The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-28
ONCE THE WHITE HOUSE QUEEN.
andrew Johnson's Daughter Now
Lives in Greenvflie, Tenn.


A stranger who might chance to spend
a few hours in the town of G~reenville,
Tenn, would undoubtedly consider it a very
pretty, PLEASANT little mountain town, but he
would probably be surprised to learn that a
lady who was formerly mistress of the
White House was living in it.
If his attention was called to a low, slop-
lng-roofed, tWo-story brick house, the front
door of which opens directly out upon the
pavement of the street, he would consider
1t a neat, old-faslioned Southern residence,
but he would doubtless be astonished to
learn that it was formerly the family resi-
dence of Andrew Johnson, and that it's
present occupant is Mrs. Martha Johnson
Patterson. President Johnson's only sur
viving daughter.
Mrs. Patterson is a pleasant-faced, mild
hammered little lady, very slight in figure
and somewhat stopped, but with a great
deal of gentle dignity in her bearing. Her
parlor was formerly her fathers private
apartment, but the bed and other furniture
nlerous oil paintings OF her father, done by
the best artists of his tA3e, hang on the
upstairs is specially set apart for his Ii
~brary.
Mrs. Patterson was the Oldest child of
Andrew Johnson and Eliza McCofdle John
son, and was born October %. 1928. i'm Green
vile. Her father was at that time not
twenty years old. and was still working at
1857 to David Patterson, then a prominent
young lawyer of Greenville, afterward
mother was always an invalid. SO that after
her fathers accession to the presidency
Mrs. Patterson herself entered upon the dis
charge of her duties as first lady of the
land. 1t is a matter or history that while
in that position she took closer and more
immediate financial control of the White
House expenditures than any of her pre-
decessors had done. Naturally enough, with
the war just closing, and the awful tragedy
OF a presidential assassination just enacted,
she found the White House in such a state
of confusion and disorder as it had never
seen before and has never seen since.
When she left she ave to her successor
III ItSInlZeQ account OF every artiSiP be-
longing there, even down to the number
and kind Of the very napkins for the tables.
4 thought, Mrs. Patterson remarked to
me, in the pleasantest, most courteous of
tones, that as our country was impover-
duty to make the White House expenditures
as light as | possibly could Many of my
friends and many public officials advised
me to have the whole house refurnished
from beginning TO end, but L would not con-
sent to It.. In company with a kind govern
ment official / went through every room in
the house, had every carpet taken IN and
examined, and inspected every article of
furniture to see IL my country might not
pense. When my first official dinner was
given l inquired as TO what it would cost
that it could not possibly be- done for a. 1oea
than. $500. After it was over | examined ali
the bills, and found that the dinner could
be given just as sumptuously for only $3.50.
and afterward it cost the government ONLY
mat sum. / did this, not from any hope of
reward Tor myself, but simply that my coun-
try.s money might be saved.
What | pride myself in she continued.
is mat while was in the White House
black or white. who was in Washington
and sent me their card at any hour after Q
o'clock IN the morning on any day of the
week was allowed to see through the whole
house. Since then 1 have applied for adj
mission, and was informed that only the
East Room was open for inspection, except
on certain special uays."
Mrs. -Patterson's only daughter, Martha.
married a Mr.. Landstreet, of Maryland.
She was a beautiful and exceedingly lovabIe
woman, but died in California recently of
consumption, at the age of thirty-two. A
little daughter of hers. Martha Landstreet,
is now seven years old, and is the light of
Mrs. Patterson's home. She attends the
k1ndergarten at Greenville. and is a very
sweet and winsome little girl. Mrs. Patter-
son had two sons, the older of whom is now
DEAD The younger. Andrew Johnson Pat
terson, has recently been appointed to a
a consulship in South America.