The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-12-09

Washington, d. C.--Recent interest
in the White House. because of the
visits there of the King of the Belgfans
and the Prince of Wales, was the &C.
casion for issuance by the National
Geographic Society of Uvo bulletins
concerning the presidents home. of
which this is the second:
The open house of Jackson and
jefferson. needless to say, was in CON
trast to the more stately regime of
John Adams, first occupant of the
White House, to the brilliant but more
discriminating entertainments Of Dol
iy Madison's salon, and to the 'ele-
CANT little dinners of the naturally
exclusive Van Buren,.
Mrs. Monroe established some So
cial ~precedents which are as binding
today in Sixteenth street drawing
rooms as is her husbands famous
doctrine in the senate chamber. The
ubiquitous Dolly Madison set a hard
pace for her SUCCESSORS to travel. Her
personal charm was undeniahlc. II
h rouged, writes ono observing lady.
she did it so ~delicately that none could
be sure. and she snuffs.' observes an
other. but in her hands the snuff
box seems only a gracious implement
with which to charm Truly, 10 par
aphrase an artist, she mixed her rouge
and her snum with brains. and to this
Iindehnable charm h added activi-
ties 80 strenuous hat the White House
scarcely saw her equal until Roose-
welt entered It.
'sF1rss Lady" Returns No Calls
For her self-protection Mrs. Mon
roe made the rule that the first lady
of the land need return no calls. nor
must be expected to make any. Mrs.
1Gr~~An A~ AN~ larfnv ayp-hen~
Mrs. Hay. also had a part In the de-
cision that 1t was not proper for a
president to call at a foreign embassy.
The Monroes NOT only laid the
foundations for White House social
customs but they began its furnishing.
an evolutionary process which is mod
ifed by every mistress OF the man
sion.
After their official home had been
burned by the British in 1914. the
Madisons moved for the rest of 'Jem-
my's' term TO the home OF Col. Tay-
loe. better known as the Octagon
House. which still is a washington
landmark.
The 1914 invaders al the national
capital, not being Huns. destroyed
only public buildings. did that for mil
ftary reasons. and had spec'fc orders
not to loot. They partook of the din
ner already prepared at the White
House, but before they did so Admiral
Cockburn drank the health of Presi-
dent Madison.
I'm pre-war days. when the White
House was accessible to sight-seers,
an object OF special interest was the
portrait of George Washington. now
in the Red Room. known as the Tans-
downe Stuart because II is n .copy-of
an original painting done for the Mar
quis of Lansdowne. Mrs. Madison
had this portrait cut from its frame
and intrusted 1t TO the care of friends
for safe keeping, while she went to
Virginia to join her husband. 1t was
shown to the Prince OF Wales when
he called at the White House
when the White House was re-
built the wallis were intact, in part.
but they had to be painted to hide the
charred surfaces. SO originated. first
as a nickname. the designation White
House. by which the mansion later
was oficially known. :
The original structure was the first
'~oficial building in Washington. George
Washington was authorized to select a
site, because he had been a surveyor,
but sentiment, rather than Topography.
is thought to have determined his
choice: for the south windows of the