St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-02
MRS. BENJAMIN HARRISON.
The Lady Vino Is About to Occupy the
White House.
TIE STORY OF HER LIFE.
Wives Of the Presidents Who Have Pre-
sided Over the Executive Mansion
in the Past.

ing lady were the grandparents OF the
distinguished citizen who will enter the
same high Office on March next, or
lacking but two years of an even half
century after. William Henry Harri-
son, the ninth president of the United
States, was just sixty-eight years OF age
when he embarked in the high office to
which he had been chosen by the
Wings. His wife, Anna Symes Harri-
sou. native of New Jersey. was two
years younger. While the most adj
vanced in the allotment of years, his
demise took place in the infancy of his
exalted career after, one months resi-
deuce in the executive mansion.
~
The youngest person to enter the
Office of president was u. S. Grant, at
forty-seven, and the Youngest wife was
Frances Folsom Cleveland, at twenty
two, the bride of the White house. The
youngest presiding lady of the man
sion was Elizabeth Tyler Waller, at
nineteen, daughter of John Tyler, Pres
ident HarrlSOn'S Succe SSOr, and the first
vice to come into possession OF the office
to which he was constitutional heir pre-
Sumptiye.
The prospective president, when he
enters the office to which he has been
chosen, will be about midway between
life, or about the age of Martin Van
Buren,, Zachary Taylor and Rutherford
B. Hayes. Mrs. Harrison will enter
the executive mansion as presiding
lady at about the age of Abigail Smith
Adams, wife Of the second, and Eliza
McArdle johnson, wife of the seven
teenth president of the United States.
*%
Since Mrs. Washington inaugurated
the social regime of the presidents
household at New York, then the capt.
tai, there have been thirty-two presiding
ladies. Eighteen OF these were the
wives of the presidents Washing
ton, Mrs. Adams, Mrs. Madison, Mrs.
Monroe, Mrs. j. @. Adams, Mrs. Harri-
son, Mrs. Letitia Christian Tyler, who
died while her husband was in office;
and Mrs. Julia Gardner Tyler. who
married the president in New York
when she was but year more
than the age of Mrs. Cleveland;
Mrs. Polk, Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Fillmore.
Mrs. Pierce, Mrs. LINCOLN, Mrs. John
son, Mrs. Grant, Mrs. Hayes, Mrs. Gar
ing fourteen presiding ladies were:
Jetferson's daughter, Martha jefferson
Randolph. or, when absent, Mrs. Secre-
tary of State Madison; Mrs. Emily
Donelson, wife of President Jackson's
private secretary, and Sara Yorke Jack
son, wife of his foster son; Angelica
Singleton Van Buren,. the wife of the
presidents son and private secretary;
Elizabeth Tyler Waller, the presidents
daughter, and Mrs. Cooper Tyler, his
sons wife; Elizabeth Taylor Bliss,
married daughter of President Taylor;
Mary Abigail Fillmore. a daughter of
President Fillmore; Harriet Lane, the
niece of James Buchanan; Mrs. Martha
Johnson Patterson and Mary johnson
Slower, married daughters OF President
Johnson; Mary Arthur McElroy and
Rose Elizabeth Cleveland, sisters OF the
last two presidents.
-
Mrs. Harrison'S experience in politi-
co-Social affairs has been confined to
six years residence at Washington as
the wife of senator, but during that
time in that distinguished circle of rep
resentative men and women of the
states she formed acquaintance and
friendships which now, in her prospect
rank in the social world, are recalled
with pride and pleasure by those who
still mingle in public affairs and society
at the capital.
The marriage of Benjamin Harrison
and Miss Carrie l.. Scott took place in
1858, when the former was just twenty
wears of age. Her father was then
president of the Oxford Female college,
at which town she was born. Young
Harrison met her while a student at the
same place. They began their married
life at North Bend, o., the site of the
family homestead for two generations,
but year later they started afresh for
themselves at indianapolis. Here they
began life in small way. Young Har-
risOn was not long in making start in
the practice of his profession, and the
new household was soon cheered with
the presence of a boy, now grown to
mans estate and an influential citizen
of the prospective commonwealth of
Montana. Two years later daughter,
Mary Scott, added to the joys of the
home of the rising lawyer of Indiana.
*x%
With Mrs. Harrison will not only be
her interesting daughter, but the wife
of her son, Russell B. Harrison, who is
well known as one of the bellies of the
senatorial circle when her father,
Senator Saunders, represented the
state of Nebraska in the ambas-
sadorial branch of the national congress.
| These three ladies-mother, daughter
and daughter-in-law-al trained in the
| social methods of the highest circle of
official social life next to that of the eX-
ecutive mansion, will make an interest
ing and entertaining group of ladies to
| do the honors of the presidents social
| surroundings for the next four years.
~
| Mrs. Harrison is lady of strong IN
| yiduality, great kindness of heart. un-
| affected manners, recognized mental
ity, Astounding benevolence and easy
social grace. She also has defined
taste for art, with genius for its appli-
cation by skilful manipulation of the
brush. In many respects she uniteS the
| strong character of Mrs. John Adams
| with the vivacity and fOndneSS for good
| works of Mrs. Madison. While she has
| always been an active laborer in the
| church under the teachings of Calvin,
| she has never undertaken to play the
| part of notorious interference. with her
| husbands right to decide certain mat
| tiers of regimen and regulation in his
own household. 1t is therefore certain
| that there will be no seeking for cheap
notoriety in matters which are neither
| affairs Of state nor of ethics among peO-
| pie of intelligence and accustomed to
! the ways and proprieties of polite So
ciety. RANDOLPH.
| L., -,