresses
of the white house have made pur-
chases as they have seen fit. Thus
Mrs. Grant purchased for $1,000
silver canoe, which still contains flow
ers at state functions; and Mrs.
Hayes, for $4,000, had painted the
gaudily lowered china set which was
shelved when Mrs. Roosevelt purchas-
ed the present Wedgwood service for
$4,000. And it may be added that
it was out of this annual fund that
Andrew Jackson bought, at second
hand, the ancestral service of the
Russian Baron de Tuyll. I'll such ar
ticles, of course, become the property
of the government and remain in the
white house when the purchaser
moves out. =,
So we taxpayers will take good
care of him who carries off the grand
prize in the presidential sweepstake
this fall. We will pay a valet to
shave him, cut his hair and press ms
clothes; maid to wait upon his wife,
groom for his stables, laundresseS
to care for the white house linen and
a corps of domestics to dust, wait on
the table, wash windows, scrub the
floor and polish up the handle OF the
big front door. -,
If he keep riding horses he will,
as commander-in-chief of the army,
be provided with an orderly to fetch
and take his mount and accompany
him when indulging in equestrian
pleasures.
The Presidents Yacht.
Indeed, by virtue of his rank as
commander-in-chief of both the land
and sea forces he will be entitled to
several perquisites not stipulated IN
the appropriation bills. Handsomest
among these, perhaps, is the authorl-
ty to use at any time, for private
pleasure, the yachts MayfOwer and
Sylph. The former, of 1000 tons,
was originally purchased by Mrs. Og-
den Goelet for $800,000, and was
sold bv her to the government during
the Spanish war. The smaller yacht,
Sylph, is more frequently used by the
presidential families, especially to
avoid the intense heat of summer.
His military rank will also entltle
this years prize winner and his fam