Cutter At The Capital

1895

Long Island's Poet Laureate Sees a Whitehouse Reception.

(From the Washington Post.)

Bloodgood H. Cutter, the Long Island farmer-poet — he says so himself — has given a description of a White House reception which should not be allowed to pass into oblivion. Almost everybody in Washington has, at one time or another, attended this particular function. Bloodgood H. Cutter, therefore, can throw no new light upon its character. But not everybody has seen it through a poet's eyes, caught its subtle meaning, and tracked its more momentous suggestions to their hiding places. Of course, the farmer-poet begins upon us gently:

To the President, reception went
In crowds outside the people stood,
For several hours some did wait,
The rich and poor, the bad and good.

O what a trial it was then
To stand so long out in the cold,
And then the pressure was so great
Quite dang'rous to the young and old.

Quite ordinary persons would have seen things much this way — counted the hours in the same commonplace spirit and calculated the chances on pink-eye or influenza just as Bloodgood Cutter did. In the next verse, however, we leave the beaten track and wander among the daisies and the violets of thought —

We tried there to each other cheer
In a mild and pleasing way,
Some did verses and their lines recite
In many ways each had their say.

Next, in a rush and whirl of rhetoric unknown to Jenkins and his tribe, we effect an entrance —

About nine the policeman came
To get ready to open the door,
After a while they did it ope
And began the rush and roar.

It was very dangerous then,
When the crowd outside 'gainst us did push
I had hard work to free myself
Or 'gainst doorpost they would me crush.

The poet escaped, though, and once past the breakers and the rocks he floated pleasantly in tranquil waters —

Then as we near'd reception room
In single file through door did go
There President and lady stood
Both shook my hand as I went slow.

Then Bloodgood drew a good, long breath and looked about him. Then, with easy and flowing, but vivid touches, full of warmth and color, he immortalized the tableau —

Behind the grandee ladies stood
So richly clad in modern style,
To see so many necks all bare
Made some feel sad and others smile.

'Tis sad to think our ladies dear
In this way risk their precious lives;
Many in this way do catch cold
Depriving husbands of their wives.

About 10,000 said was there
On President that night did call,
It was indeed such a large crowd,
Could hardly get by them at all.

Through that large room I did pass through
Then with the crowd I gazed around,
Upon the nice paintings that were there
And other rare things that were found.

Why do not poets come oftener to these somewhat tedious celebrations, to beguile the hours of waiting with instructive discourse and to improve the opportunity for those who cannot attend in person? Why is not Bloodgood H. Cutter more numerous, more frequent, and more communicative?

Ruth Cleveland, Daughter of Grover Cleveland

Here's a pretty nice illustration of President Cleveland's daughter. This was really small on the page, about 2 inches across. Click the scan for a larger version.

Cause of Washington's Death

Feb. 1920

George Washington probably died of diphtheria, instead of acute laryngitis, as is commonly believed, according to an article by Dr. R. B. Hemenway. Dr. Hemenway outlined briefly the means used to cure ills during the time of Washington.

"It is probable that Washington's life was cut short more by excess of treatment than by disease," the article reads. "It is sometimes said that he died of acute laryngitis, but we believe that it is now generally agreed his disease was diphtheria."


Site of the White House

The site for the president's palace, as the first maps name it, was selected by President Washington and Major L'Enfant when they laid out the federal city in 1792. They purposed to have the president's house and the capitol reciprocally close to the long vista formed by Pennsylvania avenue, and they also laid out a parklike connection between the two great buildings. The plans for the house, selected by Washington and Jefferson as the result of a competition in which L'Enfant took part, were drawn by James Hoban, a native of Dublin.


Prominent in Many Things

A close study of the life, letters and documents of Washington will show that he was prominent also as a business man, a farmer, a philosopher and a statesman and in his knowledge of human nature.

Is Insanity On The Increase?

1881

Either insanity is on the increase, or the freaks of insanity are brought more prominently before the public than ever before. Scarcely a daily paper but what contains the doings of some crank, and insanity is used as a cloak for all kinds of crime. Last week a man presented himself at the White House and asked to see President Arthur, presenting a letter of introduction which read:

"John Woling: You are hereby notified that Dr. John Noetling is lawfully elected President of the United States, and occupies the White House every day."
"(Signed.)" "ALMIGHTY GOD"

The man was immediately arrested but made a desperate resistance, drawing a revolver, but was overpowered before getting an opportunity to use it. He gave his name as Dr. John Noetling.


Jesse James Gang

The James boys are now reported to be in Kentucky, where several attempts have been made to capture them, but failed. It is also reported, on what claims to be good authority, that Jesse James shot and killed another member of the gang a week or two ago, something about a woman. We hope that he will keep on thinning them out.


Ingenious Swindle

North Carolina will have to be credited with originating the most ingenious swindle of this age of swindlers. Several years ago a man pretending to be half-witted went around the country instituting suits against the responsible men of the community for amounts ranging from twenty-five to seventy-five dollars.

Some parties defended their cases and he did not pretend that they really owed him anything, but acted like a partially demented man would naturally act in such a case, but most of the parties paid no attention to it and judgment was rendered against them by default.

The man never tried to collect any of the judgment and so the thing rested for a year or two, until time enough had elapsed to prevent an appeal. Then the man turned up again not near as crazy as was, and the people of that country found that those judgments were collectable and would have to be paid. While there was no great amount against any one man, yet the aggregate sum amounted to thousands of dollars.

That country is just a little too hot to hold him so he is doing his collecting by an agent.

—The Appanoose Times, Centerville, Iowa, Nov. 10, 1881, p. 2.

Meeting Teddy Roosevelt, Crippled for Life

1903

At the army and navy reception the White House, says the Washington Post, a woman visiting the city from the far West went to shake hands with President Roosevelt. She was buffeted and knocked about, and after a struggle of half an hour reached Col. Bingham. As she was introduced, she said:

"Mr. President, I've had an awful time getting here. I think one of my feet will be crippled for life."

"De-light-ed, madam, de-light-ed," said the president, shaking hands and bowing profoundly.

—Davenport Daily Republican, Davenport, Iowa, March 4, 1903, page 5.

The Easter Egg Rolling on the White House Lawn

1906--

The Easter Egg Rolling on the White House Lawn

More than 20,000 children, varied in age and size and color, an aggregate of 100,000 brilliant-hued eggs and perhaps 30,000 adult male spectators -- these are the chief participants in the novel spectacle of the annual egg-rolling carnival which takes place every Easter Monday in the president's big back yard at Washington. There is no frolic anywhere in the United States, and probably none anywhere in the world, like this spring merrymaking on the 80-acre grounds of the presidential mansion.

The monster egg-rolling fete is a heritage which has been handed down from generation to generation of children at the national capital. Just when and how it originated no person seems to know, but tradition declares that this odd juvenile romp originated in a foreign custom, which was altered and elaborated in character after it was transplanted to the city on the Potomac. Years ago the annual egg rolling took place on the grassy slopes that fall away from the United States capitol building, but ere long the scene of the fun was shifted to the grounds of the executive mansion, at the other end of Pennsylvania avenue, and there has remained ever since. Indeed, the youngsters guard this privilege of playing in the president's yard once a year as a sacred right, and when, a few years ago, some official proposed that the custom be abolished there arose a wall of protest that shook the foundations of social and political Washington.

The egg is king of the carnival at the big gathering on the day following Easter, but this great "play time" is not devoted exclusively to the pastimes wherein the colored eggs are an all- important adjunct, for the president's lawn is open to all children, rich and poor alike, and many of the little visitors who have come unprovided with baskets filled with the fragile playthings spend the entire day skipping the rope, playing with dolls, sailing miniature boats in the great fountain basins or indulging in some other diversion dear to the childish heart, and for which exceptional facilities are afforded in the vast playground that is, under ordinary conditions, reserved exclusively for the use of the president's children.

However, as has been said, eggs decorated in many bright colors and employed in any one of a dozen ways constitute the favorite playthings for the occasion. The genuine "egg rolling" -- that is, the bowling of the eggs back and forth on the velvety lawn or down the gentle slopes in which the grounds abound -- has the preference over all other pastimes, particularly among the younger children. The older girls and boys manifest a special penchant for games of "toss and catch," which are likely to seriously deplete the stock of eggs, or for the sport known as egg "picking," which necessitates an even more prodigal use of the delicate souvenirs of the day.

"Picking." It may be explained consists of the striking of two eggs together, each held by a youthful champion confident of the solidity of his egg. The picking continues with gradually increasing force until the shell of one or the other is cracked. When the owner of the egg which has failed to stand the novel test must surrender the damaged egg to his victorious competitor, who goes on his way seeking new worlds to conquer.

--The Anaconda Standard, Anaconda, Montana, April 15, 1906, page 3 of editorial section.

Tag On White House Roof

Charlie Taft and His Chums Frolic About the Chimneys.

If there is any place in or about the White House unexplored by Charlie Taft it probably is the top of the flagpole, and this yet may be discovered by the strenuous young son of the president, who is lending to the new administration all the strenuousness that marked the last.

He recently chose the roof of the White House for a playground, to which "tag" figured. Accompanied by some fifteen of his classmates in the public school, he took possession of the broad lawn immediately behind the White House and organized a scrub game of baseball. When the youngsters tired of that they disappeared. In the state, war and navy building, just across Executive avenue those who had been observing the game were astonished to see the boys appear on the roof of the White House, Charlie Taft's tousled head coming through the scuttle first.

For a half hour they slid down the steep slopes of the roof and dodged and hid behind chimneys. The danger of falling to the ground was lessened by the presence of a marble balustrade that runs around the eaves of the house. Both the president and Mrs. Taft were absent from the White House during the afternoon.

--Warren Evening Mirror, Warren, Pennsylvania, May 10, 1909, page 6.