Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-16
TILDEN's LOVE STORY.
Romance in the Life OF the Dead Sage of
Greystone.


| From the Neao York Star,
Away down near the end of the legacies in
Mr.. Tilden's will rs one of the interest on $780,
600 to Miss Celeste Stauner, of New Orleans
There are good many society people in New
York who know Miss staufrer, but few know
or can understand why Mr.. Tilden should
remember her in his Will. The story is a ro-
mantle one, and tells of the love of the aged
statesman for Young, handsome mean ana DILL The
Staufer family, who is now In New
| York, expresses himself rs confident
| that Mr.. TIlden at one time serl-
| ously contemplated matrimony. and was a
| sutton for Miss Stauffer's hand. 1t was soon
after the explosion of the story that the Sage
| OF Greystone was engaged to be married TO
| Miss Nellie HaZeltne OF st. Louis, That ne
met the charming young lady from New Or
| leans. Miss Hazeltine was a BLONDE, with
rich, red golden hair. Miss Staufer is be-
tween a brunette and blonde, of that type
| styled in New Orleans chataigne. Miss Ha-
zetine, who reigned as the belle of st. Louis
until she married young Mr., Parrimore, IS
now dead. Miss Staufer is with her family
In 1880 or 1881 Mr. Tilden met Miss Mary
Celeste Stauffer and Immediately fell In love
with her. Mr.. Isaac Stauffor, her father, Is
| the senior partner of the firm OF Stauner,
| Macready & Co., the largest hardware estab-
| lishment in New Orleans, and perhaps In the
South. He comes of an old Pennsylvania
| Dutch family, and still owns farm near
x, IA. his eldest QAuRntSF, AllCb,
ried Henry Preston, of the flour firm of How
ard & Pre- stoD, also of New, Orleans. Miss
| Celeste is the youngest of four children, Two
of whom are sons. Every summer the family
| leave New Orleans for trip East or
to Europe, and they are usually the first
OF that hegira OF Southern society which an
| nually seeks comfort and social intercourse
away from the baking brick pavementS or the
Crescent City. Most of the time they spend
at Richfeld Springs, occasionally visiting
Saratoga or Long Branch. Last summer they
spent short time at Lenox, Mas. For three
years they visited at Greystone on Mr.. Til
| denis invitation. In the summer of 1887 the
| Stau1fers remained at Long Branch Tor a
| time, occupying one OF the cottages attached
| to the West End Hotel.
Here Miss Stauffer received twice every
| week from Mr.. Tilden long letter. Con-
slderiDg that they were not under promise OF
marriage, this correspondence, whatever its
theme might have been, was sufficiently re-
markable without Mr.. Tilden's making 1t
almost historical by the ecoentriclty of its de-
| livery. He would not trust to the postal SER
| wee, nor would he cOndescend to hire an or
| binary messenger. On tho stipulated days
gentleman of social standing such as per-
mltted the confidence OF the aged statesman
received from his own'bauds the missive. with
the in JUNCTION to surrender it only to the fair
conslgnee personally. At the cottage of the
StaufIers this arstocratc Mercury was re-
ceived with that formality his courtly bearing
seemed to demand and ushered into the re-
ceptiOn room. II Miss Stauf(er were not at
| home he would call again wheAshe was. Not
| lntrequently on returning to Gramercy Park
| or GreystOne he carried to the Democratic
| sage mysterious reply to his letter of friend
| ship.
NO better illustration OF the influence that
| the southern beauty eXerted over Mr. Illden
can be given than an episode which occurred
! during her visit at Greystone three years ago.
| incidentally, perhaps, she related to Mr.. Til
den the melancholy history OF one oil her
| schoo0lmates, whose father lost his fortune
| by the war, and with it vanished the social
| prestige Of his daughter. The brave girl
! made every effort TO gain livelihood in the
| limited sphere OF occupation afforded in New
| Orleans to respectable young women. For
| time she succeeded, and then her health broke
| down. and she suffered poverty rather than
| seek assistance from her wealthy friends of
| the past. MIR. Tilden was interested IN the
| character of Miss Staufer's early classmate,
| and, at no solicitation from that lady. sent to
| the heroic maiden certified check for 10000.
| Miss Stauffer's character is that of an ambi
| tlous. highly intellectual woman, who saw in
| a marriage with Mr.. Tilden all the posslbili-
| ties of being the first lady in the land. Her
| frequent enjoyment of the hospitality OF
| Greystone was not so much a triumph for her
alone, as Mr.. Tilden loved to have the sombre
| chateau beautitied with the presence of young
| WOmanhood. Her manners, conversation and
! lnsoucianJ grace and airs, acquired from the
| naive Creoles of New Orleans, fascinated the
| old man. She seemed to be very fond of Mr..
| TIlden, and anticipated his every wish even
| in the most trivial attentions at the table or
| IN the presence of q social gathering. Her
| glorious physique displayed on horseback was
| the object OF Mr.. Tilden's undisguised adml-
| ration. She is an intrepid and accomplished
| equestrienne. Miss Stauffer's greatest art for
| the enchantment of men, both young and cid.
| lay in her conversational powers. She could
| talk with wonderful understanding upon any
| subject from the smallest of small talk to the
most recent theories in philosophy and
science.
1t is gossip in New Orleans that Miss
| Stauffer discarded the best match in all the
| South to hazard marriage with Mr.. Tilden.
Young Kruttsnitch, the nephew of Judah P.
| Benjamin, is to-day the pride ofthe Louisiana
bar and bachelor. His devotion to the
! heiress of Isaac Staufers millions was not
| inspired by mercenary motives, for his wealth,
| both from inheritance and lucrative practice,
| is ample.
Don't yen think there is lost chord in my
| life somewhere?" she laughingy ASA ed him
one night on the piazza of her fathers house.
| 1t was moonlight, and Mr.. Kruttsnitch made
| rejonder fitting The occasion. "Well, you
| are very kind" she said, but l am going to
the North to find it, and the next day she
| left for Grevstone.
| Miss Stauffer IS well received by the best
! society in New York city, and is queen of the
southern people who reside here. her CON
quest over the heart of DR.. William NJ. Polk
| the well known physician, and the son OF the
| man who is both Il General and a Bishop, is
| no secret from the friends of that gentleman,
: one of whom has betrayed it, She is now
| about % years Of age.
| 1t Is said that the prospective marriage did
| no. take place because Mr.. Tilden felt his
| strength failing and thought she deserved
| Younger husband, whose span of life was not
| so nearly run. He loved her. though, and left
| gage damour when he died.