The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-06-10
MISS FoLsoM's LIFE.
SKETCH FROM A HOME PAPER.


Special to ST. Louis Republican.
BUFFALO, May 80.-The Buffalo Courier,
which speaks for the president in this
part of the state, prints the following re-
garding Miss Folsom. This is the first
word appearing in that paper regarding
his marriage: Now that official announce
ment has been gwen of the coming mar
riage of President Cleveland and Miss Fol-
som for June ., the Courier, which has
RETAINED from adding to the unlimited
and cruel preliminary gossip on the sub
ject, finds it proper to say few words
concerning the approaching event and its
heroine. The leading facts in the early
life of the presidents bride-elect have
been so often rehearsed in print of late
that it would be superhuous again to go
into details concerning them, had not in
Vulnerable errors crept into these un
authorized sketches Miss Folsom, whose
Christian name by the way, is not Frances,
but Frank, was born in the year 1864, and
will be % years old the 21st of July. She
was born in the house No 1913 Edward
street, opposite the school yard of the
orphan asylum. AS child she attended
Nine Breakers French kindergarten.
Later the family moved from Edward
street to the house now occupied by Mr.
George j. Letchworth, Franklin street,
At the time of Mr.. Folsom's death, in
1875, they we're living at the Z House.
1t will be remembered that Mrs. and Miss
Folsom were in Medina when the sad &C
cident happened. After the funeral they
went to Medina, where Mrs. Harmon,
Mrs Folsom's widowed mother, resided.
The Harmon family had good social posi-
ton and owned considerable valuable real
estate, including milling property. While
in Medina Miss Folsom was pupil at
the high school.
RETURNING TO BUFFALO,
in few years Frank entered the Central
school. and she and her mother boarded
with Mrs. Jonathan Mayhem. One of the
Central school teachers has said of her
that Frank learned very readily and
seemed to remember equally well, and
that she always pnt little of herself
into the recitations." While enrolled as
a pupil at the Central her name used Of
ten to get transferred to the boys lists,
and so in order that it should sound less
masculine she temporarily inserted the
initial letter G. after Frank, calling her
self Frank Clara. This explains why her
name now often enormously appears with
the initial G. She was regular attend
ant of the Central Presbyterian church,
of which she is a member. During part
of the time she was pursuing her studies
at the Central school she and her mother
boarded at Mrs. Carpenters in the Boston
block. Afterward her mother occupied
Mrs. r. d. Boyd's house, on franklin
street, and from there Miss Folsom went
to Wells college. Her Central school
certificate admitted her to the sophomore
class at Wells college, which she entered
without preliminary examination in the
middle of her school year. Miss Folsom
was great favorite at Wells college and
her power of winning the love and un-
swerving allegiance of many friends is
direct inheritance from her father, for
a more genial, generous hearted and COM
panionable man than the late Oscar Fol-
som never lived. Her tall, commanding
figure, frankness and sincerity made her
the queen of the school. She was gradu-
ated from Wells in June, 1885, her gradu-
ating essay taking the form of story.
ATTENTION FROM MIR. CLEVELAND.
The hamper of flowers sent to her
nearly every week, beginning about the
second year of her college life, from the
executive mansion at Albany, and the
particularly abundant supply that came
from the White House Conservatives
when she was graduated, was but one of
the many little paid her, the knowledge of
which her college mates spread abroad
on scattering to their distant homes for
the summer vacations, thus exciting pub
lie gossip concerning Miss Folsom's re-
lations to the president. Miss Folsom
has always been in the habit of spending
her summers at Folsomdale, Wyoming
county, two miles out of Cowlesville, at
the residence of her late grandfather,
Col. John b. Folsom. 1t is the typical
homestead, rambling farmhouse, set
down amid the lovely scenery of the val
lay.
Sundry newspaper reports have made
Mr.. Cleveland the benefactor of Miss Fol.
som in money sense Such statements
are absolutely untrue. Her mothers in
come has always been ample for their
support, and any extra funds needed were
always to be had from the grandfather
or "Papa john" as Miss Folsom called
him, and whose recent death will make
her the heiress of goodly property
Miss Folsom's character is that of an an
spoiled, ingenious girl, full of self pos.
session and with too much common sense
to be overcome by her sudden elevation
Her chief characteristic is intense loyalty
to her mother, who is a charming woman
Between them exists that perfect conf
dence and sympathy too seldom seen be-
! tween parent and child.
MISS FoLsoM's LIFE
has had its deeper side. She is old foI
her years, and too observing and tactfu
to make many mistakes, which should
they occur, would be forgiven in one SC
young and inexperienced, obliged sud
denly to regulate her life by the compli
Gated etiquette of society at the capital
One of her accomplishments is a rare
gift for letter writing. In dress her taste
is very simple. Her common sense is
shown in naming an early date for the
wedding. A postponement would have
brought even more annoyance in the
way of gossip, and from the moment OF