The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-03-30
PRESIDENTS WIVES.
Influence and Character OF
Women Who Have GraCed
the White House.
WILL HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF?
In Days of Yore, Although Hating
1t, Women succumbed TO the
Crinoline Skirt.
I'LL HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF?

AS a rule the Presidents were not
fortunate in their wives as the first
lady of the land. Lady Washington,
as she was called, was a colonial
dame, exceedingly formal, not easy OF
access, an aristocrat by nature, a
republican by necessity. Mrs.
Abigail Adams was something of a
blue stocking and a good deal OF a
politician. "Dolly" Madison was
Mrs. Adams opposite in many re
~spects-very gay, a charming hostess,
a born leader. The only White House
wife since Dolly's day at all sugges-
tive of her is Mrs. Cleveland. These
were the notable Presidents
wives, with n addition, the
most notable of all-Mrs.
Louisa Catherine. Adams. She
a unlike Mrs. Washington, free
from the cold and formal Of
colonial aristocrat. She was not at
once a pedant and Il politician like
Abigail Adams. She had more refine
ment, and was less a b tterhy than
Mrs. Madison. She had as much
domesticity as Mrs. Monroe, Mrs. Polk,
Mrs. Fillmore, Mrs. Pierce. Mrs.
Grant. Mrs. Hayes and Mrs Benjamin
Harrison. and was more amenable to
society. Mrs. Jefferson, Mrs. Jackson,
Mrs. Van Buren, and Mrs. Arthur died
before their husbands entered the
White House, and Mrs. General Harri-
son was unable to reach Washington in
time to become a lady of the White
House. The first Mrs. Tyler was an
invalid, and the second entered the
White House too late. Mrs. Taylor,
plying her knitting needles and slnok-
ing her pipe; Mrs. Lincoln, with her
eccentric ways. and Mrs. johnson, an
invalid, whom he had married when
he was a Greenville tailor. may be
called the ''plain bodies" of the White
House. 1t will thus be seen that OF
our twenty-three Presidents, severn
teen were husbands, foul widowers
and two bachelors. OF the two bache-
lcrs, one enters the White House to-
day as he left il four years ago, a
benedict.
During Mr.. Jefferson's two admin
istrations his daughter, Mrs. Martha
Jefferson Randolph, was occasionally
able to preside at the White House.
President Jackson's household was
presided over by Mrs. Emily Donel-
son. the wife of his nephew, Andrew
Jackson Donelson, assisted by Mrs.
Sarah Yorke jackson, the wife OF
Andrew Jackson. Jr., his adopted son.
President Van Buren, obtained the
services of his charming and accom-
plislled daughter-iu-law, Angelica
Tingleton Van Buren,. For a time
President Tylerwas similarlyfortunate
in the services of Virginia Cooper Ty-
Ter, the daughter of the celebrated
tragedian Cooper. Betty Taylor Bliss
proved herself something more than a
charming rustic belle at the head of
her fathers household. President
Johnson's daughter, Mrs. Patterson,
was an accomplished lady, and Mrs.
McIlroy made many friends in the
White House during the incumbency
of her brother. President Arthur.
President Buchanan brought to the
Executive Mansion his niece, the ia
NOUS and accomplished Harriet Lane.
and President Cleveland during his
b~achelorhood was served by his sister,
Miss Rose Elizabeth Cleveland.
The only wives of Presidents who
have died in the White House were
Mrs. Letitia Christian Tyler, 1642, and
Mrs. Benjamin Harrison, 1692.-Ne00-
ark Sunday Cal.