The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-01-23
Loves Of the Presidents.

entertaining information about the va
rious Presidents wives and sweet
hearts
Martha Skeleton, the beautiful wife
of the re1-headed and freckled Jeffer-
son, had been dead nineteen years be-
fore her husband was elected Presi-
dent. Rachel Bonelsou, the wife of
the hot headed. but courtly Jackson,
had her dresses made to take her place
As mistress of the Executive Mansion,
but died three months before Old
Hickory was inaugurated. Hannah
Hoes, the consort of the foxy Miss
Nancy VanBuren, lay in her grave
seventeen years before Jackson made
him successor, and President Harrison
died in Office before his wife had come
to Washington.
The Presidents wives now living are
Mrs. Polk, Mrs. John Tyler, at Rich.
mond Mrs. Grant, in New Jersey
Mrs. Hayes, at Fremont, and Mrs.
Garfield in Cleveland. OF the widows
Mrs. Polk, Mrs. Tyler and Mrs Gar
field draw from the government pen
sions of $4,000.
Mrs. Zach. Taylor died in Louisiana
during the same administration for
which her husband was elected. She
opposed her husbands being candi-
date, and would have nothing to do
with the social life of the capital. Alb.
igail Fillmore died at Wizards hotel
here a month after her husband had
finished his term. The hard work of
the White House hastened her decase.
Mrs. Lincoln lay i'll at the White
House for long time after her hus-
bands death, and Andrew johnson did
much of his first executive business at
the treasury department. Mrs. Letitia
Christian Tyler is the only Presidents
wife who has died in the White House.
Martha Washington died teo years af-
ter the death of her husband at Mount
Vernon, where Washington died in
1899. She shut herself up in an attic
chamber and cut hole in the door for
her cat. She saw no one and lived
without fire. Abigail Adams health
failed her after she had lived four
months in the White House She left
it and went back to Massachusetts and
died there aged seventy-four. Dolly
Madison was driven from Washington
when the British burned the capitol, in
1914, but the shock did not kill her.
She returned here to live after her hus-
bands death, and she died at seventy
seven, in 1S47. Mrs. John Quincy
Adams also lived to be seventy-seven
years of age. She was married at TWEEN
ty-two, and was born and educated in
London. John Quincy Adams was en-
gagged to her three years before he
married her, and her first tour after the
wedding was to Berlin, where Mr..
Adams went to serve as minister.
1t is a curious fact that the first
three Presidents married widows. The
stories of their courtship abound in ro-
nance. George Washington was a
Colonel on his way to Williamsburg,
the old capital of Virginia, where he
was stopped by an old planter friend
and asked to stay over night. He re-
piled his business was urging, and q
stoppage Of any kind was impossible.
His friend then cited the virtues and
beauty of beautiful widow of twenty.
six years in such glowing terms that
Colonel Washington decided to take
dinner and see the paragon. He was
SO delighted that he staid all night,
and on his way back became engaged
to her. This was Madame Gusts,
whose maiden name was Dandridge.
Jefferson's wife had been widow
four years when she married him, and
she was only thirty-seven years old al
that time. She was ten years Jeffer
sons wife, and in that period had eight
children by him. She died in 1872
1t is said she was much courted, aud
two of Jefferson's rivals met on hei
doorstep day or two before the lat
ter's engagement. They heard sounds
of music within, and sooD found that
Jefferson was singing love song TO
the young widow while she played an
accompaniment on the harp. They
concluded not to press their suits, and
left with their love untold.
Dolly Madison's folks were Virginia
Quakers, who freed their slaves and
went to Philadelphia to live. Here, a,
nineteen, Dolly. demure Quakeress,
married John Todd, Quaker lawyer,
who died when she was twenty three,
and left her pretty widow. In less
than year she married again, and
this time Mr.. Madison, who was a
member of Congress. She was thirty
seven years old when her husband be
came President.
Andrew Jackson's wifes husbands
name was Robards, and she was only
sixteen when she married him. Rob
ards was jealous fellow, and of ar
exceedingly ugly disposition. Rache
Robards separated from him, and go,
what both she and Jackson thought
was valid divorce before she wa
married TO Jackson. She was about
twenty-five years old at this time, anc
the circumstances OF the union created
no general remark over the country
Nevertheless, almost forty years later
during the campaign of the Presidency
the matter was dug up and it wa'
charged that Jackson had married hei
before she was legally divorced frou
Capt. Robards. The story is too Ions
to repeat here. II is enough to sa,
that Mrs. Jackson was cruelty slander
ed, and that this was one of the causes
of her death. She was not anxious t,
come to Washington, and once sh'
said to friend Il assure you
would rather be doorkeeper in tn,
house of my God than dwell in tina
palace in Washington Andrew Jack
son dearly loved his wife, and there i
a tradition at the White House that h
never went to bed without taking
locket holding picture from his bosom
and propping it up against his Bible
so that it would be the first object
upon which his eyes would rest in tn
morning. Andrew Jackson was tn,
wldower President Jefferson camt
before him, and after him came Martin
VanBuren, John Tyler, and Chester
A. Arthur.
The only bachelor President the
country has had is james Buchanan
who resnecled the woman who Tilted