Evening star., 1931-12-23
HOOVER CHRISTMAS
REEVES MEMORIES
Holiday Traditions Date Back
to First Occupants of
White House.
BY the Associated Press.


Visions CT many childrens Christ
mas in the White House will glow again
as Yule log embers redden the cheeks
of happy Hoover family
| The Hoovers, assembling at the
| hearthSide with their children and
grandchildren, carry on the tradition
that has marked well the White House
since 1t was palace" looming near
a swamp and connected by mere foot
path with the Capitol
| 1t is a tradition that dates to the
| first occupant of the presidential man.
sion, John Adams, whose orphaned
granddaughter Suzanna was the Christ
mas sprite in 1900.
The story goes that nearest to Su-
zannas heart among her gifts was a
tea set. One day it was swept to the
floor and broken by cousin when the
two were at play. Suzanna. in reprisal,
seized the cousins wax doll and bit
chunks from its face
Daniel Webster Punch.
When the presidential palace" was
burned by the British in 1914 the Madi-
sons moved to the Octagon House.
which still stands.
Yule logs cracked and blazed after
John Quincy Adams followed Monroe
mas carols. newly revived were sung in
the muddy streets and Daniel Webster
punch was much in vogue;
To, the regime of old Hickory"
Jackson, however, belong the memories
of a real childran's holiday. Grand
nieces and grandnephews conSpired to
make Christmas bright for the veteran.
who had been saddened by the death
Of his wife
Together the President and the chill
dren made the rounds on Christmas
eve, leaving hand mirror at the quar-
terS of Martin Van Buren. package
of snuff for Mrs. Madison and pen
knives for officials and clerks.
mir. Uncle General"
Back in the White House the children
hung stockings on the mantel and. pre-
vailing on the hero of New Orleans to
hang up a heavy woolen sock, raced
for their beds with the cry:
Now let's see what Santa will bring
you. Mr.. Uncle General Old Hickory
Jackson, President of these United
States!"
Santa brought him a corncob pipe
package of tobacco and a pair of
slippers. The Christmas table was
decorated with mound of snow balls"
surrounded by a massive gilt rooster
When the meal was finished old
Hickory revealed that the snow balls
were made of cotton and covered with
starch and the entire group repaired to
the east room for hard-fought battle
with the miss lies
Late that night, when the children
were asleep, secretary found Jackson
wandering among the toys. weeping.
Reprieved Tad's Turkey.
War-saddened years in Lincoln's ad-
ministration were enlivened particular
! ly by Tad for whom the President
would pull on high boots, top hat. and
faSten shawl around his gaunt should
! ers with a huge safety pin to sally
forth to toy shop
: One day cabinet meeting was tenn
porarily adjourned while Lincoln wrote
a reprieve for Jack, the Christmas tur-
key. The bird had been sent for
thanksgiving dinner, but Tad made
friends with it on arrival and the bird
followed at the heels of the youngster.
He named it Jack and the friendship
he bore for the bird led first to a stay
of execution at Thanksgiving and later
to the out-andout reprieve at Christ
mas
The last Christmas of the Cleveland
administration was a gay one, with
three little stockings hung from a man
| tel. There We're happy parties and q
whole room soon filled with gifts and
toys.
Roosevelt Christmases also were rich
with deeds of youngsters, but it was
not again until the Hoover administra-
tion that tiny folks held such sway.
Last year, after carolers had SER
enaded in the White House, little Her.
bert Hoover III, showed the spirit of
childhood that has echoed so long in
the mansions halls by shouting as loud
as he ever could:
"Me'y Tissmus!"