The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-03

.tivates the senator
ial ladies more than it does the wives of the
members of the lower house. and they rank
next to the lady Of the White House and are
on a par with the wives of the justices of the
United States supreme court.
The president OF the senate is the official
head of the body, and social rank here goes
side by side with official station. The social
rank Of lady corresponds with the official
position of her husband, and Mrs ingalls, Is
now the leader Of the senatorial ladies.
She is good leader, too. Tall, plump ana
fine looking, her cheeks are as rosy and her
eyes as bright as when she married John J.
ingalls,, the young Kansas lawyer. ingalls,
and she met, am told, at friends wedding,
and before this ingalls, had been something
of a woman hater. At least, he had not
courted any of the other western girls OF the
vicinity, but at this wedding he was one OF
the groomsmen and she one of the bride
maids, and the acquaintance there made
ripened into courtship and marriage. Mrs.
ingalls, was then Miss Anna Chesebrough,
and her father was New York merchant,
who had moved west to Atchison ingalls,
came to Kansas with not much more than
two suits of clothes and bright prospects, and
Mrs. Ingalls, father had failed in the panic
of 1857, when he moved to Kansas and made
a second business success Mrs ingalls, comes
of one of the oldest families of New England,
and think one of her ancestors was Peregrine
White. She has numerous children, and the
girls Of Washington think there is no young
man quite so bright and SO sweet as her boy
Ellsworth who graduated year or so since
from college, and who is now studying law
while he acts as his fathers private secre-
tary. Her daughter Ethel, who is one of the
debutantes of the season, is a very pretty
girl, still in her teens.
Mrs ingalls, has many of the qualities of
Mrs. John A. Logan; and this reminds mo
that Mrs. Logan is quite well, and she is liv-
ing very retired life here at Washington.
Mrs Senator Sherman held last year the
place which Mrs. Ingalls, does this, and she is
a remarkably fine looking lady. She looks
fifteen years younger than Senator John, and
her tall, straight form is well rounded. She
has a rosy complexion and beautiful eyes.
She married John Sherman when he was %
years of age, and when he was lawyer in
Mansfield, o. She came with him to Wash
ington during his first term in congress,
thirty -three years ago, and she has been in
the thick of Washington society since then.
Her maiden name was Cecilia Stewart, and
she was the daughter of an Ohio judge who
stood very high at the Mansfield bar. Mrs.
Sherman has domestic tastes as well as So
ciety ones. She understands how to cook,
and she is an accomplished linguist, reading
and speaking the French very well.
Her daughter, Miss Mary, is a very bright
girl, well educated, and possesses more mix
ing qualities than are usually ascribed to her
father, the senator.
Senators Beck, Allison and Voorhees, are
widowers, and a number Of the senator's
wives do not mix much in society.
Mrs Senator Hoar, of Massachusetts, is
not in good health, and neither she nor the
senator go about much. The same may be
said of Mrs. Senator Plumb, of Kansas
Mrs. Senator Aldrich is another pretty
senatorial lady, and she was the ward of q
Providence merchant. She watches very
well over the interests Of Nelson w. Aldrich,
who. by the way, is one of the handsomest
men in the senate.
Philetus Sawyer married his wife when he
had his fortune yet to make, and her name
was Miss Hadley. She was native of YER
mont, and she went with him on his emil
GRAFTON tour 10 w lscOilhlli one II All iuNdllu
and does not go in society.
One of the most talked of women this ses-
sion is the English wife of Cen Joe Hawley,
who appears for the first time in Washington
society She is pretty and highly cultured
and she talks with a slight English accent.
The southern ladies are, as rule, Of old
families, and Senator Buffers wife comes of
one of the best families of the Palmetto state
Mrs. Senator Pugh, of Alabama, is the
daughter of Gen. John l.. Hunter, Of South
Carolina, and she went to Alabama in 1895,
when she was wee bit of girl. The Pughs
live very nicely at Washington, though they
do not entertain very much.
Senator Vance's wife is Kentucky lady,
and Vance has house on Massachusetts
avenue, in one of the most fashionable quar-
ters of the city Mrs. Vance was widow
when she married the senator, and Vance
was widower. They both had some money,
and the two piles keep them from want
Vance has q 900 acre country seat near Ashe-
vile, N. c., and | understand that Mrs
Vance has bought 3 200 acres adjoining. This
property gives some of the finest views of the
United States. 1t is covered with magnif-
cent timber, and it makes good farming land
Vance got it for song, and it will event
ually be worth a fortune
Senator Calls wife's maiden name was
Simkins, and her grandfather was a distin-
guished representative in congress from
South Carolina.
Senator Evarts married, says DR.. b. Ran
dolph Keim, one of the best authorities on
Washington society, the daughter of bank
president, who had been state treasurer Of
Vermont; and the maiden name of the Iowa
senator's wife, Mrs. Wilson, was Mary
Jewett, and she was an Ohio girl from the
town of Newark. Wilson was a harness
maker in early life, and he studied law at the
bench. After his marriage to Miss Jewett
he went to Iowa and settled at Fairfield.
From thence he was soon sent to congress,
and Mrs Wilson became one of the leading
ladies Of the congressional circle. Her hus-
band has now received his second election to
the senate.
Senator Farwells wife was school teacher,
and she is a woman of very charitable in
stincts, and much interested in missionary
work. She is cultured, and she has decided
admiration for Charley 3. Farwel
Senator Chace is Quaker and his wife is
q Quakeress. Chace was, however, think,
born in Massachusetts,. At least he comes
from Massachusetts, family, and his wife
xoc ono of tina Eoeietv of Eripndc Of +ba