Evening star., 1934-10-28
WHEN PRESIDENTS LIVED
AT THE SOLDIERS HOME
Chester A. Arthur's Cottage Far Out in
'Rural Washington Was Quiet Re.
treat From White House Excitement.

proper conception of the labor in
volved. At any one reception there
may be 500 to 1000 callers, each
bringing in the dust and CRIME
OF the streets, wearing out the car
pets, breathing against the window
panes and causing the house to de-
part from its annual apple-pie order
which is established in the Fall. The
yearly cleaning of the White House
takes place each Autumn. AS Aunt
Victoria johnson, head of the colored
corps of cleaners, says: "Dey's no
yarthly use of cleanin' in dey Spring,
when de Presidents away and we all
is de only ones to enjoy it all Sum-
mer. But when it's cleaned in de
Fall, its plum nice for Winter"
To put the White House in shape
for the Winter is the work of an
army of trained servants of all colors
and persuasions. The windows up
stairs are not very large, but the
house is antiquated and the work
OF cleaning it is complicated. Most
OF the window saShes have to be
taken out and stood upon the floor
as one washes looking glass. Two
support the sash on each side while
two work on it. rubbing on polishing
stuff and drying it quickly. After
them comes the glass-repairer. He,
talented man, can smooth over
scratches and blemisheS and polish
down the glass, when it is again
cleaned. The cabinetmaker. too. is
called in for setting the panes firmly
in place, for they become loose from
the many visitors that lean against
them in the course of a year. All
this takes a lot of work when there
are from SO to 100 windows to be
fixed.
There is in the White House staff
OF servants one talented Young COL
ored woman whose name among her
companions is Miss America Har-
rlson. This woman has for many
seasons renovated the cornices of the
White House rooms. No one else has
the strength of arm to do it. America
designs her own cornice brushes and
certain manufacturer makes them
for her. They are of all sizes, from
6 to Is feet long.
From the floor America can dust.
wash, polish, and even put touches of
paint on the highest ceiling. She
goes over the entire wall and ceiling
ana Will allow no one to help her.
Once a new white woman overseer was
set to work to boss Miss America.
You g'long," responded America.
Get way from hyar or I'll put a dab
o my polish on yer face datll leab
you spotted like er hyena."
Bob Ingersoll.
'Did you ever hear how Bob Inger-
soil got his title of Royal Bob'?" said
a Washington editor to me last night.
1T was" he continued, through
mistake in punctuation. When Presi-
dent Garfield came here to be inaugu-
rated, Bob IngerSoll met him at the
depot, and just as he jumped from
the train, the two rushed into each
others arms. Mr.. Ingersoll said.
How are you, General?' and Garfield
replied, Royal Bob. How are you?'
Our reporter in writing up the scene
failed to put in the comma between
royal and Bob, and his copy looked
as though Garfield had called the
great infidel Royal Bob Ingersoll. 1t
so well accorded with IngersoIl's char
acter that I concluded to let it 60,
and I also headed the article, How
Royal Bob Ingersoll Met Garfield at
the Depot The name was a hit and
it sticks tightly to Ingersoll to this
day"
Mark Twain and George Cable.
Mark Twain and George w. Cable
have been reciting extracts from their
works to large audiences here this
week. I dropped in Monday night to
hear them, and spent the pleasantest
evening I ever had at such an enter
tainment. The two men are as diff
ferent as the poles and both are sur
priseS.
George w. Gable is under medium
height, very straight, very slender, and
as sallow as many of the Creoles whom
he portrays in his novels He has a
face effeminate rather than manly.
and his beard OF silky black and his
long mustache, twisted with its ends
hanging down below his chin and
making bow over his mouth, carries
out this illusion. His nose is straight
and small, his eyes bright. black and
piercing, and his forehead medium
high. His hair is the color of jet, and
as glossy as oiled ebony. He does not
weigh, should say, over 13O pounds.
He has a very good voice, well trained
and melodious. He articulates dis
tinctly, and his gestures have all the
grace of those of woman.
Ten years ago the world knew
nothing of Gable; now he stands in
the front rank of the American lit
erati. At one time he was a mer-
chant, then tried newspaper writing
on the New Orleans Picayune, and
while doing so began to study the
early history of New Orleans. He be-
came interested in the Creoles and
wrote several sketches of them for the
Century Magazine. These attracted
attention and he found the field upon
which he had entered worth develop
ing. In the carrying out of his idea,
he has shown that he is an accom-
plished novelist, and his reputation
will last.
Mark Twain is just as big and awk-
ward as Gable is small and graceful.
He has big head, joined by a long
neck to, pair of round shoulders.
He came onto the stage as though he
were half asleep, and he looked to me
as though nature, in putting him to-
gether, had somehow gotten the joints
mixed. He has big face, a nose
large enough to represent any kind
of genius. and eyes large, black and
sleepy. His thick, bushy name of hair
is now iron gray, and his bushy mus
tache overhangs his whimsical mouth.
AS he stood on the stage he reminded
me of mammoth Interrogation point.
and as he drawled out his words with