Evening star., 1945-12-23


Thomas, familiarly known as Tad" to
buy toys for the lads amusement No
doubt, Robert, the older of the boys,
occasionally went along, as did little
Willie Lincoln, who died in the White
House on February 20, 1862.
From the first, this store was con-
Quoted by Joseph StuntZ who died after
a protracted illness in 1864, when Mrs.
Appolonia Stuntz, the widow, who had
invariably waited on the customers be-
fore her husbands death, succeeded to
the business.
It was termed variety store at that
time, and candies and other things be-
sides toys were sold there. Lincoln loved
little Tad; indeed, he was very fond of
all children. After the death of his son
Willie shortly after he came to the
White House, his love for his youngest
son grew even stronger, If such were
possible
The Stuntz store was not pretentious
one; in fact. it had frontage of but
IA feet inches. and the lot upon which
it stood was IS feet inches deep. It
was a two-story brick building with
slanting roof, and originally had bal
cony across the entire front, at the
second story, protected by an orna-
mental iron railing. Mr.. Stuntz, the
founder Of the toy shop, was born in
Tyrol, but we are told that the name
Bonaparte pulled him to France, where
he
cabinetmaker to the Emperor Napoleon
He entered the French Army as color
bearer, as he was too young to, 90 in
any other way, and carried the flag
across the Seine. He was shot in the
leg by the Russians-a wound from
which he suffered all his life He be-
came an expert carver in wood and
toys. and in his little shop in Wash
ington many hundreds of toys were
made by his own hands. After the
death of President Lincoln, and in the
rearranging and preparation of the
White House for another occupant, it is
said that in an upper room many REM
nants OF the toys that the good Presi-
dent had purchased from the top shop
were found"
Thomas T lTad) Lincoln lived to be
young man of Is when he died on July
Is, 1871. At the time it was said of him:
During the period of his fathers ad-
ministration he was the petted child of
the White House, and of all who fire.
quented it, full of life and vigor but
with all his INSTRUMENTATION and reck-
less mischief, he was at least a child of
remarkably truthful and generous ma
ture. The shock of his fathers sudden
death greatly sobered and steadied him.
His education, under the direction of
his brother Robert, progressed rapidly,
and he had recently returned from
Europe, improved by his residence
abroad, and with every promise Of use
fuhess, was stricken down in the first
flush of early manhood"
Grant Was Lucky
Gen. Grant is said to have been
lucky. Generally speaking, this is true;
for although johnson was Chief Execu-
tive on December Is, 1865, Grant was
getting all the limelight and presents.
The New York Stock Exchange appro-
priated $1,000 for him as a Christmas
gift. but directed that the amount be
turned over to the Grant Testimonial
Fund, then amounting to $4,000 and
held until the entire amount reached
100000, which was expected to be be-
fore New Year Day.
When President Cleveland took office,
he was bachelor, and Christmas did
not mean so much to him and his sister,
who, for awhile, was the official hostess.
And so, when Christmas, 1885, rolled
around, MIR. Cleveland was content to
take drive in the morning and dine
with Secretary Manning in the evening.
But the Christmas after he returned to
the White House, in 1893, his family had
increased, and there were a wife and
two children to help him celebrate the
day.
Benjamin Harrison enjoyed his last
Christmas in the White House with his
daughter and grandchildren. This
year, 1892, Christmas came on Sunday,
and the tree was mounted in the
library on that day. At pm, the
President and all the rest of the house
hold assembled to hear little Benjamin
and Mary recite German pieces taught
them by their governess.
Little Ben got printing press and an
assortment of type from grandpa, while
Mary got doll babies
Naturally there was big time at the
White House when Theodore Roosevelt
spent his first Christmas there in 1901.
Eighty-seyen big. fat turkeys were his
gift to the White House policemen, mes
sengers, ushers, gardeners, servants and
stable men. This was the largest dis
tribution of its kind ever made by
President Mr.. Mckinley always gave
turkeys as presents to married ep-
ployes, but the list was not so large.
President Taft spent the best part q
Christmas, 1909, working over the sseh.
lem. What is whisky?" a Question
raised by distillers under the pure food
act.
The Taft boys, Robert and Charles,
got the usual assortment of toys but
were more interested In the cutting Of
the mammoth pie given to the President
by the International Bakers Associa.
tion. It was SO inches In diameter,
weighed 90 pounds and IVES the princi.
pal feature Of the dinner.
e.