Smyrna times., 1891-04-01
The White House.
SOME HISTORICAL REMINIsCENCEs-
THE DRAMA OF LIFE ENACTED
THERE.

A Washington correspondent writes:
The Presidents House is like all the
other mansions in America, from the
humblest to the greatest. Within its
portals the drama of life has been en-
acted as in the millions of other homes
of the land. 1t had been built, how
ever, nearly half a century before a
President brought his bride home
there. John Tyler, the fifteenth Presi-
dent of the United States, was the first
who brought bride to the White
House. He had been married in 1878.
and brought his wife, who had been
Miss Semble, with him to the Presiden-
tial mansion when, in April, he sue.
ceeded President Harrison, but she
sickened and died at the White House
and in 1874 he brought Miss Gardiner,
OF New York, as his bride. He mar.
ried her at her home on Staten Island.
New York. President Cleveland was
the only President who married his
wife at the Whine House. On the 2nd
OF June, 1886, he was married there to
Miss Frances Folsom, of Buffalo, New
York.
Mrs. Washington never entered the
White House as its mistress. Mrs
John Adams came first in the line of
eminent ladies who breathed the Poto-
mac malaria within its precincts. Mr..
Jefferson, General Jackson, Mr.. Van
Buren, were widowers,, Mr.. Buchanan
an old bachelor, and Mr.. Cleveland a
young one. Mr.. Jeferson's daughter
did the hOnOrs for him. Mrs. A. ].
Donelson and Mrs. Andrew jackson
the younger, were the leading ladies of
Gen. Jackson's household. President
Van Buren's daughters and daughters
in-law made the White House CAV in
his time, and Miss Harriet Lane, who
dld the hcnors of the White House for
her uncle President Buchanan, is still
remembered in Washington by hosts
OF friends whom she entertained. Miss
Elizabeth Cleveland presided over her
brothers household at the executive
mansion until Miss Frances Folsom be-
came the Presidents bride, and the
only lady who was ever married to a
President in the White House. The
wives of all the other Presidents have
enjoyed the triumphs and troubles
which attend what is called the "frst
lady of the land" nobody having dis
covered the second lady. 1t is said
General Jackson's wife died of excite
ment at his election to the Presidency,
and she never entered the White
House. On the other hand Mrs. Mil
lard Fillmore, having spent nearly
three years as the hOnored lady of the
White House, died few days after she
left it.
The first funeral that ever came
from the White House portals was
that of General William Henry Harri-
son, who served his country one month
as President. The Presidents mansion
witnessed the funerals OF Abel P.
Upshur, Secretary of State, and Thomas
W. Gilmer, Secretary of the Navy,
both killed by the explosion of great
gun on the United States Steamer
Princeton, in 1874. General Zachary
Taylor President of the United States,
was also buried from the White House.
President Lincoln's funeral also came
forth from the same portals. Presi-
dent Garfield was brought forth on
mems shoulders to die at ElberOn by
the seaside, and later the victims of
the burning of the mansion of Secre-
tary Tracy were laid in state in the
East Room and their funeral took
place from the Presidents house.