The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-09

and this fact probably eadeGred her more
TO the country. She died = year after her
father retired TO private life, and her delth
at the age OF D, was a great shock 70 the
nation.
Death deprived President Pierce Of his
only child, q bright boy OF Is. just on the
Threshold Of the executive mansion and
in manner SO shocking that the entire na-
tion joined in his grief, though Mr.. Pierce
had not as yet assumed his high Office az he
time. On Jan. 5, two months before the
inauguration, the President-elect was rid
ing with lis wife and son on the Boston and
Maine railroad. They we're bound
| from Boston to Concord, and
while the train was travelling at a
high rate of speed, midway between the
stations Of Andover and Lawrence, an axle
broke under their car, and the vehicle,
crowded with passengers, was preci pitsted
down a steep embankment. Just a mo-
ment before the accident young Pierce had
been sitting in front Of his parents laughing
and chatting away in the most light-hearted
manner. When the crash came he had
changed to a seat across the aisle, and
after the wreckage was partially removed
the boy was found pinned 70 his seat, his
skull crushed under number Of heavy tim
bers. Mr.. Pierce himself was slightly
bruised, but he managed TO crawl out Of the
wreck and carry his wife. who was lying
beside him unconsci 0us, TO a place of safety,
he returned TO rescue his son, only TO find
him dead. His grief was profound. and the
sad event ovsrshadowed the Inauguration
ceremonies, which occurred a short time
afterwsrd.
s Anecdotes without end are still related Of
Harriet Lane, the niece and adopted
daughter Of President Buchanan, who
reigned supreme in the white house during
the term of that famous gentleman
Buchanan was exceedingly fond OF this
daughter OF his dead sister, and no parent
could have been fonder of a child Of his
own flesh and blood.
At l6 she was already well known in
Washington, where her uncle was the sec
rotary of state, and when few years later
she came to the capital as the first lady in
the land she trod on very familiar ground.
She was a very handsome girl, blonde,
with a figure like Juno; deep violet ewes,
hair Of a rich golden lustre. During her
reign the prince OF Wales paid his cele-
br9ted visit to this country, and from all ac-
counts he WAS smitten. like all the others,
with the beauty and grace Of his hostess
during his stay in Washington. Upon his
return to England, both the prince and his
mother testified In the warmest manner to
tho graciousness of the Presidents niece.
In 1866 Miss Lane married Henry Elliott
johnson of Baltimore and went to live in one
OF the most beautiful houses in the Maryland
capital. On MIR. Buchanan's death he be-
qusathed to her his fine estate, Wheatlaud,
aud here Mr.. and Mrs. Johnson always
spend the summer months.
| When Lincoln was first indicted into
Office Tad" was between 4 and years old,
and to the end he was one of the brightest
and most lovable youngsters that was ever
born. He was the pet of President Lincoln
and his invariable companion both at home
and abroad. Morning, noon and night
the little fellow could generally be
| LIZ -.
he greatly resembled in personal appear
ance, and he was frequently present
when matters OF the greatest Importance
were under discussion between the execu-
tive and his chief lieutenants On his visit
to the army in Virginia Mr.. Lincoln always
took Tad" along, and the little fellow was
as familiar with camp life as though he had
been drummer boy. This constant COM
partnership would In itself have been sufii-
Gent to make the lad subject of national
, interest, but because of quaint habit the
| President had of using Tad to illustrat "a
many Of his famous s,ories this prominence
|, became even more intensified, until this
boys name and face became as familiar t.
, the cou ntry as his father'seven.
1 | But all this fame, which might have served
to spoil many less well-grounded boy, only
served, apparently. to sweeten Tad's dis
/ position, and there is no incident on record
where he took advantage of his position
1
tiers, he was a modest and unassuming child
+ A good illustration of this is furnished by
II scrap of yellow paper which is in the pos
a session Of an old Brooklyn carpenter. Thi
carpenter was employed about the whit
a HOUSE making repairs, and Tad, who had
: brand-new knife, coveted the fine soft pin
in which the man of the pine and chise
:. worked. As usual he oonfded his longin
q to to his parent, and the result was tina
a. the carpenter received the scrap of pape
d which he values so highly, 1t was born
"a by Tad himself, and read:
"A Please let Tad have piece of board if 20
!; OF course the white house pet got tn
= finest, softest stick that the carpenter ooul
40 fnd.
!; When the President was shot poor littl
- Tadis grief was terrible Co witness. He re
= NAMED inconsolable for days, until one c
>, the ladies who was much about the famil
"a at this time succeeded in convincing hin
a that his father was in heaven and cuuch De
" ter Off than he had been on this trouble
ID EARTH This idea relieved the child in
"a mensely, and he conceived the pretty in
~ preston that his fathers happiness and COZ
~ tentnent above made the sun shine
- brightly at times, while cloudy days wei
- caused by some temporary trouble whic
W had come to the dead President in the spir
~ land
70 Tad died at the family home in Sprini
4, field nine years after his father was assass
- mated and he lies buried beside the martyre
= hero in the pretty cemetery at Springfield
- There were five children in the executiy
y. mansion during President Johnson's regim
- and, thanks to their presence, the viii
70 house was a merry place, despite the tronbl
> some times that beset the chief maRistrat
q All five were Mr.. Johnson's grandchildren
20 two belonging to his daughter. Mrs. Martl
AZ Patterson, wife of the Tennessee senate
=. and the other three to his 9th
so daughter, Mrs. Mary Slower. Nh,
90 OF the social life OF tho white hou
% conferred about these children, and f
~ the first time in the country's histoI
% formal "children's parties" were given
y, the nations home. to which all the litt
al people of Washington VINO could make an
81 sort of appearance at ell we're welcom
~ Belle Patterson was the oldest of the fl
~ gradchild en- and generally figured as tt
-, lesder of the interesting group. When th
y family left the white house they returne
-. to their old Tennessee home, where the Ii
tie ones grew up to manhood and woma
10 hood, after marrying and settling down
80 a quiet life, in which the gay times at t.
~ capital seemed almost like dream, thoue
~, a very brilliant one.
'AA Gen. Grant brought with him to Was
80 iugton a national baby in the person Of
- only daughter, Nellie, who became gener
~ object of Affection aG once. At the time