Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1886-11-12
PRESIDENTIAL LOVES.


golden-haired blonde, who bad cherry
lips, clear blue eye, a neat figure and
more than ordinary Intellectual ability.
Her name was Anne Rutledge. She
was the daughter of a tavern-keeper in
Salem, Ill. Mr.. Lincoln met her when
he was about twenty-three, and, after
a romantic courtship, became engaged
to her. She died before they could be
married; and Lincoln was so much af-
fected by her death that his biographer,
Ward Lemon, says his frienCs pro-
nounced him crazy for time. He was
watched carefully, and became especi-
ally violent during storms, fogs and
damp and gloomy weather. AT such
times he would rave, declaring, among
other wild expressions: II can never
be reconciled to have the snow, rain
and storms to beat upon her grave"
At this time he began to quote, it is
said the poem which is SO we'll identi-
fled with him, beginning:
o, why should the spirit of mortal be proud?
1t is supposed that he was thinking
of his first love during the times he so
often repeated it, Years afterwards,
when he had become famous, he was
asked by an old friend as to the story
of his love for Anne Rutledge, and he
said: II loved her dearly. She was
handsome girl, and would have made a
good and loving wife"
Lincoln's next love was a tall, fine
looking woman, named Mary Owens,
with whom he became acquainted
about year after Anne Rutledge died.
Upon her rejection of him, he wrote
letter to his friend, Mrs. o. ii. Brown
ing, saying that he had been inveigled
into paying his addresses to Miss
Owens, but on being refused he found
he cared more for her than he had
thought, and proposed again. In this
letter he says
II most emphatically in this instance
have made fool of myself. | have
come to the conclusion never more to
think of marrying, and for this reason
that | can never be satisfied with any
one who would be fool enough to have
me-
Still, it was not long after this that
he was engaged to Miss Mary Todd, a
well-educated, rosy brunette, of Lex
ington, KY, who was visiting at
Springfield, where Lincoln was MEM
Der of the Illinois Legislature. Both
Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas pro-
and accepted Lincoln. Lincoln became
suddenly i'll, and it was more than q
year before the marriage was consum-
mated. 1t took place finally in SPRING
field, and the couple began their mar
red life by boarding at the Globe
Hotel at four dollars per week. Lin
coin was thirty three years old at this
time and Mary Todd was twenty-one.
A number of Presidents have been in
love more than once. and several have
suffered the pangs of love unrequited.
Washington Irving says that General
Washington had serious passion at
fifteei. for some unknown beauty which
made him really unhappy for a time.
The son of President Tyler, who is dis
family related to the Washington fam
ily, tells me that the General tried ia
win the daughter of Colonel Cary, OF
DENLY, Warwick County, Va. Colo
mel Cary was very wealthy, and Wash
ington, who paid attention to none but
prospective heiresses, was much at
tracted by one of his daughters. He
was poor Major then, and he rode on
horseback to Warwick County, and
called upon Colonel Cary Cary, q
stiff old gentleman with ruffled shir,
and much dignity, asked Major Wash
ington, as he alighted from his horse
MAY | inquire, sir, what has caused
you to honor me with a visit at this
timsp"
Major Washington blushingly re
piled that he had come to ask permits
sion to pay his addresses to Miss Cary
with view to marrying her.
"Well SIR" responded the stately
Colonel, Il would have you understand
that my daughter rides in her own car
riage; and If that be your business yor
may as well mount your horse, sir anC
return"
Miss Cary afterwards married a mar
named Amber, member of one of tn,
noted families of Virginia She wa
present at the celebration which tool
! after the surrender at Yorktown, and
it is said that when she saw Washing.
, ton so highly honored she tainted away
in the realization of the great mistake
she had made in not marrying him.
A year or two after this, when
Washington had become Colonel al
twenty-three years of age, he fell in
love with Mary Phillips, rich New
York heiress, at whose house he spent
, a week. The authorities are divided as
to whether he proposed to her or not
All, concede, however, that he wa,
sighted and went away very angry
and it is charged that he carried hi,
anger to the extent of aiding in the
coniiscation of the Phillips estate aftel
the revolution had become a success
and his love had married his rival.
John Adams love affairs were nu
merous. In 1894, the year in which he
was married, he writes in his diary:
Il was of an amorous disposition
and very early, from ten to eleven
years of age, was very fond of the so.
ciety of females. | shall draw nc
characters nor give any enumeration OF
my youthful flames. 1t would be con-
sidered no compliment to the dead O,