The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-22
GEN. HARRIsoN's WIFE.
The Lady Who Will Be Next Mistress
OF the White House.


From the New York sun
When Mrs. Harrison takes the place of
mistress of the white house she will do so
with the advantage of having had full in
SIGHT into the intricacies of Washington So
ciety. In this respect she will begin her
four-year course of duties better equipped
Than was Mrs. Cleveland when, So young
and unaccustomed to the formal ways Of
the capitals social life, she began with her
romantic marriage her brilliant, tactful,
and popular reign.
Few. in fact, of the gentlewomen of re-
cent administrations who have had the
honor 60 head the Presidential household
have had the preliminary experience at the
canital that Mrs. Harrison has had. That
fair daughter of Albany, Mrs. McElroy,
who was mistress during President Arthur's
term. had had not more than a glimpse of
official society Mrs. Cleveland had had
none at all. Mrs Grant had something to
support her, because her husband had been
nroIninent for five years previous to his
eioht winters in the chief magistrates
home. and though there was then little
onportunity in those war days for her to
lead or to shine socially, still she shared in
a degree the eminence of her warrior spouse
Mrs Hayes had very little experience, as
was manifested by the rather common
nancy, Mrs, Garfield had had a number of
years to learn when her husband was a
leader among leaders in the House of Re-
representatives.. Her preparatory training
for the cares of the white house was some
thing similar to that which Mrs. Harrison
has enjoyed
So it may be expected that tho success
full management of the delicate affairs of
state dinuers and receptions and of the
,,,ostio- If Drpca6anca and official al innate
which has so marked the reign of Mrs.
Cleveland will mark, too, the term of this
new mistress. And if the republican ad-
ministration sets out to celebrate its return
to power with great events in social life,
Mrs Harrison, by virtue of her experience
when her husband was senator from In
diana, will be we'll prepared to lead the
wives of the cabinet members
And, besides herself, she will bring to the
fore in the capital gayety two beautiful wo-
men, her daughter and her daughter-in-law
Her daughter Mary is now 81 years old. She
is beautiful, and when her father was in
the Senate she was a foremost figure
among the young people in Washington.
She had then just returned from that very
fashionable Philadelphia school, Ogontz
After she had looked we'll at W Washington So
ciety and had Joined in its pleasures, she
was married to j. R. Mckee, a wholesale
boot and shoe dealer in indianapolis. The
daughter-in-law, who will probably form
at times a part of the presidential family,
is Mrs. Russell Harrison. She was in
Washington when her father, Senator
Saunders, was there from Nebraska, and
there met Gen. Harrisons son. The young
man and his wife have their home at
Helena, Mon. He is rich, and is chief of a
stock farm. 1t is extremely likely that she
will Join Mrs. Mckee in the fun and the
work of helping the new mistress of the
executive mansion see that everything goes
along right in the historic house. And if
the two young matrons do come to the side
of their mother the chances are great that
the three will make the Harrison term espec-
tally noteworthy for its social features.
Mrs. Harrison, who will preside over
Washington society, is just about as old as
her husband, the President-elect, that is "a
years, and they have been together ever since
school DAYS. She is western woman. Her
father, John W. Scott, was a teacher in
Miami University, Oxford, O., and it
was there that the girl was born who was
to be some day Presidents wife. They
called her Caroline, Carrie for short and
sent her to school in the girls college of the
town. She was quiet and demure, and the
village home was not at all disturbed by
stiff parties or dinners. In fact, it is related
that though her daughter is credited with
having been the best Walter in Indianapo-
lis, Mrs Harrison herself never danced at
all when she was girl, and that when she
was at school all the girls wore calico dresses
and sunbonnets, and were proud of them.
Such a costume would create a sensation at
Ogontz, the school where the daughter was
graduated.
Gen. Harrison isn't a tall man, and Mrs.
Harrison is not a tall woman, When
girl she was what you would call petite.
Her form was slender and her face ideally
beautiful. Her hair was black and her
complexion dark. 1t still retains its full
color, but her hair has become silvered here
and there and her girlish form has become
matronly. Her face is still handsome, and
It's regular features seem to have been but
little lined by the passing of years. She
had mouth In her younger days which
made her face something to look at second
time. 1t is just as pretty to-day, and tho
little smile of welcome that always plays
upon her lips makes Mrs. Harrison very
mlrthiul-appearing person. One other
thing is always noticed by man who sees
Mrs. Harrison, and that is her hand. 1t IS
small and graceful, and the fingers taper
Just enough. The wrist is slender and we'll
moulded, and the arm above it is full and
faultless in contour. Sometimes she wears
gold bracelets on her wrists and diamonds
on one of her fingers, but except these and
her wedding ring, she displays no jewelry
except at very formal gatherings, when
she may wear at her throat bar with five
diamonds. She also has gold band with
hve diamonds. 1t was given her not long
ago by her husband. Her ear rings are
black pearls or diamonds.
Caroline Scott met Ben amin Harriso in
oxford. They were boy and girl together,
got married, settled down for life on some
500 that young Tippecanoe had received
from his father, and had baby before
either was q years old. Young Harrison
sad his wife was half his capital. She was
nus helper in every sense when he began his
career In the law. Her ancestry had given
her strength physically. and her mother had
gwen her that sensible instruction in ap-
phed housekeeping which after a period of
aoandonment is coming back again in good
American homes. Lawyer Harrison's wife
learned how to bake bread, and she baked.
part of her exercise was with broom
suck, and though she hasn't made bread or
handled broom in long while, she is a
past grand mistress in all those things. and
AIows all about housekeeping, and is not
asnamei to tell about those things, eveItdf,
aIIer Tour months more, she is to be at the
mead of The first official household in the
lana. The supervision of the home at Indi-
auapohs is, indeed, one of Mrs. Harrison's
eeelghts. She has hobby of getting up at
ooclock IN the morning and going to mar
AeU every once III while to buy meats and
Iegetables herself. If she should do this in
Washlngton it would not be altogether new
mere, Tor some of the leaders even now
olLen do their own m ryefiuer and in da We