Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-10-27
MRS. HARRISON DEAD.
The Wife of the Presid ent Passes Away
After Long Illness.

The Wife of the President Passes Away
After Long Illness.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct. 25.-Mrs.
Harrison died at 40 A. NJ.
For the second time in the his
tory of the White House, Presidents
wife has died within its walls. Mrs.
Harrison met death with the patience
and resignation Of a devout Christian.
Mrs. Harrison was the daughter of DR..
John W. Scott who was president of an
academy for young ladies in Oxford, o.,
while young BENJAMIN Harrison was a
student OF Miami University in the same
town. Harrison at this time was little
more than a boy, and although noted for
his StudiOu>nesS and regularity of habits,
he was anything but an ascetic, and was
diligent in his attentions to the young
ladies, and particularly to Miss Caroline
w. Scott, the daughter OF the president of
the academy. Attractive in person, witty,
and intelligent, and although but q girl
Womanly in thought and sentiment, she
soon became endowed in the mind of
young Harrison with all the quail
ties that comprised his ideal OF
a perfect helpmate. His admiration
rocated. They became engaged, and from
then on young Harrison gave up all atten
tions to the fair scholars of DR.. SCOTS
academy and became more than ever a
slave to his books. Soon after he gradu-
ated and babe good-by to his affiahced, but
not for long.
a A little more than year afterwards he
returned to Oxford and was married to
Miss Scott October 20. 1858. He was then
but little over 20 years of age and his wife
was SJill younger. LII the early days OF
Gen. Harrison career at the bar his wife
oS% l,,n In 70 md no
has often said that she was ''half his capt.
TALL She did her own cooking and house
work and aided her husband in many
ways.
After eight years of happy married life
Fort Sumter was fired on, and then life
for the young couple began in dreadful
earnest. The husband went to the front
as colonel of an Indiana regiment, while
the wife renamed behind, Keeping house
alone with her two children. Only once
did the husband return home on brief
leave of absence. On this occasion he found
his son very III with typhoid fever.
but the crisis Of the disease had not been
reached when his furlough expired, and
he was forced to leave his wife alone to
watch the outcome of the battle between
life and death. Twice she went with
her children to the front to see their
father. When Sherman,s army left Nash
vile for Atlanta, Gen. Harrison marched
at the head of his brigade, while the wife
and children returned to the lonely home
in Indianapolis.
The war over, and with Gen. HarrisOn's
rise in the political world and increasing
prosperity in his profession the home life
of the Harrisons became more pre-
tentious, but none the less happy one.
The Harrison home was long one OF the
centerS of the social world of Indianapolis.
The son and daughter, before they mar
ried, often entertained their friends, and
many receptions were given there. After
the children married and left home the
hospitality of the household was frequent
Iy exhibited in little dinner parties, among
the guests being, as rule, the law part
ners of the General. The dinner was
usually an unpretentiOus affair without
wine and the evening was passed IN con-
versatiOn.
Mrs. Harrison was always an early riser,
and managed the affairs of her household
very carefully. leaving little to her serv
ants. Three times a week she made an
early morning visit TO market: W hen Rus,
sell Harrison and Mrs. Mckee visited
home their children claimed much OF the
grandmother's attention. She bathed them
each morning. and played with them all
through the day when there was not some
thing else TO lmperaUively CLAIM her atten-
ton.
Mrs. Harrison was an accomplished Wom-
an in more ways than one, and ever SINCE
art. She essayed Oil painting for time,
often with considerable success, and later
she tried water colorS. and many OF the
paintings which decorate the Indianapolis
home reflect great credit upon her. She
always made it practice to see each visit
or who called upon her. and was never
known to show irritation or annoyance
She was always fashionable dresser, but
never adopted the extremes IN anything.
Mrs. Harrison was woman OF culture
and refinement, whose mental endoWments
onlv added grace to her gentle and loving
disposition. She made nome sacreo anu
happy, and through the long years OF mar
riage she proved herself not only bless
ing but of invaluable assistance to her hus.
band WOmanly, mOtherly and kind, all
who approached her felt the tender intiu-
ence of her nature. Dignlfied. but unas-
suming, she was as courteous to the num-
blest as to the highest. High station could
not change the kindly heart OF the girllsh
bride of Oxford, and there was as much
bride in her humble homes in ONO and
Indiana as there was IN the White House.
Mrs. Harrison's illness dated back to
1890, when she was prorsrated by So an nat az
fully recovered. Last year the summer
months were spent at Cape May,
and the invalid seemed to improve
considerably, so much so, in tact,
that she resumed her duties as
hostess at the w nlte ROUSE uuiAHS VIC
winters social season. Early in the
spring of this year a hacking cough gave
the members of the Presidents family con.
siderable uneaslness, but the mistress OF
the White House did not consider it any
more than severe cold, from which she
would soon recover. This was in Feb
ruary, but it did not get better as the sea-
son advanced, and a removal to the
Adirondack Mountains was suggested by
the physician, Dr. Gardner: Loon Lake,
a pretty summer resort in the Empire
state was chosen as the resting-place
for the patient. and here Mrs.
Harrison remained until TIE encamp-
ment week OF the Grand Army
of the Republic at the national
capital. Early in the morning OF oeptem,
her % sorrowful cortege slowly wendell
its way up the private road leading to the
executive mansion, and from comforta.
bly, arranged ambulance the. President OF
the United States and his sick wife were
~, hi