Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 January 1917 — Page 3

As a foreigner Sees the White House

by Samuel Howe

The Presidents home, a part of the magnificent park system of the National Capital, is compared with some official residences of the old-world cities

(Editor's Note—The following matter is taken from an elaborately illustrated article, published recently in “Country Life,” one of the leading ..weekly periodicals in England.)

In spite of its intimate history ■whereby rhe White House enters so essentially into the life of the people, it is its decorative setting that first appeals to the visitoi* It is the manner in Which Miljor L’Enfanfs centuryold dream has been realized that is so wonderful. The capital is famous the world over for its avenues and vistas, Its canopied foot-paths, stately buildand splendid monuments. The White House is essentially a part of the general lay-out of Washington. It is tied to it; it belongs to it. No sympathetic visitor would isolate It for one moment. It is a part of the Washington park scheme, as much as the palaces of'France or Italy or any otlu er old-world official residences are a portion of their setting, of their sunken or walled gardens, their fountains or terraces. Nature has done little for London and hardly more even for Paris, but much for Washington. It is interesting to see to what fine use a rerrrarkabtesi tehasheen pnt and Hie way in which the best has been made of the opportunity. The charm inspires every visitor. He is forced to. recognize how well it all goes together. _—_ However often we may look at the quainf old woodcuts for the detail of the White House when it was a building isolated and alone, destitute of trees or shrubbery, the site outlined in a primitive fashion by a wooden paling, we a*e compelled to see that the idea was right. That Is to be seen today, now-that the White House is tied to Washington and to its wonderful park scheme, just as It is to the history of the people by a wonderful ‘network of policies, the ebb and flow of ambitions, and by the change of officers, who, like figures in a great pageant, arrive at intervals, dominate ithings for a time, and then*pass on. Viscount Bryce in his own gracious ifashion voices the idea of the fathers when he says, “Washington is the embodiment of the majesty of the whole nation, and the man from Maine and Minneapolis and Florida must feel that Washington belongs to him.” Continuing, that distinguished ambassador compares this ideal city to Constantlnopleand Calcutta because of their park Systems. He calls attention to the beauty of Rock Creek valley, recently set aside as a park, woods that stretch along river. He says, “Washington seems consecrated to society, to the delight ■of human intercourse." We hear a great (leal today of Amerdca as commercial, material. Is' not this an occasion for congratulation? May Americans not well be proud of ithe success which gives happy homes to so many thousand families? In this it follows closely the history of the dim eastern empires of Athens, of Rome; and in our own time, of England. Still, the Republic claims a universal salutation to the thought that jldealtsm is still the characteristic of ‘the American people ns IT was Th the colonial days. To dispose of the subject in a colloquial manner, the great heart of the people is sound, though It has flirted at times with false gods. We have but to look at Washington for a momenttorealize in the countenance of the average citizen the delight in a great ideal. * He is proud of the city. A visit to the District of Columbia will remove in an Instant .any element of doubt as to American veneration for the spirit of imagination and ambition. Like every country house the executive man si on grew from the ground up and not from the drawing office' dpwp, end yet, in this particular instance, ithe drawing office played*, a very essentlal part in the general tinent of things* for- the scheme is so

FACTS WORTH KNOWING

The rork oak'.yf-Spain is said to grow best in poorest soil. The annual rice production of Japan has readied the 2.'.'0,000,000-bushel mark. . -The longest river in Japan is the Tone, its main coarse being about 200 infles long. „ „ English stfeet rail ways are experimenting' with a compound rail, the wdrn parts of which can be renewed ; without disturbing the roadbed.

big that the drawing office and all for which it stands needed to be very much in evidence. The area is large, involving several miles, with problems that challenge and perplex. 1. The White House is not the work of one man; rather is it a compilation of ideas to which many have contributed in their own time and way. The history in brief shows that it was' built after the fashion of the villas of Italy from designs made by a resourcefid architect, by name James Hoban of Dublin. We see the stately simplicity of the Georgian style. The White House is substantially built, the walls faced with Virginia limestone. The cornerstone was laid in 1792 in what wild then a bare field sloping to the Potomac. The ceremonies were graced by the presence of Washington, who came over from Mount Vernon. Resisting the suggestiqn of many that it should be called the palace, it was known first as the president’s house, then, the executive mansion, and later the namfc, like so many mother things concerning this interesting building, underwent a change, and the White House it bejesjne. It is literally the White House, The white paint being used to eliminate the black caused by the fire of the British on the occasion of that untimely visit on a late afternoon in August; during a severe thunderstorm which added no - little to the excitement;- the attack following the destruction of the capitol upon the hill. Twenty-six presidents have known it as a home, and two died in it —Harrison, after a few brief days of power; and bluff, honest Zackary Taylor, the “Rough and Ready” of the Mexican war, as he was called. Lincoln, leaving the red room one evening with a group of friends, never returned, dying in a strange house, after the assassin’s bullet in the theater. And here in the East room his body lay in state that those who wished to pay their last homage to a great and good man might do so. Here, Garfield, shot in a railroad station, and carried in by way of the serpentine approach of the southern entrance up the rich vineclad stairway, languished during days of agony, and finally breathed his last in a seaside cottage. Here Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclahfption, freeing the slaves; here Nellle Grarit, the daughter of the president, married the •ambitious young Englishman, Sartoris, a ceremony of great brilliancy. Here, Cleveland, twice president, married Frances FolSOm, and .his fcecond child was born—the one baby, born to a presi-

Emery L. Barnes of Lebanon. N. H., has put his autoinpblle into practical use hy cutting his hay with it. Instead of using horses to draw the mowing* machine he hitched on his automobile and dragged the cutter over the field rapidly. Hamilton, 0., has celebrated its one hundred' and' twenty-fifth birthday. Battles in human blood between white corpuscles and disease germs have been photographed with the mo-, tion picture camera by two French scientists.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN. RENSSELAER. IND.

dent. The White House has always been the home of children, for nearly every president has had a substantial family. The winged cupid with his poignant arrows and tireless smile is not here merely a decorative emblem, but a living reality. The blue room has- been the scene of nine weddings, and the East room, originally devised as a banqueting hall in memory of the aristocratic planter days of Virginia and South Carolina, of two. The human — had we not better say the family?— appeal of the White House, with Its many ramifications reaching through many channels, extends In all directions. On five occasions have invitations been sent to the fortunate few to weddings here, the. marriage ceremony of daughters of presidents. This includes one of the daughters of President Wilson. who could have no superstition Tn becoming the thirteenth White House bride, when we consider that such was the number of the original coloniesand that there were thirteen stars upon Hie first American banner. The White House as we know it today shows the energy of Theodore Roosevelt and his general conception of the demands of the occasion. That dominant personality not only aroused the inner consciousness of the people, setting up- new standards, -or sweeping aside encroachments upon old ideals, but he set to work so to arrange the executive mansion that it would be more fit for the service of the people. This meant Important change to the building, including the construction of an independent office with accommodation for secretaries and typists and assistants. New means were arranged whereby the public could visit the executive with some degree of comfort and in .large number« on certain occasions. Yet the original building was preserved intact, so that it is today literally the home of the president, and so far convenient and* sufficient for his family that he can invite a friend to stay overnight without embarrassment, and even, when occasion permits, entertain in a proper and dignified manner a guest of distinction. All this entailed a readjustment of the building in many ways; an extension, practically a rebuilding of the original wings, which in their own fashion prqiyide few entrances, so that what is called the circulation of the house Is equal to-the demands of festival nights and other receptions ; and so that ambassadors and mTfiistefs frbm foreign powers *can be fitly received.

December is the wheat- Harvest month in New South, Jl'ales. v increased its acreage under cultivation in grains by more than 20 per cent over the 1914 figures. Eugene Dynner, age sixteen, Austrian by birth, Is the youngest wireless operator in the United States. He Is employed, ou a freight steamer- running between New Haven and New York. He Is the heir to his uncle’s estate and title in Austria. The estate Is worth SIOO,OOO ’

Season’s Skirts Must Be Narrow

Paris Has So Ordered, and of Course American Women , Will Obey. PETTICOAT A DEAD LETTER ' - ■>' » Unless of the Thinnest Material, IWill Not Be Worn—Outside Blouse Grows in Popularity—Ribbon to Be Used as a Substitute > K , for Embroidery. New York. —Every cable brings from Paris the news that the skirts of 1917 will be narrow. All those in the watch tow’ers have proclaimed the coming of this enemy to full skirts since last September, but only in limited segments of society was the news acted upon. The manufacturers had the material for full skirts, the wholesale houses turned them out by the thousands, and it was only left to the exclusive women and their dressmakers to cut down the width and lengthen the hem. Even nyw there are skirts that are Slightly gathered to the waistline, and these are'earning'Trom some of the best houses in Paris, but they are dropped over a lower skirt that is quite narrow. No matter what the fullness, every skirt clings to the figure, as it did in the end of the eighteenth century. Petticoats are dead, unless they are of chiffon, crepe de chine or jersey silk. ~ "*• The question which will soon confront every woman is whether she wishes to change the silhouette of her skirt or go on wearing it until ft is ready to be discarded; One cheerful feature of the return to the slim silhouette is that a full skirt can be cut into a narrow, one with ease. The Outside Blouse. That garment known as the outside blouse, which is merely a short, twelfth century chemise, has grown quite important and popular since the large shops copied the exclusive French models and placed Jhem within the reach of the average purse. The new ones started at SBS; you can now buy them for $5 or $lO in those shops where vast quantities of garmpnts are sold. They at S3O in the shops that are neither departmental nor exclusive. . ——. Women like them. They are more becoming than the white shirtwaist and they do not make demands on one’s purse for laundry. They have a thin lining of their own, which is a boon to the woman who has neither the time nor the money to arrange a vast variety of expensive underwear which shows through a thin white blouse. Skirts of Other Materials. These outside blouses are worn with skirts that are not of their material or color, so this makes for economy and comfort at once. So far, they are in chiffon embroidered in silk floss or bullion thread, but there are some very smart ones coming in colored satins. The sleeve is half length or long, but the latter should be chosen for every occasion except one’s own dinner table. The neck is cut in the Renaissance fashion; in fact, the extraordinary high collar, standing or turned over, has given way to the flat, twelfth, century neckline. This is cut ih many ways. The dressmakers i. > not hold one down to the veritable Renaissance. Jenny has taken up the Italian decolletage for the daytime, which is cut in the form of a delta. A. new gown which she sends over,.which was copied from a Rembrandt portrait and which is of black panne, velvet with girdle and arm pieces of black satin, has no ornamentation at the neqkllne. The velvet is cut to the base' of the neck at the back, then out on each side to the armpits and goes in a straight line across the chest below the collarbone. It may be safely said that the thousands who are continuing to wear the neck arrangement of the last three years because it is becoming and comfortable, arenot in fashion. The vast industries in this country connected with the manufacturing of neckwear will surely set up a howl of protest

HIGHEST OF NEW STRAW HATS.

It Isa Fine, Black Weave, With a Brim ..That Rises Skyward on the Side—- .... There Is a Lovers’ Knot of Black c ur at Side,

STREET CAPE COAT.

It Is of Gray Cloth, Finished With a Wide Band of Ermine at the Hem— The Deep Shoulder Cape Is Cut in One With the Coat and Drops to the Hem at the Back.

if this new style of the collarless neck makes strong headway. Ribbon Instead of Embroidery. There is rtumor that France and America in combination will present ribbons as a substitute for embrold-„ ery. It is possible that America is the father to this thought. The manufacturers in this country have ardently wished for definite fashions from Paris that would feature miles of ribbon used in any way possible to cover the surface of clothes. The demand for ribbon has been worked up in Paris te some extent through American exporters who represented factories that could turn out ribbon in this country, but so far all attempts have failed to produce a real call for this kind of ornamentation. 7 A minor fastiion which has come into being and which calls for embroidery is the ornamented glove. A few women have been foolish enough to wear hand-painted ones recently at afternoon affairs, but there will always be women foolish enough to do anything. The glove which Is embroidered in a simple way will be at the height qf style, because America has learne<r\ how to do it with the machine, instead Of by hand. (Copyright, 1918, by the McClure Newepa.

COPIED FROM OTHER DAYS

Present Styles Are a Mixture of the Best of the Known Fashions of the Past. vThe long-ago days and the styles worn then have been the inspiration of many of the fashions of today. Modern dress recalls the Moyen age long waistline, the Victorian shoulders and the picturesque hat of Louis XVL The pokebonnet, once more the style, recalls days gone by, while the apron, now “put info the practical use in many of the modern dresses, reminds one that back in the days of Mary Stuart the apron formed a part of the dress. Then, however, it was ornamented and of line fabric rather than useful, as at present. The quaint fur shoulder wraps now so prevalent look much like the shoulder capes of 1840 and fall off the shoulders in much the same way. Likewise Japanese and Chinese influences are very noticeable In many of the modem styles. Our styles taken as a whole are a most pleasing combination of the best of the styles of the past and the most interesting of the modem tendenciak

FASHION’S FADS

Eggplant-colored satin is richer than black, and has all the quiet distinction of black. The girdle of a charming gown is crushed and rather wide and tied in a large bow at the side. Gray velvet trimmed with seal and buttons to match_the velvet-describes a charming suit Underwear need no longer be in simple white, but colors are used freely; nile green is the newest —r Rose-colored chiffon draped oyera foundation of silver., cloth makes an evening gown of rare beauty. A transparent hat has an edge of skunk, the black net of the brim being embroidered with golden flowers. The finer sklrts for large women are usually smooth over the hips, though apt to be full below them.

Satin la Not for the Very Stout

Aman wbo has devoted the last ft. years to making clothes for the typical American matron, that is the plump woman, has come to the decision that satin is not her fabric. All of. tba creeps, the rough texture clpths. velvet, but pot the stiff “stand alone” variety, and of course brocades, ar* adapted to her ln Alllthe variouß.comblnations, but satjn with its glistening and metallic surface but accentuate® her generous pritppr Hods.

TAKE OUT GREASE SPOTS

Blemishes That So Greatly Annoy th* Housekeeper May Be Effectively d Dealt With.' a' . '/jg x - • MS r-"* • * •' Grease spots may be removed by the application of carbon tetrachloride, according to H. F. Zoller, assistant in chemistry in the Kansas State Agricultural college. u“Removing grease spots with gaso’llne or benzine is both dangerous and wasteful,” said Air. Zoller. "Chloroform is effective, but is dangerous. . Carbon tetrachloride is used by cleaners be„cause of its safety, cleaning power and the absence of a disagreeable odor. The disadvantage is Its expense. “Ink is difficult to remove if it has been in the garment, for some time. Iron inks may be removed by oxalic, acetl<£ citric, or dilute •hydrochloric acids. In case of the coal-tar inks, the spot must be bleached. “Iron rust can be removed by fairly strong oxalic acid solution, if allowed to stand on the goods for A short time, and~ often when trtserposed to the sunlight the action Is a little quicker. The excess of oxalic, acid must lie washed out, and the goods washed with a good soap. In order to neutralize the acid. Hydrochloric acid is the best remover of iron rust, if handled by an experienced person. g ‘ “Ati excellent formula for the removal of fountain-pen* ink, especially iron ink and iron rust, is the aceto-oxalic acid formula. It is made by saturating a 10 per cent acetic acid solution with oxalic acid, and mixing one part’ of the product with four parts of alcohol.” . $

HOUSEHOLD HINTS

To induce a canary to take a hath sprinkle a few seeds upon the water. This added attraction will make the bath become a habit with the little fellowT"”" T.Oakeep flowers fresh, place a pinch of bicarbonate of soda In the water before putting them Into a vase. To make glassware clear and sparkling, add a little washing blue to the soapsuds when washing. If ink is spilled on the carpet or table cover, cover it Immediately with salt as it absorbs the ink. Powdered alum added to ordinary stove blacking adds to its brilliancy. Oxalic acid and javelle water are excellent for removing ink stains. New tinware will never rust if greased with a little fresh lard andbaked In the oven before it is used.

Corn Chowder.

One can corn, four cupfuls potatoesrut In one-qnarter-lnch slices, one and one-half-inch cube fat salt pork, oner sliced onion, four cupfuls scalded . milk, eight common crackers. Cut pork in small pieces and try out. Add onion and cook five minutes, stirring , often that onion may not burn. Strain \at into a stewpan. Parboil potatoes five minutes in boiling water to cover, drain and add potatoes to fat; then add two cupfuls boiling water; eook until potatoes are soft, add corn and milk, then heat to boiling point. Season with salt and pepper and butter and crackers, split and soaked tn enough cold milk to moisten. Remove crackers, turn chowder into a tureen and put crackers on top.

Colonial Cake.

One-half cupful butter, one and a quarter cupfuls granulated sugar, three eggs, half clipful thin cream or rich milk, half even teaspoonful soda, one even teaspoonful cream tartar, two cupfuls of pastry flour, half cupful seeded raisins. Add whites of eggs last and bake in tube pan. When cold frost with a heavy white Icing that will contrast prettily with the yellow of the cake. Citron sliced In thin strips may be used Instead of raisins, ol* in combination with them.

Chocolate Pie.

Four tablespoonfuls cocoa, one pint of water, yolks of two eggs, two tablespoonfuls cornstarch, six tablespoonfuls sugar. Boil until thick, add one tablespoonful vanilla. Bake the crust, pour in the chocolate. Beat the whites of the eggs with one cupful of sugar, spread over top and brown. ‘ One teaof taking powder In one-half cupful granulated sugar added to the white of one egg stiffly beaten makes a fluffy meringue.

Cornmeal Muffins.

Sift together one cupful cornmeal, one cupful bread flour, one teaspoonful soda (level) in one cupful sour milk, and add it to the sifted ingredients. Then add one-quarter cupful molasses, then two eggs, two tablespoonfuls melted drippings. Beat well and bake in well-greased muffin pans about onehalf hour in moderately hot oven. Makes 12.,

Graham Drop Biscuits.

One pint graham flour, one-half cupful white flour. one level teaspoonful stoda, one-half teaspoonful salt, OB» sugar, one egg, one tablespoonful thick cream and enough, sour milk or buttermilk to make a stiff batter. | Have gem pans hot and well greased. These are fine.

Baked Salmon Wiggle.

One can of salmon, one-half can tfc peas, butter size of egg. salt and pepper. milk sauce. Bake about one-half hour. White Sauce.—One pilit milk, «ma»: piece butter, salt, thicken with heaping teaspoonful flour.

Rice Soup.

Add a cupful of boiled rice to otw quart of heated soup stock. Stir ougE | it comes to a boil, season with pepper, I salt and parsley or anything you like.