The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-09-20

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Mrs. Ellen Adair Beatty passed through
the city last evening, enroute from Blue
Ridge Springs, her accustomed place for
spending the summer, to Craggie Hope,
where she will spend some time with her
neice, Mrs. Murray, and family, of Mem
phis. Mrs. Beatty is remarkable lady
She is daughter of Governor John Adair,
of Kentucky. AT the age of eighteen she
married Joseph M. White, of Florida, who
was elected to Congress from that State
and continued to represent it at Washing
ton for twelve years without ever going
to the State or even asking the suffrages
of his constituency. He declined to serve
longer before each election, and finally
was allowed to retire on the pretext that
his wife's health required a change. He
then went on an important foreign mis-
sion, and remained abroad many years,
whereby his gifted and beautiful wife pos
sessed extraordinary advantages in shar-
ing the honors of dignitaries in church
and state. She was honored by private
interview with the Pope of Rome of fifty
years ago without paying the usual lrvsn-
age of kissing his toe, and not only did
he pledge ever to receive whomsoever she
might see proper to commend and to re-
member her in his prayers, but he sent
her some valuable presents, among which
was an elegant diamond cross, with an
exquisite representation of the Saviour in
amethyst. Mr.. White was successful
lawyer, and at his death left an estate of
a half million dollars. Five years and
more had elapsed after his death when
Mrs. Florida " White, as she was known
in Washington, married DIR. Beatty of New
Orleans. He died in about five years,
when she retired to the privacy of her es-
tate in Florida. There she remained alone
with her two hundred slaves until the re-
suits of the war made changes necessary.
When Mr. Lincoln issued the emancipa-
tion proclamation she called them togeth-
Ch sbl0 Ca PlohHCu ~ OuCIA It's lApOiL AHC1
readily understood, for she had, with dill
gence, taught them to read and write.
After the war she returned to Washing
ton, and has regarded that as her home
since. But for the kindness of merchants
in New York refusing to send money that
she had lent them in time of peace, upon
her demand, when the Confederacy was in
need and she would have aided it, so that
at the close of the war she would have
been penniless. Although past eighty
years of age, she possesses her faculties
quite perfectly. Her memory is excel
lent .-NdshriHe Anaerican.
Mrs. Beatty, the subject of the forego-
ing sketch, is well remembered here by
the elder portion of our population, for
the Florida estate to which reference
is made, is the well known "Cassa Bian-
ca plantation four miles south Of Mon
ticello, and at present the property of our
clever townsman, Major ]. d. Cole, and
who has for several years past, been max
ing some efforts to colonize it with thrift
ty and intelligent Swiss and German farm
ers. Quite . number have already pur-
chased homesteads at aCassa Blanca"
and are we'll pleased with their new home
and the results of their labor, as they
find the soil and climate equal to
that of Southern Italy and well adapted
to the cultivation Of the grape and many
tropical fruits A few weeks hence it is
understood that sixteen additional. Swiss
and German families, from Ohio, viii huy
homesteads from Major Cole and we may
confidently expect in the near future, that
the Cassa Blanca plantation, divided
into ten, twenty, forty. or sixty acre farms,
gardens and vineyards, win be most at
tractive, valuable aad healthy portion of
Jefferson county.
The old palatial residence erected, we
believe, by Gov. White. stin remains in .
tolesable state Of preservation, bat nnoc-
capied. Gossip, however, afirms, that
30 soon - our bachelor friend, Majos
COle, completes his colony, the building IL
to BE thoroughly repaired, renovated and
beaufiRed, and occupied BY lovely bride
to blsss and comfort his declining years.
MonssceEo Constellation.