European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 09, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday january 9,1990 the stars and stripes Page a Stor can rear Ecres scene a Lincoln s White House Washington a a pulitzer prize win Ning historian evoked poignant memories of Abra Ham Lincoln and his family for an enraptured Audi ence Al the while House sunday night. David Herbert Donald of Harvard University sketched everyday life in the White House during the civil War years for the 16th president his spendthrift wife. Mary Todd Lincoln and their sons. The lecture was the first in a series that president Bush and his wife. Barbara arc hosting on the presidency to. In Bush s words make the men who held this office. Come  Bush introduced Donald to an audience of i2s that included Cabinet members lawmakers and chief Justice of the United states William Rochn quist and his predecessor Warren Burger. What were they like How did they live Bush asked about his predecessors. How was history the history of America s House folded by their dreams to occupy this office is to ask those questions and certainly to feel a kinship with those who have gone before Donald recalled that Lincoln came to the White House from Springfield. Iii., in 1861 Al the age of 52 with no administrative experience of any  he found himself besieged by Job seekers at every turn in the executive mansion which was virtually unguarded and open to tourists and Souve Nir Hunters at All hours of the Day and night. The Kentucky born Mary Todd Lincoln was regarded As an uncouth Frontier woman by washing Ion s society elite. Suspicions grew when four of her Brothers and three Brothers in Law joined the con federate cause. The floors of the mansion s Public rooms were covered in oilcloth to make it easier to clean up the spills from overflowing Spittoon. Mrs. Lincoln made Short work of a four year appropriation of $20.000 $200.000 in today s dollars to fix up the mansion spending it in weeks and running up other Bills on credit. Merchants showed her the Best. And she bought  said Donald. Lincoln culminated but Congress passed a supplemental appropriation to cover the debts. The lincolns were the first family to raise Chil Dren in the White House with their two youngest sons. Willie and Todd. Ages 10 and 8, commandeer ing the roof for a fort from which they fired on invisible rebels across the Potomac. On feb. 5. 1862, As the lincolns hosted 500 guests to show off the restored mansion both boys Lay up stairs seriously i a. Todd recovered but Willie Lin Coln s favorite died two weeks later leaving both parents devastated with grief. The president showing she so Ringh of character that later made him a legend recovered. But his wife was unable to Cope with the tragedy. She lapsed instead into depression and be came the dupe of spiritualists who held at least eight seances Al the while House. Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation president Bush and portrait of Abraham Linclon. In the fall of 1862, and his Republican party lost the subsequent congressional elections. In 1864, after Gen. Ulysses s. Grant was Given command of the Union forces their Battlefield for tunes turned in time for Lincoln to win re election. On Friday april 14, 1865, a few Days after Gen. Robert e. Lee s surrender the couple left the White House together for the last Lime to attend a play at Ford s theater where he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Mrs. Bush said she fell agonizingly sorry for mrs. Lincoln. I had t known she had any Happy limes. All our pictures of her Are agonizingly  she said. Hush said he plans two More presidential lectures this year. He did not say who will give them but noted i always love Teddy  official says Exxon lagging in spill cleanup new York not a top new York slate Anvi Ron mental official has criticized Exxon corp. For its cleanup efforts on rails Island a marshy Bird Sanctuary that was awash with heating Oil last week after a pipeline rupture in the Arthur kill waterway Between new York City and northeastern new Jersey. Carol Ash a regional director for the new York state department of environmental conservation said sunday that about 100 dead ducks and a Csc had been found saturday on or near the two Milc Long is land. Seventy two other dead Birds have been recovered since the Jan. 2 leak along the waterway an 11-mile tidal Strait Between new York City s Staten Island and new Jersey. Ash said Exxon promised saturday to Post cleanup Crews on Ralls Island on a 24-hour basis but that they did not arrive until noon sunday. The Island is about 1 i Miles from the site of the leak near the company s Bayway refinery in Linden . I am very  Ash said. The company s attitude has been Fine but they have been slow to react and that s not  coast guard capt. Robert North who has been monitoring the cleanup said they should have been working their Way Down by first Light. It will be a few Days before we gel a lot of material in the Marsh out North said. Exxon officials said they were confused by Ash s totals. They said that 172 Birds had died hut that Many had been found in various places in the Arthur kill Over the last few Days not on the Island and not just saturday. Nine More dead Birds were found sunday and six were found injured. The injured Birds were taken to a makeshift Center on Exxon property in Linden where workers wrapped towels around them. Hushed their eyes with a Saline solution fed them intravenously and gave them i Lepto Bis Mol to Coal their stomachs. The greatest danger to the Birds is that they May freeze to death or drown As their Oil coated feathers lose their ability to keep them warm and afloat. Neurological damage can also result if the Birds in Gest Oil. We Are doing everything we can said an Exxon spokesman Louis Jung. He said six to eight boats had been ferrying dead and injured Birds from Ralls Island and polluted Waters to the Rescue Center which was set up by the Tri slate Bird Rescue and research inc. A non profit wild life consulting organization in Newark Del. They called us As soon As this happened said Joyce i on sell a spokeswoman for the organization Ash s criticism of Exxon came after a grand jury in new Jersey issued subpoenas to about six Exxon employees on Friday. That action came As Law enforcement officials continued a criminal investigation Inlo the spill of at least 200,000 Gallons of Oil Inlo the narrow waterway. The new Jersey attorney general s office accused ils Friday of stonewalling the  official lion. Arizonans question senators on Keating Deal Phoenix not sen. Dennis do Concini began last Friday with a relent less 75-Mmule news conference an swering one question after another about the intricacies of the Lincoln sayings and loan association failure and his action on behalf of the institution s chair Man. Charles h. Keatingjr. Then Deconcini turned himself Over to the ices than Len Der mercies of talk radio to the suspicions and inquiries of Jim from Phoenix and any other Ari Zonan with a Telephone and the inclination to Grill his or her senator. The show s Host set the tone what arc you Giuily of " he asked the Arizona Democrat who plodded Inlo a Methodi Cal defense. With Days like thai. Arizona has grown numbingly familiar with the Case of the five senators accused of trying to exert improper influence on Federal banking regulators on behalf of Keating a High Rolfing Phoenix Developer who made generous Campaign contributions to All five. Both of Arizona s senators dec on Cini and Republican John Mccain arc in the group which also includes John Glenn a Ohio Donald w. Ring la or. Mich. And Alan Cranston d Calif. The five Are the subject of investigation by the sen ate ethics commit tee the stuff of headlines. Talk radio and incessant debate. " you Don t know Deconcini what to think right now said Dave Linci conc the bartender at american legion Post i in Phoenix where a question about the five senators can even tear some men away from the football game. Charles Pine a former democratic chairman said it s a subject of conversation almost everywhere you  with his news conference on Friday. A Concini. A former prosecutor who was elected to the Senate in 1976. Began a drive to Salvage his reputation. Five i ars before his third term expires. Do Concini is starting a $190,000 Advertis ing Campaign on television and in news papers to defend his conduct in the Keating affair. He is paying for it with personal not Campaign Money. I m not doing this for "94," said do Concini who is a member of a prominent land owning family that is old by Arizona standards his father settled Here in the 1920s. I m doing this be cause i feel very strongly about my reputation and my family  Deconcini has taken a particularly heavy beating because of allegations that he was one of the most aggressive of the five repeatedly pressing Federal Bank regulators on Keating s behalf. He says he did nothing illegal or unethical and that he simply went to bal for a constituent and a major Arizona employer be fore the institution s troubles were fully apparent. Mccain who was ii. South Korea last week has also made i. Rounds of news conferences regrets and explanations in Arizona. Democrats and republicans de Bate about which of the two senators is in More trouble Mccain for example must stand for re election in 1992, giving him Jess Lime to recover. Still the bipartisan nature of the scan dal has created what Bruce Babbitt the former Arizona governor and democratic presidential candidate describes As a weird  it s been a Long time since you had a political scandal that s really Juicy in which a Republican checkmates a demo crat he said. All of the activists arc desperate to attack and none of them  there has been talk of a recall Campaign against both senators. De Buck a Republican businessman who Spear headed the recall drive against gov. Evan Mcchamp. Said he was considering such an Effort