The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-12-03
National Geographic Society Inspired
to Issue Bulletin by Presidents
Reception of Prince Of Wales

uOhS Niooh, oCSouoO Va hAo aAAASoo
received the king of the Belgians
while propped up in bed, with torn
sweater about his shoulders, and told
the prince of Wales that the bed in
which he lay had been occupied by
Baron Renfrew, later King Edward
VII, and Abraham Lincoln, he added
traditions to the host that already
cling about the White House.
With this introduction the National
Geographic Society has issued a bull
letin on the home of the presidents
which, it says, has more tender hui
man memories than any other public
building in America"
From cellar, where colored mann
mics have cooked, for presidents,
pies like mother used to make, to at
tic, where the Roosevelt children
played and romped, there are associ-
atoms which range from the quaint
to the sublime.
President Wilson's enforced disha.
billie recalls the premeditated negli-
gee-worn slippers, yarn stockings
and old suit-by which Jefferson
sought to impress the British ambas-
|sador with American democracy when
that official arrived in full official
dress to present his credentials. Ear
ly morning callers on John Quincy
Adams had to cool their heels until
that President finished three chap
tiers in the Bible and walked down
back of the White House for a swim
in the Potomac. To drop in at the
White House evenings, quite the So
ciable thing to do, during Jackson's
terms, meant finding the chief execu-
tive before an open fire, in an old
loose coat doing duty as smoking
jacket, putting at long pipe with a
bowl of red clay.
Every room of the White House
abounds in history. The oak-paneled
state dining room knows dinners Of
the homely sort that Jefferson gave
when the Washington village butcher
brought along his son because he
heard there was to be an extra place
at the table; Of the picturesque kind
like one given more than century
ago to the Tunisan ambassador who
was aggrieved because everyone
would not withdraw while he smoked
his pipe, though his secretary showed
his good will by tremendously kiss
ing the ladies present; of the bizarre
kind given by Theodore Roosevelt to
cow punchers, expire fighters and
distinguished men of letters, not to
mention the famous one with Booker
T. Washington as a guest, and many
memorable banQuets like those to
Marshal Joffre and Sir Arthur James
Balfour, when the china set of 1900
pieces, and the famous cut glass,
every piece of which is engraved with
the arms of the United States, were
used.
mo room is better known to the
public than the East Room, of late
years scene of brilliant receptions
and White House weddings. 1t, too,
| has memories of cruder democracy
when all Washington fiocked there
to follow about the servants who car
Tried refreshments, Selling upon what
ever they could get and upon one oc-
casion two ladies perched upon the
chimney piece to get better view Of
the colorful scene.
Recent discussion of gifts re-
ceived by the president and Mrs, Will
son while abroad, lends interests to
specimens of those made to other
presidents and first ladies, which re-
main in the White House The Blue
Room contains the most famous of
these, the gold mantle clock present
ed to Washington by Lafayette, who
received it from Napoleon. In the
Green Room is the Gobelin tapestry.
made by a process which now is a
lost art, and framed in gold, which
the emperor of Austria gave Mrs.
Grant. Nearby is lacquer cabinet,
gift of Japan upon the occasion of
the first visit to its port by American
ships. And there are many more.
Strange were the gifts of earlier
years Strangest of all. perhaps, was
the cheese sent to Thomas Jefferson.
with the admiring inscription, "the
greatest cheese In America for the
greatest man in America 1t was
conveyed to Jefferson by a six-horse
team. He insisted upon paying for
it, and it lasted for more than year,
being the piece de resistance of many
IA state dinner in the meantime.
Very quaint all this seems now,
but cheese seem to have been a fav-
orite personal gift in those days, as