Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-11-24
MRS. JOHN TYLER.
SHE TELLS THE ROMANTIC STORY
OF HER MARRIAGE.

SHE TELLS THE ROMANTIC STORY
OF HER MARRIAGE. I
Her First Acquaintance with President
Tyler-A Rejected rroposal-Her Faith
er's Tragic Death-A Terrible Blow-A |
Quiet Wedding.
Won't you tell me how you met President |
Tylerr
well, to begin at the first. Twas born on
Gardeners island, three miles from land. l
was descendant of the first white child born
OF British parents in the state of New York,
and the child of the first white child born in
Connecticut. My name, as you know, was
Julia Gardiner-with an j." she added.
Gardiner without an is like Thompson
without a p. There l grew up until my
schooling was finished, and then my father
took my sister and me to Europe. for the
finishing touches, as it were. While we
were in Paris we heard of the death of Presi-
dent Harrison, and we American girls all
wore Grape around our wrists in mourning
for long time. President Tyler we knew
was the successor, and had a little canary
WHICH 1 DdCh Win tUdl 1
'Jonny Ty,' in honor of the president, John
Tyler"
''Did you not know him thenT'
mo. But on our return my father took
my sister and me to Washington that we
might have the benefit of the society there
We met the president and became great
friends, but l never thought of loving him
then. l was not yet 20 and he was easily
IS years older than l, but l thought him
very nice and was very gay and frivolous
| and of course was flattered by his friend
ship"
How did he propose to your
"Hou will think me very foolish when /
| tell you about it," Mrs Tyler said, her gray
| beaming at the recollection. Il often think
now how frivolous was then. There was
| grand reception held in the White House on
| Washingtons birthday. All people of note
were there and 1t was very brilliant. had
been dancing with young man who was not
| pleased with the attentions the president had
been paying me. We had Just stopped and
were walking about when the president came
up, ana drawing my arm through his, said to
| the young man: 1 must claim Miss Card
ner's company for awhile The young man
| drew OF and looked as If be would like to
| say, We'll, You are impudent, but he didn't
] walked around with the president and he
PROPOSED then had never thought of love,
so | said: No, no. no. and shook my head
with each word, which flung the tasSel of my
Greek cape INTO his face nj every move II
was undlgnilied, but IL amused me very
much TO see his expression as he tried To
make love 10 me and the tassel brushed his
face. l did not tell my father I was his
pet, yet l feared he would blame me for al
lowing the president to reach the proposing
) point. so | did not speak OF it to any one
How were you dressed the night tbs
president proposeds7
HER FATHERS TRAGIC DEATH
Il wore white tarleton. II was very
pretty and very becoming. On my head
wore a crimson Greek cap. was very gay
and young or I never would have dared t.
toss the tassel i'll q presidents face, On tn,
18th Of February Commodore Stockton CAV,
party on the Potomac Everybody wa
there and We had lovely time | told M
father when we started that he must keel
with me all the time, but did not tell hin
that it was TO keep the president away.
was with my father and the young man VII,
l told You was jealous of the president, whel
It a gentleman came TO rue and said, Miss Gar
K diner, the president wishes to take you in {
5 the collation. which is just served 1 SUP
d pose l will have to obey orders, l replie
e with laugh, and, asking my father to 70
7 low me- started down. Just then the win
j caught my veil and blew it up Fathe
caught it with his cane and brought it dowr
saying, Take care of your streamer.' The
were almost the last words l ever heard hir
k speak"
when VIC got down the the presider
seated me at the head of the table with hiI
and he handed me a glass of champagne
Father was standing just back Of my chail
so handed the glass over my shoulder, SAL
ing, Here, pa He did not take it, but
said: My time will soon come He NEAR
his time TO be served, but the words have a
ways seemed prophetic TO me. That M
ment some one called down for the presidel
to come and see the last shot fired, but he sal
he would not go, as he was better engage,
Ny father started with some other gentl
men, and l turned to the young man who ha
y followed me down. He whispered to me ar
asked me to marry him. and when / sa
more noes to him than had to the presidel
be said he feared that l was ambitious. Ju
then We heard the shot and the smoke bega
to come down the companionway. Som
thing must be wrong said to the your
man, and he started up to see. He got to Il
door, and he turned around and gave me SUI
look of horror that shall never forget
That moment heard some one say The Sc
retary of state is deadn l was frightene
and Istried to get up stairs. Something h
happened. Let me so to my fatherr | erie
but they kept me back. Some one told I
that there had been an accident, the gun b,
exploded, but that there was such a croV
that it would do no good for me to try to 6
:. there. l cried that my father was there al
J l must learn his fate. l was told then th
he was wounded That drove me frantic
begged them to let me go to help him; th
he loved me and he would want me to
near him One lady, seeing my agony, sal
Ny dear child, you can do no good. Yo
father is In heaven
- HOW PRESIDENT TYLER PROPOSED.
IT "Yes,n Mrs. Tyler continued, "he had be
killed. There were five killed, among who
were the secretaries of the navy and state.
tainted and did not revive until some Q
was carrying me off the boat, and then
struggled so that I almost knocked us be
| OA Tue sduS pldbh- Ulu uot hnON dI
time, but ! learned afterwards that it "
the president whose life almost consigned
G the water. All the FIVE who were killed WI
~ buried from the White House in the CT
his erosion cemetery. l remained at the VII
House until after the funeral, and then
turned to our city home, No. 4S Lafaye
place, New York. The president and c
responded then and he. paid me many n
little attentions. After l lost my father
- felt differently towards the president
IA seemed to fill the place and be more agr
able in every way than any younger m
ever was or could be. BE composed
, very pretty song about me then-'Sw
Lady Awake At last he proposed az
and wrote him was willing this time
are my mother would consent. She told b
: O. that she would never consent my to m
,,s, riage, but if was determined she would
xeo object.
nv y was in deep mourning. So the pr.
-. dent told only one member of his fami
Gen. John Tyler, and told my immedi
family. We were married very quietly
lpe, the 26th of June. 1874, in the Church OF
aho Ascension New York WIS dressed in p
a. white lisse with veil of the same VIII
4 -