Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-06-26

Il
felt as a personal bereavement to nearly
every resident of this city. As an express
sion or the reverence in which she was held,
as soon as her death was announced flags all
| over the city were hoisted at half-mast, and
| from Tar and near kilograms of coincidence
| are continually pouring I'm. Among the first
received were those from President Harri.
son and Mrs. Harrison. But none can feel
| her loss with the derth of those of her i'm
mediate family, and Gen. Hayes and his sons,
who knew her virtues with the intimacy of
, home, are deeply affected, while Fannie
the daughter, is nearly Frustrated.
OF Revolutionary Stock.
The Webbs, Mrs. Hayes family, were
| originally from Connecticut, coming west in
1851, and ner grandfather and great-prand-
fathers were all soldiers Of the revolution.
her father being a veteran of the war of
| lSl2. She was born at Chillicothe O., Aug
IS 1881, SO that she was nearly IS years old
at her death She was married to Ruther-
ford b. Hayes Dec. Is, 1852.
Her Services During the War
At the breaking out of the rebellion her
husband and both of her brothers immedi-
| ately entered the army, and from that time
until the close of the war her home was a
| refuge for wounded, sick and furloughed
soldiers, going to or returning from the
front. She spent two winters in camp with
her husband in Virginia, and after the battle
of South Mountain, where he was badly
wounded, she fastened east and Joined him
at Mlda-etown, Md and later spent much
time in the hospital near Frederick City.
Equal to Every Station.
She has ever been woman of much force
of character. Her temperance regime at the
White House-during which. Secretary
Evarts wittily said, water flowed like winen
will long be remembered She was a
woman of education and refinement At
Washington she demonstrated that she
understood the art of entertaining better
than most women even in high social posi-
tons The persons connected with the
official household of the president during the
four years of the Hayes administration were
all devoted to Mrs Hayes, and the first news
OF her illness caused them much sorrow.
Several of the present officials were at the
White House at that time and their recol-
lection of her is coupled with a warm
personal regard. Senator's, Democrats and
Republicans, were often heard to give express
sion to the most extravagant compliments of
her grace as hostess Senator Gordon be-
came one Of her most enthusiastic friends
after meeting her at the White House. He
spoke of her as a rare woman
Her Stand for Temperance.
The one thing that caused the most talk
about her was the stand she took on the temper
ance question. She was most earnest in her
temperance views and was determined that
wines and liquor should not be served at her
table. In this respect the greatest difficulty
she had to meet was the serving of wine at
diplomatic dinners. 1t was hard to make its
absence ON these occasions appropriate but
she was equal to the task When the time
arrived for diplomatic dinner, instead of
the small assemblage Of decorated diplomates
In the state dining-room she struck upon the
idea Of large reception. She knew that it
would be very difficult indeed to conduct the
usual diplomatic dinner successfully without
wine when all the diplomates would expect
it But with an immense assemblage the
case would be different Any one might see
the improperly of dispensing wine to an as
sembiage almost as large as that at a public
reception
Active in Good Works.
Her connection with the Ohio Soldiers and
Sailors Orphans home, of which she was
one OF the originators; with the Woman,s
Relief corps; the Home Missionary society
OF the Methodist church, and numerous other
associations, charitable and religious. as
wen as her honorary membership in the
Society OF the Army of West Virgin il. are
well known Whatever her hand found to
do that was good for mankind, that she did.
and did well. The world was the better for
her presence in it, and her memory is benz
son to the nation