Identifier: storyofwashingto00todd (find matches)
Title: The story of Washington, the National Capital
Year: 1889 (1880s)
Authors: Todd, Charles Burr, 1849-
Subjects: White House (Washington, D.C.) United States Capitol (Washington, D.C.)
Publisher: New York London : G.P. Putnam's Sons : Knickerbocker Press
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: The Institute of Museum and Library Services through an Indiana State Library LSTA Grant

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here, once or twice a week during the season, aregiven the formal dinners to Justices of the SupremeCourt, Cabinet officers, Senators and Representa-tives, foreign ministers, and other distinguished per-sons whom the President is expected officially tohonor. This room is also elegantly furnished. Onstate occasions it is lighted by numerous gas-jetsand wax candles, and with the glittering silver andchina and floral embellishments of the table presentsa bright and animated appearance. The upper story of the mansion is devoted to thebusiness offices and private apartments of the Presi-dent. The apartments of public interest here arethe Library, where the President receives callersduring the day, and the Cabinet-room, where, eachTuesday and Friday, the President and his Cabinetmeet for consultation. The library is a very interesting apartment. Thenumerous book-cases around the room are filled withbooks said to have been selected by Mrs. MillardFillmore, when her husband was President. The
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ROOMS OF THE WHITE HOUSE.I. CABINET ROOM. 2. PRESIDENTS ROOM. 267 26S 777^ STORY OF WASHING7VN. furniture is of mahogany upholstered in red leather.The massive desk which the Presidents use is of oakfrom the gallant ship Resolute^ which the EnglishGovernment sent to the Arctic zone, in 1852, tosearch for Sir John Franklin. The ship was aban-doned in the ice by its crew in 1853, was found twoyears later in good condition and brought to NewYork by a New London whaler, and presented bythe President to Queen Victoria, who had madefrom its timbers this famous desk, and then presentedit to the United States for use in the White House. One has only to recall the great state papers writ-ten upon the desk to perceive- its historical import-ance and patriotic interest. The principal feature of the Cabinet-room is a longtable at which the President and his advisers sit forconsultation on Cabinet days. If we could look inon them on such occasions we should find the Presi-dent sitting at the head

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