Evening star., 1935-12-29

She then went abroad alone, and did
not return to this country until 1880.
MRS. LINCOLN, when she entered
A'A the White House. did not find
it in perfect order, and she certainly
did not find it so before leaving 1t,
and the same report Of B. B. French
quoted before, will bear out this state
ment in full Here is what the COM
missioner of public buildings said;
The Presidents House, with the
exception of the main floor, is in great
want of repair. The $4,000 appro-
priated at the last session for repairs
of the basement was, much OF IL
expended IN anticipation os trs ap-.
preparation, in order % render the
basement tenantai5se-
"The large fuFuace. typpiyirg heat
for the entiIe uEpef 9aEt$9n Of the
house. through TIE Gaf~ azter pipes,
had become so ssaIiEe1g choked with
SCOT and cinders as 70 he nearly use
less. and had to BE- taken down and,
rebuilt Indeed, such has been the
dilapidation of the house, the cons
seryatory, and the contiguous out.
houses and greenhouses, that work..
men have been almost constantly,
employed in repairing them, and there
must be a general and thorough reno,
vation to render them at all creditabls
to the Government who owns them,.
/ and to make the President and his
| family comfortable.
THE Committee on Public Buildings
and Grounds, of the House OF Repre-
sentatives, accompanied him over the
entire premises two or three times
| during the last session, and agreed
unanimously that no private gentle
man would suffer his house and
grounds to remain in such dilapt-
dated condition as was the house
appropriated by the United States to
their President. A detailed estimate
was made for them, amoueting to
between $11 900 and $4,000. to place
them in tolerable condition; and the
chairman of the committee offered an
amendment proposing to appropriate
$4,000 for the purpose, which was not
agreed to.
The commissioner presumes, IN
accordance with the usual custom,
considerable special appropriation VIII
be made to fit up the house at the
incoming administration, and Will not'
therefore, ask for sny other than TINS
usual appropriation in his estimates.
He calls attention to the facts which
he repeatedly alluded to in his cor
respondence with committees OF the
House in relation to depredations upon
the fixtures and furniture Of the
house, which can be avoided IN no
other way that he can advise but oy
having a day watchman to accom-
pany all visitors through the pubic
rooms.
"The rich and expensive curtains
have been cut and large pieces car.
ried away. One lace curtain was stolen
from one Of the east room windows
The handsome and expensive gilded
shields which support the curtains
have, many of them, been wrencned
of and stolen. Nearly all the heavy
cords and taSsels which were used TO
loop up the curtains of the east room
have been stolen. The paper has oeen
torn from the wall Of the same room
and carried away. Indeed, there
seems to be no possible petty depre-
dation that can be made in the abb
sence of watchful eyes that has not
been, and the Commissioner earnestly
recommends that a day watchman be
authorized by Congress, whose duty
should be to prevent such vandalism
for the future"
Mai. French might also have said
that the east room at that time was
used as a public lounging place. and
that when Mrs. Lincoln vacated the
premises the upholstering Of this IA
nous room was found to be run away
with chinches and had TO be replaced.
MOT only were President Lincoln
and the people in general happy
on New Year day, 1864, but on Christ
mas day, a week before the reception
at the White House, the soldiers in the
various hospitals throughout the Cap
ital were treated to q bounteous re-
past. The report says there was plenty
of mud in the streets and that the day
was kept moist by drizzling rain.
In nearly every hospital extensive
preparations had been made for cele-
brating the day, and besides an elab-
crate dinner, each hospital was fur
nished with an entertainment, includ"
ing theatrical exhibitions and fire"
works. and in most of the hospitals de-
votional exercises were also held, thus
affording," so the account states,
something for the advertisement OF
all. of whatever turn Of mind"
At Stanton Hospital, located IN the
block bounded by H and I, and Sec
and and Third streets northwest, ana
which consisted Of q number Of frame