Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-17

VERY woman in America is curl
X Gus to know whether Mrs. Hard
IL ing or Mrs. Cox will be the next
mistress of the White House. The
personality and daily doings of the first
lady of the land have ever attracted
wide attention.
If the next lady who occupies the
home of the nations chief executive
proves to be as much of a real human
being as was the first one. interest in
that historic mansion will be greatly
revived. Abigail Adams. wife of John
Adams second President of the United
States, had the honor of being the first
woman to set up housekeeping in the
White House. She likewise had the dis
tncton of being the first woman to
write letter from the White House.
That first White House letter was
very human and decidedly interesting.
She dwelt upon servants. scarcity of
firewood, scarcity of neighbors, lack
of bells, number of lamps needed, and
the fact that she used one of the big
rooms place to hang out the fam
lily washing.
The letter follows:
November 81. 1900.
Woods are all you see from Balti-
more until you reach the city. which
is only so in name. Here and there is
a small cot with a glass window.
interspersed amongst the forests.
through which you travel miles with
out seeing any human being. In the
city there are buildings enough, if
they were compact and finished. to
accommodate Congress and those at
tached to it: but as they are. and
scattered as they are, l see no great
comfort for them. The river, which
runs up to Alexandria. is in full
view of my window. and l see the
vessels as they pass and repass. The
house is upon grand and superb
scale. requiring about thirty servants
to attend and keep the apartments in
proper order. and perform the order
business of the house and stables: an
establishment very well proportional
to the Presidents salary. The work
of lighting the apartments. from the
kitchen to parlor and chambers. is a
task indeed: and the fires we are
obliged to keep to secure US from
daily agues are another very cheering
comfort To assist us in this great
castle. and render less attendance
necessary, bells are wholly wanting.
not one single bell being hung
throuh the whole house, and promises
are all you can obtain. This is so great
an inconvenience that l do not know
what to do, nor how to do. The
ladies from Georgetown and in the
city have, many of them. visited me.
Yesterday | returned fifteen visits
but such a place as Georgetown ap-
pears-why our Milton is beautiful
But no comparisons: if they will put
me up some bells, and let me have
wood enough to keep fires, l design
TO be pleased. l could content myself
almost anywhere three months; but
surrounded with forests, can you be-
lieve that wood is not to be had, be-
cause people cannot be found to cut
and cart it" Briesler entered into
contract with man to supply him
with wood. y small part, few cords
only has he been able to get Most
of that was expended to dry the walls
of the house before we came in, and
Yesterday the man told him it was i'm
possible for him to procure it to be
cut and carted. He has had recourse
to Goals: but we cannot get CRATES and
set in We have, indeed. come into a
new country.
.'The house IS made habitabIe, but
there is not L single apartment fin
ished. and all withinside, except the
plastering. has been done SINCE Bries-
Ter came. We have not the least fence
yard or other convenience without.
and the great unfinished audience
room | make drying-room of, to
hang up the clothes in. The princi-
pal stairs are not up, and will not be
this winter. SIX cham berS are made
comfortable; two are occupied by the
President and Mr.. Shaw: two lower
rooms for a common parlor, and one
for a levee room. Upstairs there is
the oval room, which is designed for
the drawing room, and has the crin
son furniture in ii. 1t is Il very hand
some room now, but when completed.
il will be beautiful. II the twelve
years in which this place has been
considered as the future seat of gov
eminent had been improved. as they |
would have been in New England. |
very many of the present inconven- !
fences would have been removed. 1t !
is beautiful spot. capable of every !
Improvement, and the more / view il, |
the more I am delighted with *. |
since L sat down to write. I have |
been called down to servant from |
Mount Vernon. with a billet from
Maj. CuStiS, and haunch of veniSon, |
and kind cougratulatory letter from |
Mrs. Lewis upon my arrival in the
city, with Mrs. WASHINGTON love. in
viting me to Mount Vernon. where,
health permitting Will go, before
leave this place"
The next letter written by Mrs.
Adams was equally interesting. IL
was as follows:
"Eriesler procured nine cords of
wood; between six and seven of that
was kindly burnt UP to dry the walls
of the house, which ought to have
been done by the commissioners but