Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-31
tCupyriaht. fgfT. BY
THIRTY-SEvENTH INsTALLMENT

7 WROTE my inaugural address without
consultation with anybody and sent
copy to Quay alone. He replied. saying
that 1t was a statesmanlike document, sug.
gesting no additions and only one omission
upon the ground that the subject was
rather one of detail than proper for such
a paper I struck this matter from the
address.
OFF to Harrisburg
January 10. 1903, Mrs. Pennypacker and
]. with our three daughters, closed the
, house at 154o North Fifteenth street. in
Philadelphia, took n street car to the sta.
tion Of the Pennsylvania Railroad. where
I bought tickets and checked the baggage
for Harrisburg, and that night we spent
In the executive mansion. That mansion
was TO me never anything more than
temporary abiding place. There was not
a single featurS about it which had the
slightest attractveness for me. All over
1t were the manifestations of great outlay,
awkwardness and bad taste. There was
not a print book or a piece of furnl.
ture which Indicated the thought that II
represented the State. Two adjoining
plain houses had been thrown together
and by that method space had been Sc
cured, The ground.foor front was taken
up with huge reception room in n brill
liant red color, looking like the saloon OF
an ocean steamer, and supplied with slight
French chairs, upon which you sat down
only at the peril of going through them,
A flight Of stairs at each end ran to the
fourth story but there was no means OF
communication aloft except through the
chambers. When, therefore, these were
occupied and the traveller wanted to go
twenty feet across. the only course was to
go down one flight OF stairs through the
reception room and up the other flight
suggesting a journey Of a quarter of a
mile. In the second story was another
huge room, called "the guests chamber"
1t had been furnished with an expensive
ana profuse suit of mahogany, and with
a grand piano the judgment OF some prior
lady occupant of the mansion had decreed
should be painted white. There were twen-
ty.three mirrors in the room, all at such
elevations that in no one of them could a
man see to shave himself. The light was
at the head Of the bed. 1t was turned off
at the other end OF the room. On the way
stood two or three narrow upright pedes-
tails surmounted with heavy and costly
vases. After putting out the light the
ror One of the vases was knocked over
while we were there. and thanked the
Lord. The mansion was supplied by the
State: there the official entertainments
were given, and there it was expected that
the Governor should live. A statute pro-
vided that the Board of Public Grounds
and Buildings should pay the expenses,
but what was to be included in these ex-
penses was nowhere defined. The State
employed a butler and other servants, and
put them in the house to take care of its
property and render service. but 1t was left
to the Governor to feed them from his own
resources. This was an imposition for the
reason that, if left to himself, he could
secure a house and appointments to accord
with his means and salary. There had
been seven employees in the house. We cut
them down to five. In the course of my
term the feeding OF these people cost me
several thousands of dollars At one time
/ asked the opinion of the Attorney Gen
erai upon the matter, and he Informed me
that in his view the State was required to
provide this sum. 1t appeared to me, how
ever, to be a question of some uncertainty
and preferrng to feel entirely clear in all
financial transactions between the State
and myself, l paid the bills and let the
subject rest Each successive Governor,
with the aid of his wife, had taken hand
in fixing the mansion. and my successor
made extensive improvements, but nothing
except repair was done to IL during my
term. In my view it was not worth the
expenditure. The space between the Cap.
itol and the susauehanna River, now occu.
pied by the gentry Of the town. ought to
be conflscated and thrown into a park, and
somewhere within the inclosure home
for the Governor erected in keeping with
the importance Of his office.
The Oath of Office
The next day, January 20, cold, raw.
h,aak day with occasional falls OF snow,