Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-02-23
0GLE TAYL0E MANSION.
THE WONDERFUL HISTORY OF DON
cAMERON'S WASHINGTON HOME.
What May Be Seen from ITS Windows-A
Photographic Camera Of Stirring Events
in the Past-Stories of Other Houses
in the Same Neighborhood.

Speaking Of the old houses at Washing
ton. took good look the other day at
Ogle Tayloe mansion ON Lafayette square.
This is the house that Don Cameron
bought last fall for SCI, 600 and the proba-
bilities are that it will be in the future, as
it has been in the past, one of the social
centers of Washington 1t is a big, old
fashioned, three-story brick building, with
ridge roof running up between two gate
like ends at the top. 1t has many windows
looking out upon Lafayette square, and
the statue Of Gen. jackson sitting on a
horse. which for ten years or more has
been balancing himself on his hind heels.
Just across the way, within stones
throw of its front door, is seen the CHASTITY
barn-like White House, and the whole as
sociations of its neighborhood are full or
history its third story windows can look
into those of the Decatur mansion. now
owned by Gen. Beale, where the gallant
commodore lived at the time he was shot
by Barron Around TO the right on the
same square is the palace Of the million
aire Corcoran, where Daniel Webster Us Il
10 entertain as secretary of state, and
where the French minister took pos, =
sion at the time Corcoran fled TO England
ut the beginning OF the war
HISTORICAL HOUSES NEAR By.
Just below the Corcoran mansion are
the new houses of Henry Adams and John
Hay and next to them, within 100 yards
of this Cameron house, rises old st. Johns
church, in which dozen presidents have
worshiped and in one window of which
are the memorial paintings which Presi
dent Arthur gave TO the memory of his
dead wife. A little further on j. he red
brick in which Charles Sumner lived and
worked, and on the corner between il and
tameron's new purchase is a. roDmy old
brick which President Madison owned at
the tire of his death, aud in which the
peerle-5 Dolly Madison wore the turbans
which cost her 81 go a year, in entertain
ing all along down through the half
dozen administrations following that
which she presided over at the White
House across the way.
1t was within plain sight Of this house
of Cameron's that Barton Key fliricl wi,E
Mrs. Sickles. Looking from its windo;--
one might have seen the tragedy in viii !
Key was shot by the iratc husband. an :,
had he continued 10 look. lac could have
seen them carry Key into the old Seward
mansion which adjoins this, and in which
less than ten years later the assassination
of Stward was attempted II this old
house formed a plate of Photographic
camera throughout all these years and
the scenes recorded ON il could he repro
duced, what a history Of oar country and
its great men il would form, Ii its walls
were photographs how many witty bon
mots could they give forth, II was built
in iS2s the year in which jackson was
first elected president, and it has been
from that time to this the residence Of the
Tayloes, one of the richest of the old fam
lies OF the country.
MILLIONAIRE OF THE YEAR 1863
Col. Tayloe. the father of Ogle Tayloe,
was one of the millionaires of 1850. He
owned thousands of acres, and hundreds
of slaves, and he built the great ortagon
mansion. in which President Madison
once lived, and which, during a part Of
Madison's administration, when the
White House was burned, formed tlo
presidential residence Ogle Tayloe, tn
man who built the house, was the in
innate and couiidant of half Of the s,rea
men of the country for over fpstg Gears
He roomed with John i. Dix at college,
and during the time he was AT Harvard
he was associated with Prescott. the (
historian. In lsl7 he was private secretary ,
to Mr. Rush. the American minister at 1
dfiS- anu 1t was Hliafltlk dlAtt ftf Wis D
married that he took up his residence in T!
this house, which is now Ia be occupied |
by Senator Cameron. During his whole 4
lifetime he was n great entertainer. and 1
Daniel Webster, Henry Clay. John Quincy |
Adams, and Gen. jackson often sat down !,
at his table.
1t was at this house that gen Harrison |
called just before he was taken win that |
sickness which killed him, and it was in 1
this house that Gen. Scott was dining one (,
day when terrible thunder storm came {
up in which hail fell in such large stones 1
rs to go through the heavy plate glass AT 4
the capitol. II stopped the Tayloe dinner |
for the time and knocked the glass out % |
the windows. Gen. Scott was muC 4 /.
alarmed, but after it was over he draf, |
his champagne with great gusto am |
called the hailstones with which il WAS |
cooled celestial ice Cap in Cleve-
land Leader