Evening star., 1935-10-07
|MRS. ROOSEVELT
PAUSES IN D. c.
Arrives by Plane-Finds
White House Undergoing
Winter Transformation.

After an airplane arrival an hour
and q half late under a canopy Of
storm clouds, Mrs. Franklin D. Roose-
welt today was back in her White
House home from a cross-country trip
with the President. She reached
Washington last night.
1T was a good trip" said Mrs.
Roosevelt. "We were just sent differ
ent way, that's all"
She was met at the airport by her
friend, Miss Lorena Hickok, and went
at once to the White House for a one
day stay before going TO Hyde Park
to await Mr.. Roosevelt's return from
his Western trip. She was wearing
brown travelling suit, homespun at
Waikiki, where she has installed
loom at the Hyde Park estate to
stimulate home industry.
Light and water were turned on at
the White House. still in the process
Of overhauling, for her short stay
there.
Early at Desk.
Stephen T. Early Of the White
House secretariat returned TO his desk
today from his trip to the West Coast.
He was enthusiastic over the recep-
ton accorded the President through
out his journey across the continent.
He few back with Mrs. Roosevelt.
Meanwhile. the annual Fall trans
| formation of the White House is
under way. outside gardeners are
preparing the lawn and the shrubs for
the Winter ahead Inside the house,
keepers are removing screens and ar
ranging TO hang lace curtains and
draperies.
The first sign of the approach Of
Winter came when the air-cooling
system was turned off and the heat
turned on. Then followed the re-
moval of the awnings.
Heat From Central Plant.
Heat for the White House for the
last dozen years has been piped from
a central heating plant which makes
it possible to keep every room COM
Portable at all times without the in
convenience Of dirt and soot Before
that time, the furnaces in the White
House consumed about 140 tons Of
anthracite year
The only part of the White House
not heated from the central plant is
the executive Office. Its independent
system has air-conditioning equip
ment which provides cool air in the
Summer and heat in the Winter.
AS soon as White House employees
complete the removal of the screens
a gigantic task because Of the great
number of windows and doors-the
lace curtains and the draperies will
be hung.
Treatment of the 16 acres Of lawn
to resist the cold weather is another
big Job which falls under the direc-
ton of William Reeves. superintendent
of gardeners. For more than week
his force of gardeners has been busy
sowing seeds and covering the lawns
with fertilizer.
Fireplace Logs Arrive.
Another sign of the coming of Win
ter is the arrival of truckloads Of
neatly cut logs for the open freplaces
in both the Mansion and the execu-
tive offices. Virtually every room in
the White House has large fireplace
and these are used to a considerable
extent more particularly in the early
Fall before the heat has been turned
on. At other times the fireplaceS
are used more for the picturesqueness
Of a blazing log fire. The logs are
bought from local dealers and the
specifications call for well-seasoned oak
logs of uniform thickness not more
than two feet in length. About six
cords of logs are used each Winter.
Still another familiar sign Of the
change from Summer to Winter at
the White House is the removal from
the east and west wings of the Bay
trees. These trees, about 40 in num-
Der, were imported from Holland more
than 80 years ago, are transferred
from the wings about the first Of No.
vember each year and stored in the
White House green houses until the
approach of Summer.