Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-14
SOCIETY AT rae NATIONAL carr.
TAI
some Interesting Chat About Ladies
who Have Been Mistress at the
White House.

some distressing Chat About Ladies
who Have Been Mistress at the
white House.
Special Correspondence OF Tribune.
WASHINGTON. July l0-w ashingtsn
sosisiy, whether at home playing lawn
tennis, driving or b)lsiny, or at ths sea-
side or ruo1nt2in, has been watching
the course Of events al Chicago with a
rood deal of interest this week. Society
Ia Washington nstlr lliy taxes more in
terest IN the question 1f va shall be
mistress At ths Waits Ho1sa than does
society anywasr- else. Os coarse the
mistress of tas White Houss a reo1k.
niZsd as the heal of Washington So
cisty, An while th3 E.fe Of the Rapub-
IIcau cAniIdate + Will knoRu here.
there was felt q Iits as m1c1 interest to
learn who would preside there
should Democratic Prssid snt again
enter its portals. The duties Of mis-
trsss of the White House are u1ite Ia
borious. and il is probtbl. tn \. the So
oiesy fees ~ anxiols TO kaoE who If
SHALL bs as tbs in1ivId1A hsrsslf TO as
suuis those duties. Tns long hoars Of
reception in which she must ssAni and
shake oy the han ths rows of n am 81 sss
and unknown visitors; again those os-
c cisions on which she mast 81, a, state
dinners And say pleasant nothia2s, the
| weary worry of apos Ais for o q 20 y lica
ara m lds. not alone to the President.
bnt to her. by privileged friend, as we'll,
the annoyances which her public sta
tion aud the self asserted privileges OF
the Press. all tend TO maks the position
an un,omforts lie one. OF course there
are IN anv pleasant features, sld IN ,ny
which crafty personally, and il is hard
| ly possible th Il auy who know the de-
tails OF its dates AMI p,easares w1lli
reject 10. or sssk To do so II It we're of
fsred. Yet there have been those
among Presidents wives who regretted
tn 1t their duties took them within the
White House.
There is feeling that should Mrs
Blaine's husbaod be elected she would
not make popular mistress of the
White House. Shs never has been es-
pecially popular in
WASHINGTON SOCIETY.
She is rather reserved in manner-
naughty, some people cali it-isvJtsd
to her home aud her children, aua ne.
Curing much for socisty as it IL in
Washington. Personally she IL above
the msdum hight, with rIthsr stsrn
and expressive face, set in a frame of
white hair, we'll developed figure,
| ia amer somewhat cDld and reserved
but an experience which renders her
quite efficient to be an able mistress of
the White House.
President Arthur is the fourth Pfesi
dent who has eutsrsd the White House
u widower. HIS term there has bseu a
brilliant one, fot he is 1T only familiar
with and informed OF the details of
social life, but his sis' er. Mrs. McElroy.
who has been the Acknowledged m s.
tress of the White House during his
term. ia also quite accomplished in a
social way. Very retiring in her taste,
and without ambition for public recog
milton. however, she has been seen little
bv Washington generally, and has only
been known personally to q circle ex-
tremely limited. The women of the
White House, tracing back to the be-
ginning, form an interesting chapter, or
series of chapters. in ths history of not
alone Washington society, but of ths
nation. Under Gariield's aiministra-
ton the social features had scarcely
developed. Under Hayes tbs White
House was open to all of So
ciety, thousands attending their
receptIsns, and lunch tables we're
spread at their evening entertainments
for many hundreds. Under General
Grant the White House WAS gay. bat
there was not that democratic freedom
which marked the regime of Mrs.
Grants successor as mistress of the
White House. Another term back Mrs.
Johnson, wife of Andrew johnson, was
mistress of the White House She WAS
an invalid. aud personally entertained
little, receiving ber visitors in her chair
Her daughter. Msrtha Patterson. wife
of Senator Patterson, entertained in
her ste esd, renov iting the war stained
battered hssiliments of the mansion
with rare taste uppn the small allow
anoe OF $4,000, which Congress made
for this purpose. Mrs. Lincoln, Who
prece led, was mistress of the White
Houss in time of great turbu-
leaos and National tribulation, and
there is small wonder tnat the
reoolleotions Of her time there are not
agreeable ones to those who were bere
during that period. An ambitions wo-
man with little experience outside of n
country town when called bers, de-
privsd OF the counsel of her husband bv
the constant attention to public affairs
which his duties repaired, stricken wi tn
grief daring the years of her stay by the
loss of her favorite 500 Willie, the pain
ful experiences of her time in the White
Hoaso eliminated With the assassln's
shot, which was heard around tbs
world. Precediug Mrs. Lincoln, Har-
rist Lane. the adopted daughter of
James Buchanan, Who wAs the only
bachelor President We have ever had.
gave To Washington society. one of the
MOST BRILLIANT SOCIAL ADMINISTRATION
Is has ever had. Mrs. Pierce, her pre-
decessor, was sensitive, shrinking wo-
man, who had seen her sou killed by a
railroad accident but short time bsfore
her arrival at the White House, and who
during her stay there attended TO social
duties cnly because they were duties
| Fhe next In the order. tracing back, is
Mrs. Fillmore, VINO was more strongly
marked as q literary woman than any
since Abigail Adams. IL WIS her taste
for books which established the library
now in the White House. her hush and
having, through her solicit atiou. asked
of Congress and obtsinad An apprnpria-
ton of 5000 for White House
library. No sadder woman ever reigue5
mistress of the White House than the
wife Of President Taylor. She had ac
companied her husband in all his war
experiences. caring for him in camp,
and counselin9 with him upon the
field. During the progress Of tho Pre-
siisntial contest she prayed daily for
Clay's election. 1T Ia plot" she said,
ito deprive me of home which | had
expected to enjoy, now that the war is
ended" She came to the White House
only as matter of duty. her daughter,
Betty Bliss, being pushed to the front
TO bear the burden as mistress of the
establishment. When her husband died
within the walls of the White House,
she was heart broken. snd daring the
two remaining years of her life. never
, mentioned the White House unless me-
cessity compelled. Mrs Polk. Who pre-
ceded Mrs. Taylor, still lives IN this city
Of Nashville. She is the only woman
: who ever held the position of Private
Secretary Of the President, she having
: filed that position through choice dur
ing her hush ynd's term. She wss a
woman OF great ability. quite rs fami-
J liar with Affairs OF state a. was her
!. has5and. and even more so as to
! aataita taSayah kn01a -hara -