Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-11-02
MRS. HARRISON DEAD.
The Wife of the Presid emit Passes Awa1
After q Long Illness.

and resignation Of q 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
student of Miami University in the same
town. Harrison at this time was little
more than a boy, and although noted for
his StudiOuSneSS and regularity of habits,
he was anything but an aScetic, and was
diIigent 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 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
was not misplaced, and his love was recip-
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 atfiahced, but
not for long.
A little more than year afterwards be
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 still younger. In the early days OF
Gen. HarriSon'S career at the bar his wife
was of the greatest help to him, and be
has often said that she was 'half his CAPT
tai" She did her own cooking and house
work and aided her husband in many
wayo.
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
din tho bnchand cptnTn homo a brief
leave of absence. On this occasion he found
his son very i'll 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
lite 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. HarriSons
else in the political world and increasing
prosperity in his profession, the home life
of tue HarriSOnS became more pre-
tentiOuS, but none the less a 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, ana
many receptions were given there. After
the children married and left home the
hospitality of the household was frequent
ly exhibited in little dinner parties, among
the guests being, as rule, the law part
ners of the General. The dinner was
usually an unpretentlOuS affair without
VINE, and the evening was passed IN con-
yerSation.
and managed the affairs Of her household
very carefully. leaving little to her serv-
ants Three times week she made an
early morning YlSlJtO market. When Rus
sell Harrison and Mrs. Mckee visited
home their children claimed much OF the
grandmOtherS attention. She bathed them
each morning. and played with them all
through the day when there was not some
thing else 10 lmperatiVely claim her atten-
ton.
Mrs. Harrison was an accomplished wom-
an in more ways than one, and ever since
her girIhOOd had taken warm interest III
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 q woman OF culture
and refinement, whose mental endOWmentS
only aQQoQ grace 10 Her SeIGi0 anu lOhIHS
disposition. She made home sacred and
happy, and through the long years OF mar
riage she proved herself not only bless
ing but of Invaluable assistance to her nus
band. WOmanly, mOtherly and kind, all
who approached her felt the tender ln1lu-
Stunning. she was as courteous to the hum
blest as to the highest. High station could
not change the kindly heart of the girlISh
bride of Oxford, and there was as much
pride in her humble homes in Ohio and
Indiana as there was IN the White House.
Mrs. Harrison's illness dated back to
1896, when she was prorsrated by an at
tack of the grippe. from which she never
fully recovered. Last year the summer
months were spent at Cape May,
and the invalid seemed to improve
considerably, so much so, in fact,
that she resumed her duties as
hostess at the White House during the
winters social season. Early In the
spring of this year 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 a 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 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 her here Mrs
ment week of the Grand Army
of the Republic at the national
capital. Early in the morning of Septem-
Der % a sorrowful cortege slowly wended
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
escorted into the White House.
twin
seemed to rally, but her stay at Loon Lake
had not been Of any material advantage,
as her physician unhesitatingly an
nounced. At that time he said it was only
a question of time ere the sufferer would
be released from the inroads which con-
sumption was making upon her c0nStltu-
ton, and the family were so informed.
Ever since that announcement the preSI-
Dental household has been waiting for
the dread summons, knowing that it was
a hopeless case. InfiltratiOn OF the right
lung rendered that organ useless and the
left lung was affected shortly after Loon
Lake was reached. No air could pass into
the diseased organ, which, as DR.. Gard
ner expressed it, lay like piece of