Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-06-02

On the night preceding Miss Folsom's de-
parture tor Europe q telegram written by the
| President was handed in at the telegraph
office. 1t was addressed to Miss Folsom.
The operator who sent the despatch has q
m 4nia for autographs. He made copy OF
the original despatch which he filed with the
others transmitted by him, and carried the
original home. his intention being to cut on
the signature and place it among his other
collections. Both his wife and his landlady
were shown the despatch. 1t contained senti-
ments of such nature as to leave no doubt in
their minds that a love affair to saw the least
was on the taps, and this secret each solemnly
resolved to respect
In the course of time disagreement &C.
CURED between the two ladies, which result
ed in the operator and his wife seeking other
quarters. The landlady in revenge called at
the telegraph Office and reported to the proper
officials the operators connection with the
stolen despatch. The operator made no de-
NAL of the charges against him, but
said he had intended no harm
He had, however. broken an inviolable rule
of the company and was given a week in
which to resign, and now he is looking for
another job The news then leaked out and
friend of the publisher of little Country
paper sent out the fact No notice was taken
of the obscure paragraph for some time, when
New York paper took it up and it became
general
Miss Folsom She Is.
The Buffalo Courier. which is considered
the Presidents organ. gives the following
sketch of Miss Folsom, which is accepted as
authorized and inspired by her friends:
Miss Folsom, whose christian name, by
the wav, is not Frances, but Frank, was born
in the year 1864 and will be 90 years old on
the 2st OF July She was born in the house
No. l68 Edward street, opposite the school
yard of the Orphan Asylum. As child she
attended Nine Becker's French kin1ergar-
ten. Later the family moved from Edward
street to the house now occupied by George
J. Letchworth, in Franklin street. At the
time of Mr.. Fosom's death in 1875 they were
living at the Tiff House. 1t will be remem-
bered that Mrs. and Miss Folsom were in
Medina when the sad thing happened. After
the funeral they went to Medina where Mrs.
Folsom's widowed mother resided. The
Harmon family had good social positions and
owned considerable 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 Frank that she learned very readily and
seemed to remember equally well and that
she always put little of herself into her
Rotations. While enrolling as pupil at
the Central her name used often to get trans
ferred to the boys lists and so, in order that
it should sound less masculine, she Temporal
rily inserted the letter C after Frank, calling
herself Frank Clara. This explains why her
name often enormously appears with the mi
tial G. She was a regular attendant of the
Central PRESBYTERIAN church, of which she is
member. During part of the time she was
pursuing her studies at the Central school.
She and her mother boarded at Mrs. Carpen-
ter's Afterwards her mother occu-
pied house in Franklin street, and
from there Miss Folsom went to
Wells College. Her TALL commanding fig
ure, frankness and sincerity made her the
queen of the school She was graduated
from Wells College in June, 1885, her grad
uating essay taking the form of story.
The hampers of fl ,wers sent to her nearly
every week, beginning about the second year
of her college life, from the executive man
sion at Albany and the particularly abundant
supply that came from the White House con-
servatoire when she was graduated was but
one of many little attentions paid her, the
knowledge of which excited public gossip
concerning her relations to the President.
Miss Folsom has always been in the habit
of spending her summers at the residence Of
her late grandfather, Colonel Folsom. 1t is
the typical hornestead-a rambling sort Of
farmhouse, set down amid lovely scenery.
! Sunday newspaper reports have made Mr.
Cleveland the benefactor of Miss Folsom in a
money scene Such statements are absolute
ly untrue. Miss Folsom's character is that
of nnsD ,led inUeuuous GIRL fuIl IF GOLF.
possession and with too much common sense
to be overcome by the sudden elevation. Her
chief characteristic is intense loyalty to her
mother. Between them exists that perfect
| confidence and sympathy, too seldom seen
between parent and child. Her life has had
its deeper side She is old for her years, and
too observing and tactful to make any mis-
takes, which, even should they occur, would
be forgiven in one so young, obliged sudden
ly to regulate her lite by the complicated
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. Miss Folsom,
outside of very limited circle of friends, is
little acquainted in Buffalo and has never
mingled in society here because since she was
a school girl she has never spent but day or
two at a time in Buffalo.
The published prints and photographs of
Miss Folsom do not greatly resemble her.
One of the best 1ikenesses of her, as the
Courier stated last Sunday, is by an amateur
photographer. Her hair is soft and brown,
or shade between light and dark. She
wears it combed back from her forehead and
loose wavy tendrills escape here and there.
She has violet blue eyes and rather large
nose. Her eyebroA are very heavy and
nearly meet. The chief and striking beauty
of her face is her mouth and chin. Mr.
Ammi Farnham, the artist, once said that she
had the most beautiful mouth he had ever
seen.