Evening star., 1934-10-21
CHAPTER XIV.
BY FRANK G. CARPENTER.
T AFAYETTE SQUARE is now a
beautiful park filled with rare
trees and choice shrubbery. In
II itS canter stands the bronze

son and facing IT Is the oazzllng Wnltt
paint of the Presidents mansion. AL
around its three remaining sides rise
noble houses, each Of which had been
the scene of many q comedy, and in
several OF which have been enacted
some of the most terrible tragedies OF
our Nations history.
Just across from Lafayette Park, on
the opposite corner from the old De-
catur mansion, Is the old Madison
house, where Dolly Madison held her
court after her husband died. 1t is
big brick. with a bay window, probably
of recent construction, at the back
It was built by Congressman Cults
even before the days of the Corcoran
house, and Cults had to borrow money
from Madison TO erect it. This ne
was never able to pay, so at Madison's
death the house fell into the hands
of the Presidents wife.
Dolly Madison was the queen OF
entertainers. She never forgot name
nor a face and scores of stories are
af1oat here regarding her memory and
her kindness. One old story which
is now current is about green youth
who was standing alone at one OF her
receptions at the White House. Dolly
Madison, seeing that he was embar-
raised, attempted to make him feel
more at home. The boy was drinking
a cup of coffee and he had about half
finished it. When he saw Mrs. Madi-
son coming toward him he was so
frightened that he emptied the rest
of the coffee into the saucer and put
the cup into his pocket. Mrs. Madi-
son at once engaged him in converse
ton, asked after his family and every
one of his forty-second cousins. She
was so kind that he soon forgot his
embarrassment. He even managed to
remove the cup from his pocket during
the talk and drank more coffee at
ease in company with his hostess.
Mrs. Madison was tall. flne-looking
lady. She spent a great deal in dress.
1t is said her turban caps, which she
always wore, cost her $1,000 a year
and that she kept them on through
every change of fashion. During her
later years, however, she became very
poor through the extravagances Of her
son, Payne Todd. President Madison
left her an estate of about 100000
but during her later years she was at
times dependent on one OF her old
Negro servants for the necessaries OF
life. Her poverty forced her to move
from this magnificent house, which
was rented, in turn, by Attorney Gen.
eral Crittenden and the Hon. William
C. Preston of South Carolina. Then
the Roosevelts of New York occupied
it for a time, and later, when Mrs.
Madison died, it was bought by Ad-
miral Wilkes of the Navy.
The lot upon which the old mansion
house stands once belonged to Henry
Clay. There is a curious story con-
nected with the selling of the ground.
Commodore Rogers is said to have
purchased it from Henry Clay for
finely-bred Andalusian jackass. The
story is that Clay was very proud OF
his stock farm at Ashland, KY, and
that when Commodore Rogers came
to Washington, bringing with him a
shipload of fine stock from the Medl-
terranean, Clay tried to buy some OF
them for his farm. Rogers would not
sell; he would hear of no offer fol
the ass, which Clay especially wanted
He grew tired finally Of Clay's impor-
tunity and said, just in fun: There
is one thing, Mr. Clay. for which you
can purchase that animal, and that
is your lot near the White House"
1T is a trade" replied Clay, and
he at once made deed for the lot
and so got his jackaSS. Commodore
Rogers then built this house and lived
in it himself before he rented it to
Judge Taney. 1t is now worth whole
army of jackasSes, and would, ]
venture, sell for more than the estates
of all Clay's descendants.
White House Horses.
There is a handsome brick stable
on the White House grounds in which
the President is expected to main
tain a good stud Of horses. President
Washington rode on official occasions
in a gorgeous state coach drawn by
six horses. In his tours about the
country he used four horses and when
he drove to church a prancing pair
drew his equipage. His coach and
servants were resplendent in a livery
of white with scarlet trimmings. Gen.
Grant appeared on official occasions
in a four-horse barouche, but Presi-
dent Arthur never drives anything
more than a two-horse rig and his
servants livery is Of a mouse color
with silver buttons. Jefferson used
to 60 rafting across the country be-
hind a four-horse team and when
inaugurated he rode on horseback 10
the Capitol, leaving his horse tied to
the fence while the ceremcny was
performed President Arthur goes to
church within a stones throw of the
White House. but he generally rides
even that distance.
Mr.. Smithmyer, the man who is
to build the new National Library,
Is perhaps the most able architect in
the United States. He has not the
highest opinion of the Washington
Monument. He said to me tonight,
1T is a big chimney, nothing else. 1t
belongs to the first age of our ma
tional architecture and is a concep-
ton of the last century rather than
this. Robert Mills, the man who de-
signed it, was born in seventeen hun
dred and something and the carrying
out of his idea was begun by a gen.
Grafton of men who have now passed
away"
A New York Dude.
e. Berry Wall, the king of the New
York dudes is here In attendance on
the races. He Is stopping at the Eb-
bitt House and he registers himself
E. Berry Wall and servant. This
mans soul is In his Clothes" and 1t
is said that he has constantly on hand
70 different suits, that he never uses
the same one more than twice. Wnen
he came into Washington this week
he brought with him three large Sara
toga trunks and when he registered
he did not give his servant, who is
as well dressed and better looking
young man than himself, the honor
of a name on the hotel books He is
merely a servant-that's all. When
I saw Mr.. Wall about l o'clock pm.
he had on his third suit for the day.
It was a brown Scotch tweed, with
brown derby to match. His servant,
dressed in a more modest hue of the