The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-12-15
4 GRANpsoN's GRANDSON.
Will There Be a Baby in the White
House?

next tour years for the White House
is that little children may for the
first time in many years frolic
through through the corridors as
part Of the regular family. More,
the cries of babe even may pene-
trate into the council chambers of
the nation and interrupt Cabinet
meetings. This isn't certain, for as
yet no arrangements. have been made
as to who shall constitute the next
White House family, but General
Harrison's well-known love for chill
dren and the fact that he keeps two
families with him here all the time
make it pretty certain that he will
have either his daughter or his son
with him at Washington, if not as
permanent members of the family,
at least as pretty constant visitors.
General Harrison has two living
children, both married and both
living with him here. His son, Rus
sell, married a daughter of ex-Gov-
ernor and ex-senator Saunders of
Nebraska, and he has one little
child, of whom General Harrison
is very fond. Russell Harrison him
self, who was unkindly criticised
for alleged oficiousness during the
early part of the campaign, is vim
dicating himself nowadays, and his
presence at the White House as a
sort of buffer between his father
and the stream of people who want
to ask questions may be an agree
able feature of the Administration,
should the General decide to take
his son with him to Washington.
At present Russell is acting as
sort of private secretary to the
President-elect.
General Harrison's daughter mar
ried an indianapolis shoe dealer
named Mckee and has two children,
one curly haired little chap some
two years old, and the other a babe
born during the present campaign.
It is not likely that Mrs. Mckee
and her children will be in Wash
ington except as visitors during
the next four years, but the visits
will probably be frequent and
prolonged, in view of the devoted
affection the General has for his
little yellow-haired grandson. The
little fellow toddles about in the
Generals working-rooms at the
house, muses. up the papers, climbs
on his lap to be kissed occasionally,
and otherwise exercises the abso-
lutte rights of babyhood without let
or hindrance.
General Harrison has numerous
lot of relatives in other parts of the
country, and it is said that his
bounty to them has never been
stinted. Those who profess init
mate knowledge, in fact, say that
the reason the General has always
been in moderate financial circum-
stances is that he has helped to sup
port so many families beside his
own. It is taken for granted that
these relatives will be frequent Wis
itors at the White House during
the next Administration. Beside
this, Partner Miller has an interest
ing daughter, of an age at which a
visit to the White House as a guest
of the Presidents wife would be a
rare treat. That she will go there
often is extremely probable. Part
ner Miller himself will go often,
too, for he isn't a man to let the
distance between Indianapolis and
Washington break off the intimacy
that has existed for so many years.
Mrs. Harrison has great many
intimate friends in Indianapolis,
where the family has always had a
sort of social leadership. She is a
woman with taste for entertaining
and natural grace and ease OF
manner which makes her, it is said,
a charming hostess. She will doubt
less take advantage Of the next four
years to introduce many of her
friends here to Washington society
with which she has already famil-
iarity gained during her husbands
term as Senator.
It is safe to say that the social
life of the White House will be
quiet, digni6ed and elegant. The
Harrisons live not luxuriously but
we'll, and there is no indication
about their home that there has
been an endeavor to diminish ex-
penses at cost of comfort or ele-
gance. The experiences of the cam,
paign have limbezed up General
Harrison somewhat, and none OF
his usual callers accuse him OF icing
cold or distant, but he still retains
a becoming dignity and reserve
Mrs. Harrison conducts herself al
ways with dignity, but never with
out a tact that adjusts herself to
the circumstances of the conversa'
ton or the person with whom she
is conversing. Her daily expert
ences are somewhat trying. She
must meet one moment q rough
countryman from Kansas, and the
next some dandy from New York
n1 ooch nl1at he treated, 80 tC