THE
CHEM AW A
AM ERICAN
5
very nice in th e sum m er tim e. T h e city is busy m aking preparations
for th e com ing in au g u ratio n , as a h undred th o u san d people are ex p e c t
ed to be here for the event. M any are arriv in g already, so as to m ake
sure of securing room s to be com fortable w hile here. I hear th a t at
th e last inau g u ratio n th e city could not furnish sufficient accom odations
for our visitors and m any had to spend th e n ig h ts in Baltim ore and su r
ro u n d in g tow ns. I only wish th a t in th e g reat array of people who
will come for th is in au g u ratio n th ere m ig h t be some one from Chem aw a.
I wish all you girls could have the o p p o rtu n ity to be here w ith me at
the Capitol of our nation for the in au g u ratio n of th e incom ing P resi
dent.
A gain I co n g ratu late you on yo u r success w ith the work of the V. W .
C. A. and hope it will co ntinue.
\ \ ith my very best w ishes to each and all, I am , V ery sincerely,
E lla L. B rew er .
THE W H ITE HOUSE
P R E S I D E N T ’S M A N S IO N O N C E D E S T R O Y E D BY E IR E
H E W hite H ouse at the N ational Capital is one of the
historic b u ildings of th e land and we believe th a t our
subscribers will profit by reading th e follow ing h is
torical acco u n t of th is fam >us m ansion w hich was
sent out from W ashington, I). C., recently in the form
of a dispatch:
President W ilso n 's new hom e—th e W h ite H ouse—
has a history th a t reads like fiction. B uilt in 1792, it was destroyed by
fire by B ritish troopers in 1 8 1 4 , and reb u ilt again in 1 8 1 8 . It has
housed every president of the U nited States, save W ashington, and d e
spite its cen tu ry age is still one of the most im pressive buildings in this
city of m agnificent stru ctu res.
On M arch 14, 1 7 9 2 , the governm ent advertised for a com petition of
architects to design plans for a “ p resid en t’s h o m e.” Janies H oban, a
young Irishm an, won the prize of $500 by his plans. H e was engaged
at the m unificent salary of 1 0 0 guineas a year to superintend th e con
struction of the fu tu re W hite H ouse. On O ctober 1 3 , 17 9 2 , President
G eorge W ashington, acting as g ran d m aster of the A lexandria, Y a.,
lodge of Masons, laid the conrerstone of the stru ctu re.
It was desired to push the construction work w ith all possible haste,
but there was difficulty in raisin g funds for the work, and, according to