Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-09-17
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Fifty years ago there was on duty in
the White House domestic service per-
Sonage known to
Uncle Jerry Of multitudes of fire.
the White House quenters of the
executive mansion
as Jerry. His last name is gone from
memory, but as Jerry he was widely
identified. He contributed numerous in
teresting anecdotes about White House
management. One of them is thus told
in The Star of September IA, 1889:
1T may be remembered that the coun-
try was startled one Saturday night
few weeks ago by the news flashing over
the wires from this city that the flag on
the White House was at half mast, but
it was not long before word was sent out
to the carelessness Of colored servant,
part of whose duties it is to raise and
lower the flag There had been a con-
cert on the lawn by the Marine Band,
the flag always being raised on such an
occasion, and Uncle Jerry, the servant,
had let the flag fall half way while wait
ing for the last note of the bands last
piece, and there it hung just long enough
to attract attention and to give rise to
rumors. This was satisfactory to the
public, but the real reason. the true in
wardness of the incident is not generally
known.
Jerry is quite a character in his
way-a polite, good-humored colored
man who manages to keep a smiling ex-
terror although he is usually in great
physical pain from rheumatic His
courtly manners and low bows have
gained for him the name of Lord Ches-
terfleld' and he is sometimes addressed
as my lord or some other fantastic title,
all of which pleases Jerry beyond meas
ure and usually starts chuckle that
lasts whole day. He is witty and I'M
usually original, and his appearance in
the lobby of the mansion is almost sure
to be the symbol for bursts of laughter
at some odd remark that comes in ahead
of him as he grunts his way up the stairs.
He is fond of titles and distributes them
with lavish tongue, while his acquain-
lance with public men and women is
rather remarkable until one is told that
he has been a White House fixture for
over 20 years.
Jerry is extremely superstitious He is
a firm believer in ghosts and he has
fund of stories about them that afford
immense entertainment for those around
him. But there is one idea that has
grown into Jerrys brain and is now part
of it, resisting the effects of ridicule,
laughter, argument or explanation He
firmly believes that the White House is
haunted with the spirits of all the de-
parted Presidents, and, furthermore, that
his Satanic majesty, the devil, has his
abode in the attic. He cannot be per-
suaded out of the notion and at inter-
walls he strengthens his position by tell
ing about some new strange noise he has
heard or some additional evidence he
has secured.
THAT is why the flag was at half mast
that Saturday. Jerry was aware of the
fact that by the time Prof. Sousa's baton
fell on the last beat the shadows were
pretty long over the lawn and that the
way down through the garnet into the
house was dark and gruesome. His blood
chilled at the prospect of making that
journey, and he shivered. To save time
he let the flag slip down the mast so that
when the time came it would require
but pull to get it clear down and so he
would save few precious seconds of
blessed light When he did oct thu ropo
united with trembling fingers and all
was made fast he gathered the flag in
his arms and with call on the enemies
of diabolism for aid and protection he
fled down the narrow stairway.
Jerry does not like to talk about this
incident. He claims that the halyards
slipped and thus let the flag down, but
those acquainted with him say that the
real reason was as stated before. He
admits, however that the garnet is un-
canny and says with a fervid rolling of
his eyes and lifting of his hands: Indeed
an deed, gemmen, woulden' go into
dat garnet alone at night + you'd gimme
de whole Treasury 'Partment.' This is
Jerrys platform, from which nothing,
not even the promise of unlimited
wealth, could bulge him. He is con-
WINGED that the figures in the presidential
portraits step down from their frames
every night and hold high shadowy car
nival In the rooms where they once
moved In bodily substance, and, strange
~ enough, he attributes to them the most
hAlliRererk At oUalitiAs. "a that ak 0nA