The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-22
THE PRESIDENTS BRIDE.
THE APPROACHING WEDDING AT
TIE WHITE HOUSE.
The Lovely Lady Whom 1t Is Said the
President Is TO Marry In
June.


marry Miss F ances Folsom, the lovely
daughter of the lac Oscar Folsom, to
gether with some additional informa
tion gle aned to-day by the correspon
dent of the Sun, leaves no doubt o
the fact that the Whitc-House we'd
ding will take place. There has beer
dramatic episode in Miss Folsom,
life which is worth narrating, and MOI
only on account of its interest, but il
shows her rare good common sense OF
a trying occasion. Miss Folsom's
father was killed in 1875 on Grand Isl
and by being thrown from buggy in
a runaway accident. She was at thai
time only eleven years of age; and hel
first appearance in public was some
four years later. Meantime she had
been tai en- by her mother to an un,
cle's a Ransomville, where Mrs. Fol
som attended to her daughters pre-.
hminary education. This step was
made necessary by the confused con.
dition of Oscar Fulsom's affairs, which
were in such an entangled condition
at the time of his sudden death that
Mr.. Cleveland, who took charge of the
affairs, thought Mrs. Folsom and heI
daughter, for a time at leas had bet
ter discontinue their residence at the
Tiff House.
The appearance of Miss Folsom re-
ferred to was at the ce ebrated au.
thOrs' carnival, held in 1879 in the
Pearl street rink, and which was one
of the n ost brilliant and resplendent
affairs of the kind of which the monde
of this city have anyrecollection Miss
Folsom was an attendant at the Rob-
ert Burns booth, and wore the charac-
teristic costume of Highland lassie,
with plaid dress kilt, and all the ac-
cessories. Her rare beauty and anna
bility made her a tremendous favorite
with everybody and in a contest of
beauty, in which all the bellies partici-
pated, Miss Folsom was a first-prize
winner. About $4,000 ballots were
cast in this competition, and the
fatherless beauty had a large plu-
raiity, her vote nearly equaling
that of all the other beauties
put together, Despite her youth,
and modest, retiring and sensitive
disposition, Miss Folsom went more
and more in society, but did not neg
lect her studies. She was able to pass
the Regents examination about this
time, and spent two years in the Cen
trail High school in preparation for the
four years course which she subse-
quently took in Wells College at Al
rora, where she was graduated last
year, the star in the class In the
Central High School Miss Folsom did
not display any brillianoy of talent,
but she possessed remarkable ability
to thoroughly imbibe instruction, re-
tanning what she learned, and under
standing it better than some pupils
who seemed more bright, but whose
attainments were more ephemeral.
II was while she was student at
the Central Soho ! that Miss Folsom's
first romance occurred. She and her
mother were devout attendants at the
religious rvices and prayer-meetings
OF the North Presbyterian church.
There frankie, as she was known
among her friends, became acquaint-
ed with Charles Townsend, son of
wealthy parents, and a fascinating
gallant, who was, however, impu :
sive, capricious and changeable, both
in society and business affairs. Mr..
Townsend had tried his talents in
several fields, but tired of them rap
IDLY, and seemed never likely to set
tie down permanently in any sphere
Of life. He wss a newspaper reporter,
a clerk in drug store, an embryo
lawyer and railroad clerk. Miss
Folsom was, as now, a lovely and q
lovable girl, and as she was impress
sionable the attentions of Mr.. Town
send were received with pleas
ing fervor. The Folsoms resided
in an unpretentious brick house
on Niagara street, near Morgan,
and there her first courtship was
held. An engagement soon resulted.
Soon afterward young Townsend con-
cluded to study theology, and, with
that object in view, went to Auburn
and attended the Presbyterian Semi
nary there. A bankers daughter
there, who possessed the same quail
ties of heart, mind and face that Miss
Folsom was noted for, became &C.
quainted with him, and the present
belle soon shattered the absent idol of
the youths alteration He fina ly
wrote letter to frankie, in which he
told her, with tinge of sorrow, that
he believed he could never love her as
she deserved to be loved; that he
thought he had proved himself un.
worthy of her affections, and, in short.
that she had best dismiss him from
her mind. This was a trying time for
frankie, but she promptly wrote back
That she was perfectly satisfied, and
was rather glad to have him express
his views so frankly. That was all
there was of it. This, however, was
not the good fortune of the Auburn
girl to whom Mr. Townsend be-
came engaged. He came to the
conclusion that he was too poor to
marry, and told her so in letter
which she received while making ar
rangements for her bridal clothes.
The effect on her was the opposite of
what it had been on Miss Folsom, and
her father, who took the letter from
her hand before she had recovered
from her fainting spell, could hardly
be restrained from inflicting corporal
punishment on the man who had
ttitied with her affections. Frankie's
FIRST lover is now the Rev. Charles
Townsend, a popular clergyman of
Lansingburg, who is married to an
estimable lady, and is doing good
work in the field in which he finally
chose to spend his life.
The Rev. Mr.. Townsend is a brother
Of Mr.. E. Corning Townsend, the law
yer, of this city, and their sister is the
wife of Assistant United States Dis
trict Attorney Wellington. The moth
er and younger daug dter have been
visiting Mr.. Wellington, in Troy, and
it is alleged that Mrs Townsend is the
lady who received the letter from Miss
Folsom announcing her engagement
to the President. Despite the clergy
mans actions in the past, Miss Fol
SONS relations with the Townsends
continued to be intimate and pleasant,
and Mrs. Townsend regarded her with
motherly affection, which was strongly
tried by the disappointment she felt
when her son did not make frankie
his wife. Mr.. E. Corning Townsend