St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-11-02
MisforsHnss Of Presidential Wives.
New York World.

The misfortunes OF women who have been
the wives OF our later presidents Is remark
able. Mrs. Harrison, Mrs. Taylor, Mrs.
Lincoln and Mrs. Garfield all became wild
ows while at the White House, the two last
under the most terrible circumstances. The
first Mrs. Taylor died while her husband was
President and the second Mrs. Taylor who
is living at Georgetown, d. c., was com
PEELED to ask Congress for pension in 1879.
Ex-President John Tyler died at Richmond
in January 1862, and his property was des-
troyed by the war. Mrs. James X. Polk who
is yet living at Nashville at the advanced age
Of eighty-fOur, had a fortune left her and has
long enjoyed the society of rare circle of
devoted friends, but the last days of her life
have been much embittered by the disgrace
full defalcation and subsequent imprisOn-
ment of her nephew, who was State Treasur-
er OF Tennessee. Mrs. Tyler and Mrs. Polk
are the only women now living who were
wives of ante-bellum Presidents and it is
rather odd that Mrs. Tyler is the younger of
the two by twenty-five or thirty years, where
as her husband was President in 1913 and
/ 1874, while Mr.. Polk did not come into the
Office till later. Mrs. Tyler was not only
second wife but married at the early age of
eighteen. She is the only Presidential wife,
I believe who had the honor of giving a
wedding reception at the White House. There
are at least two people in New York who
danced at that reeeption-Mr. Henry Bergh
and wife. shall not attempt 10 recount
the misfortunes Of Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs.
Garfield for they are well known to all the
world.
Poor Mrs. Lincoln survived her husband
dozen years or more, but she never sur
vived the shock that his death gave her, and
the latter days OF her life were clouded by
disOrdered mind Few and far between were
the happy moments that fell 10 her lot from
the turbulent hour that her husband became
President The story of Mrs. Andrew John
son is almost as pathetic, but it is not so well
known. She was nearly sixty years old when
/ her husband became President, and had
been married over forty years. She was al
most as little known at Washington during
the Presidential career OF Andrew Johnson
AS if she had not lived at all. and the Ameri-
can people know less about her than any of
the wives of the Chief Executives of their
country. She died in 1876, six months after
her husband had died. do not suppose
Mrs Grant is by any means happy woman
though she has the satisfaction of knowing
that the American people will always hold
her husband in the highest esteem for his
] $500 N4i'ANoAy SNANlSOs- AAic hladslcI luAL
came upon Gen. Grant and his sons who
were in business in the firm of Grant & Ward
told very heavily upon her and she, along
with the other recent Presidents wives, has
a burden to bear. Mrs. Hayes seems to be
peacefully settled in life, and lives quietly at
little village in Ohio. The greatest mis-
fortune that has come upon her is that she is
the wife of a President whose title was al
ways held in doubt by a majority Of the
American people, and who holds as ex-
President very Insignificant place in the
public estimation.