New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-01
THE STORY OF A HAPPY LIFE,
AND An ACCOUNT OF TIE FESTIVITIES OF LAS
EVENING.
my TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.I


WASHINGTON, Dec. 31.-Thc President and Mrs.
HAYES celebrated at the Executive Mansion this
evening the twenty fifth anniversary of their mar
rage This Is the first gathering of the kind that
has been held i'm the White House for many years,
if indeed a similar ever occurred there before.
President and Mrs. Grant celebrated their silver
wedding at Long Branch in 1873.
The private family gathering which the President
and Mrs. Hayes first contemplated gave way. at the
solicitation OF friends. to more formal ceiebraton
STILL the invitations we're limited to the following:
The Vice-Prcsident of the United States; Members
of the Cabinet and their families; ChefJustice and
Mrs Waite and Justice Swayne, old Ohio lawyers;
and the following classes and individuals, who are
now residents of Washington: The Presidents
College mates at Kenyon members of the Cincin-
natl Literary Club Lawyers practlcrg at the bar OF
Cincinnati between $50 and 1860; Judge X. Ii. War
dcn before whom Mr. Hayes tried his first and second
cases; Judge Thurman and Colonel Dom Piatt,
who were judges of the Superior Court when Mr..
HAYES tried his first case before that tribunal MEM
bcrs of the 23d Regiment Volunteers; Ohio army
friends; Governor and Mrs. Dennison, at whose
wedding President Hayes present thirty years
ago; Mrs. Admiral Dahlgren, of whose first maj
rage Mr.. Hayes was witness and a few personal
friends.
A RETROSPECTIVE VIEW.
The acouaintance of Mr. Hayes with the Webb
family began in 1912. In that year Mrs. Maria
Cook Webb, widow of Doctor James Ware Webb,
who had died in Louisville, KY, about ten years be-
FORE removed from Chillicothe 10 Delaware, ONO,
for the purpose of educating her two sons. J l. and
j. D. Webb in The Ohio Wesleyan University, which
Nas established in that town in the same year. Mrs.
Webb Was a very devoted Methodist, and naturally
took great interest in this institution of learning,
iue planted by the denomination with which she was
connected Sne proved tina; interest 10y making her
two sons nomuers OF its first class and removing
ththcr h. self in order that they might have all the
advantage Of home influence during Their term at
college Miss Lucy Ware Webb was at that time
child eleven years Old. Rutherford b. Hayes, who
returned home from Kenyon College after Com
neucemclt in 1872 with his Bachelors degree, was
Young man Of twenty " There was no little
romance about the Delaware acquaintance said an
old friend oi Mr. and Mrs. Hayes to-day. and this is
probably true.
Mr.. HAYES knew little Lucy Webb as he knew
other children of the same age in town, but oi
course. never dreamed of her his future wife.
During the years that Mrs Webb and her family
lived in Delaware Mr.. Hayes was absent from nome
much of the time. From s43 to $40 he was study
Ing IN the law school of Harvard University, When
in March If the latter year lie was admitted TO the
bar, he did not return to Delaware but began the
practice Of law IN Lower Sandusky, nOw Fremont
When Mrs. Webbs two SONS graduated at the
Ohio Wesleyan University, her daughter Lucy was
ready TO enter a higher school than any
cpcn for young ladies i'll Delaware. The
same considerations which induced her TO place
her SONS in the Wesleyan University NJ that
place governed her in her choice of a school for
Iuov. Mrs. Wilbur had established tho Wesleyan
Female College in Cincinnati, which promised 10
take high rank, not only among Methodist schools,
but among other institutions of the same class in
4 L.. Il
They occupied modest house at Ma. IL sixth-St..
near Race the same in which they lived at the time
Of the marriage Of Mr.. Hayes and Miss Webb, III
Dcccmb- =, 1892.
la 1850, Mr.. Hayes removed from Fremont to
Cincinnati. where lac took an Office with Mr. j. W.
Heron. He shortly afterward attracted the notice
OF the bar in Cincinnati by his able defence of Nancy
FarTon in of the greatest criminal cases of the
tir,. L. some minor suits which he had managed,
he had previously attracted the attention of Justice
d. Is. Warden, presiding Judge of the Criminal
Court who selected him for the important position
of counsel IN the Farron Although his client
was convicted Of murder, Mr.. Hayes made the most
Of The Il, fence. After the trial was completed he
secured "a writ of error, which was never tired.
Thu case gave Mr. Hayes such prominence at the
bar Of Cincinnati that his success as lawyer was
assured.
After his removal to Cincinnati the acquaintance
between Mr. Hayes and the Webb family was re-
newed Miss Lucy Webb at that time young
lady Of nineteen and possessed of those social graces
md winsome WAYS which have since made her
so porular in every circle which she has moved,
and which has made the Executive Mansion so sunny
aud attractive 10 all whom she has entertained since
she became its mistress The courtship was proba-
BIZ a common place one. of which the story, If told
in detail. would furnish no material for novel In
disposition two people were ever better suited TO
each other than Mr.. and Mrs. Hayes Both are optim
jst4 who bear with remarkably even temper the
cares and p,rplexties Of life. looking always the
bright SIDE Of every picture and behind the clouds
for the hidden sunlight. If there were any little
lovers quarres they have loGg since been forgotten
TIE WEDDING IN 1852
The wedding took place in the little front parlor
on Sixth-st Cincinnati, twenty-five years ago
Yesterday. and was as quiet and private as it was
possible 20 make 1t. A few relatives of Mr.. Hayes
and Miss Webb, and score perhaps of personal
friends making not more than forty in all-were
invited. The ceremony was performed by Pro-
lessor L. d. McCabe, of the Ohio Wesleyan
University, who went from Delaware for that pur
posi- Mrs Webb by her zeal for the advancement
of MethodIsm. and her interest in his new univer-
siiy, had endoared herself to the ministers and
teachers of that denomination, and Professor
McCabe went to Cincinnati TO marry Lucy chiefly
a tribute of respect to her mother.'
Among those who remembered as having been
present. at the wedding, were Mr.. Hayess sister,
Mrs. Plat and her daughter Laura NOV Mrs Cen
eral Jno T. Mitchel; Mrs. Haycs's mother and
brothers, Drs. J. T. and J. d. Webb, and Mrs.
Hayess aunt Miss Lucy Cook, Mr. W. K Rodgers,
now the Presidents private secretary; Mr. John w.
Ir ,,lN In1,n al