Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-07-19
From Belle TO Beggar.

yyrlean n. " correspondence Philadelphia Press
While in New York the other day
your correspondent noticed a gray
haired woman begging at the foot of
the steps leading to the Fourteenth
street station Of the Sixth Avenue Ele-
waited road A gentleman who was
with me said that the wOman's name
was Lucy E. Maclem, and that she was
a person Of literary tendencies.
Residents of this place recognize IN
the name a singular and unhappy
woman we'll known here, whose
strange actions have caused much COM
ment. Her mania for hustle is pre-
dominant characteristic of her ward
robe. In summer and winter alike she
wore a dark calico dress, with a long
full skirt and a waist of a style in vogue
20 or % years ago. She Is tall, and
in other days doubtless graceful.
She was the daughter of Capt. Ma
elem, who served in the Revolution
arv war and who afterward moved
with his family to Ohio, and from
thence to Springville, Erie county, IN
this state Lucy Maclem and her sis
ter Sara moved from there about %
years ago to this place. When the two
girls were young Lucy was a great
belle, was very pretty, talented and
gay, and her admirers were many.
She wrote poetry of some merit, as
the pages of Graham, Cooley and the
KnickerbOcler testified. One Of her
best pieces was a satire on a school
master, who in some manner had
given her Offense. 1t had great run
e lNeD+ 10
had a wide correspondence with men
of letters, and, among others, with
Mr. LongfellOw.
She became acquainted with the
late Chief Justice Salmon P Chase in
the bloom of her youth, and the
friendship established terminated in
an engagement of marriage. Cores
pOndence continued between the two
for some time. when suddenly the let
tiers ceased. The reason Of this Lucy
would never disclose, but 1t was not
very long after this that her friends no
ticed that her actions were very strange.
She manifested more and more crazy
impulses, until finally she became
hOpelesly insane For twenty years
she has wandered aimlesly, dependent
upon the charity of her sister Sara.
Some of Lucy's habits are very sing
ular. For years she haunted the
banks of this city, continually inquir-
ing for remittances that never came.
Finally she gave this up and took
to borrowing, or trying to borrow, small
sums of money. Her usual manner
was to enter a store when the propri-
etOr was most busily engaged, apollo
gize for her intrusion in a ladylike
manner. and for the loan of from 25
cents to 81. Never more than that
and never less. A refusal had no
effect, as she would return next day
with an apology and singular request.
She has frequently been to New York
and several years ago she went to
Washington to see certain members
of COngess about subsidy which she
claimed she was entitled to as an au-
thOress. 1t IS a mystery how she OBJ
tanned money for her travels. Some
say she did not use any money at all.
but trusted to the gallantry of con
ductOrs not to put her off their trains
between stations, and when she had
gone as far as possible on one train
she would patiently await the arrival of
the next.
Some of her vagaries are shown by
an incident that happened here five or
six years ago. Theodore Tilton was
to lecture one evening, and she took
her stand at the foot of the stairs
awaiting his coming. When he APP
peared, in company with several men,
she went toward him. touched him
on the shoulder and said: