The St. Louis Republic. [volume], October 25, 1903, Magazine Section, Image 51

About The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919

Image provided by: State Historical Society of Missouri; Columbia, MO

                
V
T-
fl.
,
I
H.uI4Fll4K3v,.H.lrWlKM Gil tCyfe
WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC
The eighth book In the regular series of
the. published drawings or Mr. Charles
Dana Gibson will appear this week, and
the Illustrations which adorn this page
are reproductions of a selected number of
those Interesting and artistic drawings.
The preceding books of Mr. Gibson's
drawings have dealt consecutively with
"Various Sketches." "Pictures of People. '
"Sketches and Cartoons," "The Educa
tion of Mr. Pipp." "Americans." "A
Widow and Her Friends" and "The Social
Ladder."
The present series of drawings, most of
which have been seen and enjoyed in
Collier's Weekly. Life, and other publi
cations, h&v e for their theme "The Weak
er Sex."
There are eighty drawings In the book
now to be Issued and all arc typical and
representative of the artist's graceful
pencil.
But there Is a distinction and a, differ
ence between Mr. Gibson's portrayal of
that large and Important subject. "The
Weaker Sex." and his former drawings.
He has unquestionably modified his con
ception of feminine beauty and grace and
while his women arc as ever charmingly
refined and graceful they are different in
expression, have a more serious mien and
one that betokens more experience of the
world, with consequent added thoughtful
ness. strength and dignity.
CONGRESS WILL BE ASIEB TO
BUILB NEW WHITE HOUSE STABLE.
Present Structure, Uuilt by General Grant. Is Considered Unsani
tary and Unsuitable How l'resident Hoosevelt's Horses and
.Carriages Are Kept in the Eecutivc Mansion.
WRITTEN FOR THK SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
The new Congress will be asked to ap
propriate JS0.000 for the erection of a suit
able building to house the presidential
horses, the present White House stables
being unsanitary, badly located and un
sulted In Its architecture and arrange
ments to the dignity of the chief execu
tive of this great nation.
The existing stable was put up by Gen
eral Grant in ISO. and stands about 4M
yards to tho southwest of the White
House, facing Seventeenth street
It Is of brick, and its foundations are so
close to the water level of the near-by
Potomac that the building la damp.
Though the Roosevelt horses have been
healthy enough, those of previous Presi
dents have suffered a good deal from sick
Thrt-e. are few admirers of Mr. Gibson
who will dlsent from this opinion.
Is it the result of passing years and the
Increasing soberness of thought that they
brought to the artist and student of ll'e,
or the griming older of his favorite and
well-known models? Who can say?
There is not the same change In his
men. who remain the same handsome,
clcan-shaten. broad-shouldered young ath
letes, with determined and strong expres
sion they have always been.
Studv the faces or the man ami nlrl
who clasp hand and look Into each oth
er's eyes over the chess board with the
forgotten chessmrn lying overturned be
tween them.
Here Is again the determined youth,
clear of Duitose. who will Inevitably have
his waj. but are not the face and ex
pression of the girl more sober, dignified
and stronger than those of her predeces
sors of the artist's pencil which linger
In one's memory?
Study also the loely face framed by
the powdered wig
This. too. Is different In expression from
any that Mr. Gibson has before produced
and Is mot attractive In every way.
The drawings, a usual, run through a
whole gamut of situations, many of them
amusing and most of them poslble.
Mr. Gibson's humor Is Improving, and he
has deled some Incident to bring out
ness, supposed to ba attributable to the
liad sanitary conditions to which they
were exposed.
It Is proposed to put the new stable on
higher ground and to buy for the purpose
a suitable site at a reasonable distance
from the White House just where has not
been determined as yet.
Like tho present one. it will be of brick,
but more commodious.
Mr. Roosevelt keeps nine horses of his
own a very moderaU number for the
President of the Ucissd States, and. In ad
dition, the buIWiajj must accommodate
seven horses far the official business of
the cx"cutlie mansion, making sixteen
In all
The stables of European monarchs are
on a vast scale, employing a. great retinue
of servitors of various grades, and cur-
THE REPUBLIC: SUNDAY. OCTOBER 25. 1903.
Br COCRTESY OF CHARLES SCRIIiN'ER'S SONS FROM CHARLES DANA
GIBSON'S NEW BOOK OF DRAWINGS. "THE VtEAKt.ll Stx.
tho characteristics of the weaker rex not
unworthy of Du Maurler-
The "Advice to Noblemen." "When
Speaking to Your Fiancee's Father As
sume an Easy Tosture ami Adopt a
Friendly Manner." Is lauqhabte.
There Is real wit In the actress's re
quest to her press agent: "I want you to
mention the fact of my diamonds being
stolen."
"When did It happen?"
And her answer. "Next week.
Then he shows the successful chorus
girl In her humble home, where she Is por
trayed most fashionably clad. In contrast
to her family's humble raiment.
These witticisms may' not be entirely
original, but they come with freshness
emphasized as they are by Mr. Gibson's
admirable drawings.
Mr. Gibson knows his world a world of
healthy minded and bodied and prosperous
people for the most part and when h in
dulge In sarcasm 1' Is against the climb
ere the vulgar pushers, the sycophants
and tho hypocrites who fawn upon
woman.
rounded by all the pomp and circumstance
of royplty.
That of the President of the I'nlted
States is a cheap affair, hardly up to the
requirement of a third-rate livery man.
When Mr. Roosevelt began his adminis
tration It was In a wretched condition of
dilapidation and disrepair; but much has
been den since then to Improve It and put
It Into proper order
The White House stable Is double, with
a. tort of half courtyard, covered over by
the roof. In the middle.
Its north wing Is known as the "secre
tary's fide." and Is devoted to the official
horses and carriages, of which latter there
are three.
These vehicles, particularly during ses
sions of Congress, ore kept constanUy
busy with all sorts of errands.
One of them Is kept always at the serv
ice of Secretary Loeb, another conveys
special messengers to the Capitol and
elsewhere, and the third Is chiefly used to
fetch the mall.
"PRE5IDENT8 SIDE."
The south wing Is called the "Presi
dent's side," and houses Mr. Roosevelt's
own horses and carriages.
Of vehicles he has four two surreys, a
brougham and a landau.
One of the surreys belonged originally
to the President's father, who was a fa
mous whip.
It was kept In those days at Oyster
Bay, and the elder Mr. Roosevelt com
monly drove it with four horses.
Tho President keeps It more for associ
ation's sake than for any other reason.
mmCr ' w55
This last liook of drawings Is, undoubt-
edy nn ailvanrc upon Its predecessors.
Wlth tbe same vigorous draftsmanship,
the same graceful linos, the same refine
ment, rharnt anil atmosphere that charac
terized the- art'sfs, former work, there
are. as already said, a new and modified
tpe of fmale beauty and a surer and
firmer touch, keener sarcasm and more
genuine humor.
As n portrayer of modern social life of
the best type in America Mr. Gibson still
stands at the head of his fellow -artists
and Illustrators, and the present olume
Is sure to be found on the tables in the
libraries and boudoirs of all cultivated
households in the land.
The walls of many a country 1khic and
cottage will be aijorned with the repro
ductions of the drawings in appropriate
frames ami these, will make for enjoy
ment as. well as social and artistic cduca-
Mr. Glbon Is to be congratulated on
"it connot'iall to add to his already de
srved reputation.
though It b a handsome carriage still, awl
at the White House It Is always spoken of
as the "Oyster Bay surrey."
When Theodore Roosevelt was a little
boy he wa very delicate, and suffered
dreadfully from asthma.
Sometime", in the night It seemed as
U he would suffocate, and his father
would take him out of bed. wrap him In a
blanket and ride with him for twenty or
thirty miles In this surrey to give him air.
Perhaps It w-a. this treatment that cured
him, for he has not suffered from the
complaint at all In later life.
The President's hones are fortunate an
imals, enjoying every luxury that can ap
peal to the equine appreciation.
Straw so clean that any man might be
willing to sleep on It U spread two feet
deep In their stalls, and even in the aisle
that runs between.
Snowy fly sheets defend them from an
noyance by winged Insects, and their
ocats are kept sleek and smooth by thf
constant attentions of skilled grooms.
One of the nine horses Is a pensioner,
named Diamond, which was brought to
Washington Just because he was a dear
old friend, and for no other reason.
He Is y years of age. and of not much
use any longer, but he was Mr. Roosevelt's
polo pony long ago. when the President
was a youngster, and for the rest of his
life ho can count on a comfortable stall,
with unlimited kunplles cf oats and har.
Every one of the children, from Miss
Alice down, learned to tide on him: In
fact, be has furnished an education In the
- (V rMM'ie7W73V!MaBH
aliljl k wm&WmM ml mm
w IB 9PJIi IHH
equestrian art to alt of the younger gener
ation at the White House.
ROOSEVHLTS SADDLE HORSES.
The Pr-Jldent has two saddle horses for
his own use. both of them magnificent
animals.
One cf them Is Renown. 5 years old. lPi
hands high and weighs 1.00) pounds a
hunter and a Jumper of the first water.
He can jump a fence 3 feet S Inches
high with Mr. Roosevelt (who weighs 2
pounds) on his back. This horse was bred
in the Geneseo Valley. New York State.
The other Is Blelsteln. from the same sec
tion, much lighter of build, but an all
around cross-country horse.
Every member of the Rooserelt family
rides as a matter of course.
Mrs. Roosevelt's favorite Is Yaganka. a
thoroughbred of Virginia extraction, a
good weight carrier of 1.00) pounds, and a
first-rate hunter.
Sometimes Miss Alice also rides the ani
mal. The Roosevelt fondness for riding, by
the way. has had much to do with maUng
horseback riding a fad 1.1 Washington of
late
Wyoming (given recently by cltezns of
that State to the President) Is the latest
addition to the "personnel" of the White
House stable.
He Is 1 years old. weighs I.l) pounds. Is
a trifle oxer fifteen hands high, and Is
so kind anJ gentle that Mrs. Rooeelt.
Miss Alice. Theodore and Kermlt all ride
him.
But perhaps the most noteworthy ani
mal In the presidential mews is Archie
Roosevelt's own pet. Algonquin-a tlny
peny presented to him a year ago by Sec
retary Hitchcock.
It is the smallest pony Jn Washington,
and quite a rarity In respect to breed.
The newspapers have spoken of It va
riously as a "Shetland." a "calico pony"
and otherwise, but as a matter of fact It
came from Iceland, to which frigid coun
try the stock Is peculiar.
When Archie was sick last winter he
had Algonquin brought to hlra In his bed
chamber at the White House, though the
little brute, which weighs only IV) pound",
had to be taken to the second story in the
elevator.
JFDGE AND ADMIRAL.
The pair of horcts driven customarily
by the President are fine, big animals,
full of vigor and "high steppers." calld
respectixel). Judge and Admiral.
There Is also a single driving horse for
cccaslonal use.
All three are of Hambletonlan stock.
The seven horses used by Secretary
Loeb for official purposes are furnished by
the Quartermaster General of the army.
Mr. Roosevelt hires his own coachman
and pays for the feed of his horses, but
the grooms of the stable, as well as all
the other expenses of the establishment,
are paid out of the Goxernment appriprla
tlon for the upkeep of the executive es
tablishment. The stable Is managed by Colonel Sy
mont of the Engineer Corps of the army,
who is the official master of ceremonl-js
of the White House, and he settles th
bills.
The White House stable, properly con
sidered. Is an Integral part of the execu
tive cstabllrhmcnt-
It ought to be on an adequate scale not
necessarily pretentious, but suitable In
size and convenience to the presidential
dlsnlty.