Evening star., 1925-05-10


long enough to set aside $780,.
Il 900 extra for White House re-
pairs and refurnishings stands
| out in striking contrast to the early
| policy Of Capitol Hill towards the Elk.
| ecutive Mansion. Not a single cent
| was appropriated for building the
! original White House and for many
years afterward Congress was so mig,
gardly that the first few Presiden nts
went out of Office bankrupt because
of the expense Of keeping up the es-
| tablishment.
| When the site of the Capital City
| was finally determined. in 1880, Con
gress merely said to President Wash
ington:
60 build a Capital
| For 10 years 1t failed to provide
any money to do 1t with. He raised
money by selling lots in the proposed
city and he induced Maryland and
Virginia, through their legislatures, to
give a total of 100000 With such
funds he built the White House and
most of the first Capitol building, con-
| sisting OF two stone wings, connected
by frame structure.
The greatest struggles, since the
early days, however, have not been
in the upkeep Of the physical White
House but in the maintenance of its
social character. Even today, when
the President receives a salary of
SIS, 900 q year, the cost of entertain
ting eats a big hole in his income.
/ Receptions and state dinners cost the
President and his wife about $1,000
apiece. At the receptions there are
always from 1000 to 5000 guests. Re-
freshments are always served, consist
ing of a buffet supper Of cold meats,
salads. Ice cream. cakes and coffee.
| Even such simple fare, when pro-
vided for an army of 1000 or 5000,
| runs into money. State dinners usu.
| ally number from so to 80 guests. In
addition to these large affairs there is
| a constant series of smaller dinners,
| musicals, teas and garden parties.
White House families also have
guests almost continuously. Rela-
tives are keen to visit in the White
House, and distinguished personages
must frequently be put up. Then, the
crew of twenty-five or thirty servants
| must have their regular meals. All of
this means that from thirty to fifty
people usually eat three meals a day
in the White House-at the expense
OF the President. Attendants and
servants are paid by the Government,
! but most families flnd 1t necessary to
employ three or four personal serv-
ants in addition. All grocery, meat
and provision bills of every character
| must come out of the Presidents Tor
the Madam President's) purse.
IT 1NLIKE the average housewife in
- the average town, the mistress OF
the White House seldom derives any
relief through what "the neighbors
send in" A Thanksgiving turkey, q
barrel Of apples or lin the present
administration a bucket Of maple
sugar. IL about the annual limit Of
been many years since any President
has enjoyed such a substantial offer.
ing as the mammoth cheese" pre-.
sented to Thomas Jefferson on. the
morning Of January /, 1902, his first
New Year day in the White House,
and the first occasion upon which a
New Year reception was held. Both
the reception and the famous cheese
are described by the Rev. DIR. Manas-
sch Cutler, a staunch Federalist mem
ber Of Congress from Massachusetts,
"AIthough the President has no
levees." he recorded in his diary, "a
number of Federalists agreed to go
from the Capitol in coaches to the
Presidents house, and wait upon him
with the compliments of the season.
We were received with politeness and
entertained with cake and wine. The
mammoth cheese having been pre-
sented this morning, the President in
vited us to go, as he expressed it, ito
the mammoth room and see the man.
moth cheese. There we viewed this
monument of human weakness and
| folly as long as we pleased. then re.
turned"
The cheese was exhibited in the
east room and was curiosity for
many days.
"This mammoth cheese" continued
| the account, has caused more COM
ment, favorable and unfavorable. than
any other incident OF the campaign.
On nearing of Jeffero6n's election,
Elder John Leland, pastor OF the Bap-
| tist Church at Cheshire. Mass, called
the members Of his Deck together and