Evening star., 1946-12-08
Capital Sidelights
By viii P. Kennedy

By VIII P. Kennedy
President John Adams, first occupant
OF the White House, wrote this prayer
nearly $50 years ago: Heaven bestow
the best of blessings on this house and
on all that hereafter shall inhabit it.
May none but honest and wise men
ever rule under this roof"
In 1850, during the regime of Presi-
dent Fillmore, the first bathtub was
placed in the White House. It was not
replaced until the bachelor administra-
ton of Cleveland President Taft found
the White House tub too small for his
avoirdupois and several times got
stuck in it, so that he had to have
help getting out. AS a result, special
tub was built by the ]. L. Mott Iron
Works, and a photograph still is avail
able showing four workmen reclining.
iiptsl Ii <l
The first elevator in the White House
was built by. direction Of President GAR,
field when his mother was coming to
visit hima Feeble because Of age, she
could not walk up stairs. This was
one of innumerable evidences of his
great love for her.
Two hours before Garfield was shot,
Col. Crook caught him turning hand
springs on his sons bed. After the
President was hurt and unable to sign
documents, Crook was ordered to have
rubber stamp facsimile of his sigma
ture made. This was used many times
by Secretary of State Blaine.
xrx
The White House elevator was en-
ployed during the Teddy Roosevelt ad-
ministration to carry the boys spotted
pony from the basement to the bed
room floor, where the pony had access
to all the sleeping rooms.
~
Sadness and gloom pervaded the
White House during Civil War days.
The only hilarity was when the great,
grave President, by sheer willpower,
thrust aside the burdens of Office that
his darling Tad might have some
of the joys that are childhood's heritage.
With Tad on his shoulders, Lincoln
would gallop the long corridors outside
the family private quarters, while the
boy shouted in glee.
y X
Cleveland chewed tobacco while he
worked. He personally wrote his mes
sages to Congress in longhand during
the midnight hours. He carried the
cares of his Office the hard way and is
rated among the hardest working Of
all the Presidents.
xsk 4
Old Jerry, a Negro janitor in the
executive offices, and who swept the
floor with a feather duster, once raised
the White House flag upside down. He
also, when serving as carriage caller,
once shouted: "The Watermelon Min
istern instead of the Guatemalan Min
ister
Automobiles came into the White
House routine with the Tafts. The old
stable, bereft of horses. was the domain
of the Taft COW, with hired man whose
sole duty was to care for the lone COW
and who delivered the milk twice daily
at the White House kitchen.
During the Theodore Roosevelt ad-
ministration it was not unusual to see
rats about the Executive Mansion and
on one occasion the President and his
sons had hilarious time breaking up
the family dinner for a zestful rat hunt
Once great elm tree in front OF the
White House was blown down during q
storm. President Wilson was aghast
when told it was being hauled to the
dump. He deplored the waste" and
directed it to be cut up for the fire.
places. AS a result all fallen timber
around washington and especially in
Rock Creek Park throughout his adj
ministration was salvaged for Executive
Mansion use.
* *x
1t was Mrs. Hoover who returned to
the historic custom Of Abigail Adams
hanging out linen on q clothes line in
the east room. One Of her secretaries
was about to be married, $50 she pro-
posed q linen shower in the White
House. While the guests were gathered
ut lunch, she had their gifts spread out
on a cotton line and fastened with
clothespins the entire length Of the
east room. And it was on Monday,