The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-17
MORTON'S SISTERS.
Four Yankee School-Marms" Who
Married Well.

Four Yankee SChool-Marms" Who
Married Well
EudnsUHe Ind) Special to 81. Louis Republic
Your correspondent to-day had an inter
esting interview with an old resident of Ev-
ansville concerning the early residence in
this city of the four sisters of Hon. Levi F.
Morton, the Republican vice-presidential
candidate The lady in question was a pu-
pill in the school of Myron w. Stafford, who
was the husband of the eldest of the Nor
ton sisters. There were four of Them Mrs
Stafford and the Misses Electra, Mary and
Martha The last two were twins. All
of them were educated in New England,
and were fair types of a class known in the
west and south forty years ago as Yankee
school marmsn All were fine women, pos
sessed of some of the higher accomplish
ments in addition to their practical New
England education. Said your correspond
ent's informant;
THE school was started about 1910 or
1880 and was advertised as a male academy
aud a female seminary, with NJ. w Stafford
as principal, and his nephew, William SAT
ford, and three Misses Morton as assistants.
As this was before the inauguration of our
free-school system the academy and semi
nary were quite well patronized for sew
eral years. The building occupied was
two story frame, which stood on the
ground now occupied by the Evansville
Courier building. Among those still liv-
ing who were pupils of the academy and
seminary, are the Hon. John w. Foster,
late minister to Mexico, Spain and Russia,
and Mrs. John M. Harlan, the wife of Asso-
ciate Justice Harlan, of the supreme court
of the United States, both now resident in
Washington, and Mrs. Samuel Bayard,
Mrs Ella Wymond and MesSrs. James L.
Orr, De Witt LandheGr, William T. Sher-
wood, Alexander III. and James H. Foster
Peter Vierling. and John G. and George w
Shanklin, Of the Courier. Levi F. Morton
was then just beginning life as bankers
clerk in New York. He had learned the shoe
makers trade in Vermont, and ! under
stand there is in existence n single upon
which 10 Inscribed in bold letters the le-
gend: Boots and Shoes Made and Re-
paired by Levi i. Morton He visited his
sisters once and perhaps oftcner while they
resided here, and they used 30 speak affec-
tioEateiy and with good deal Of pride of
brother Levi About the time Of their de-
parture from Evansville, Miss Martha, one
of the twins, met a minister, a Baptist,
think who fell in love with her When he
proposed marriage, she told him frankly
that she did not believe she was adapted to
the life OF minister's wife, but that she
had a twin sister who was SO much like her
self IN appearance that their own relatives
could hardly tell them apart, but vino was
wholly different in disposition, aud who
would be exactly the woman for him. Sub
Sequently the minister, whose name was
Hartpence, if | remember correctly, met
Miss Mary and courted her. TAey mar
rel and settled in Tennessee, where they
were still living some years ago and may be
living yet.
Miss Martha returned to the cast and
was married to Moses t'rinnell, ono of the
D.. l.. L. - \
afteUward associated with Morton in the
banking business. She is still living TO
adorn the Immense fortune Of her husband.
But the establishment of our free schOo 5
was a serious blow 10 the male academy
and female seminary, and after year or
two Of decreasing patronage Mr.. Stafford
removed 20 Union county, Ky, whore h. re-
mained for year or two, aud then went
south and settled in Georgia, where he
! opened "A school, with his wife and dau gh-
ter, Miss Laura. as assistants This was be-
| fore the breaking out Of the war, early in
! the '60S, Mr.. Stafford turned up in Evans
! vile egan as a travelling agent for a cheap
sewing machine. He was very poor at this
| time, and ti0ally returned To Union county,
! KY, where he died His widow and daugh-
ter then removed TO Philadelphia, where
/ they had frien Is
From rather awkward girl Miss Laura
/ had developed in the meantime
/ into IA woman Of extraordinary
/ beauty. A rich young man OF Phila-
/ delphia cCurted her, aud pending the en-
/ gagenent he died. bequ-athing to her ms
/ entire fortune on his deathbed. She as
sumed widows weeds for him, but
I through his deathbed the fortunes II The
surviving Salfords were changed from pow
/ erty 70 atluenco Whether or not vi 81,
Laura over married DO not know. but ten
| or twelve years ago she aud hor mot her were
| living luxuriously IN Philadelphia, spend
! ilg the summers at tho fashionable wuter
ing places ~ tho east
Tho many remarkable cures Hoods Sarsa-
parilla accomplishes are sufficient proof
that II does pOssess peculiar curative
pOweri