The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-07-11

l house, anu Only Two OF Tnem nave nat
HappyLive<-And One, Esther Cleveland
Is Still a Baby-One OF Them is Now
| Few Days Ago In Poverty-The Silver
Spoons Did not Endure Long, but yer,
| Taken Out of Their Mouths Very Soon.
| Washington, July 10-It must be con.
| fessed that when Washington read the
| announcement in the morning papers
of the arrival Of a third daughter tC
Mr.. and Mrs. Grover Cleveland there
was general feeling of disappoint.
ment, not to say regret. that the new
conner was not a boy. The coming OF
a baby in the presidential family has
naturally caused good deal of gossip
at the capital, and there seems to be
q feeling a sorrow that the little one
| like her sister, Esther, did not first see
| the light Of day in the historic White
House. History, however, shows that
| the majority of the children born in
the White House have hard lots, and
| their lives have been anything but
pleasant. Since the presidents have
used the White House as a mansion
| six children have been born there
Three of them still live, two enjoying
every luxury of life, while the third is
! working in her old age at a desk in
the treasury department, happy, al
though not favored by fortune as the
| others. OF the other three two died
in early life, and the third ended his
! existence not many weeks ago in Wash
ington by almost starving to death, be-
cause the Democratic administration
had turned him out of his little office
held under the government. The two
children who are living in pleasant
lines are Julia Dent Grant, daughter
of Colonel Fred D. Grant, and Esther
Cleveland, sister Of the little one who
is now attracting attention.
1t was in 1880. when President Jack
son occupied the White House, that
the first child was born in the execu-
tive mansion. She was the daughter
of President Jackson'S niece and his
private secretary, Andrew Jackson
Donaldson. The mother of the little
girl had come to the White House to
preside as its mistress and help her
uncle, although she was but twenty
years Of age. There was a great oc-
casiOn when the baby was christened,
and the event took place in the big
east room and President Jackson made
it a gala time, for he loved children,
although he never had any of his own.
Miss Donaldson grew up and married
General Wilcox of Mississippi, but he
died some thirty years ago and his
widow during the war lost all her
money and property, and when Gener-
al Grant was president he gave her an
appointment as a clerk in the treasury
and she still holds that place She is
now gray-haired, dignified and sweet
I'm her old age, but still working for her
daily bread. Her desk is near a Win
dow overlooking the White House
grounds, and daily she can see the big
white building where she was born and
watch the many changes that yearly
take place there. Mrs. Wilcox hates
mates know her history.
The second and third White House
babies were brother and sister to Mrs.
Wilcox, both being the children of Pres
1dent JackSon's neice. They were nom
ed John Samuel Donaldson and Rachel
jackson Donaldson, the latter named
after the presidents dead wife. Both
of these children died while young. The
fourth child to be born in the White
House was born to adversely and sor-
row. 1t was a boy, and the grandson
of President Tyler. This baby was
named Robert Tyler Jones, and his
mother was Mary Tyler. who married
Captain Jones a South Carolinan.
When young Jones grew up he went TO
the war on the wrong side and came
back to Washington a few years after
peace was declared, shattered in health
and property. He found his old uncle,
a son of President Tyler, a petty clerk
in the treasury department and soon
after, when the old man was paralyzed.
Robert Tyler Jones. the nephew, took
his place as substitute and the two
lived upon the meager salary. When
the Democrats came into office in 1898,
with their rapociouS desire to find Of
flee for active heelers this fourth White
House baby, although i'll and heartily
able to support himself on his trifiing
salary, was ruthlessy turned out of Of
flee and some southern Democrat was
given his place. This occurred about a
year ago and for many months the
poor old man, who had been born and
cherished in the White House. lived in
a garnet, barely able to keep life in his
body. A few weeks ago someone call
ed attention to his condition and beg
ged that a place be given him by the
administration. Postmaster General
Wilson's heart was touched by the ap-
peal and he appointed Robert Tyler
Jones laborer in the postoffice depart
ment. The day after the appointment
was made the poor. weakened man
went to the great stone building and
found that he had TO lift heavy sacks
and mail bags. while stronger men
stood by and ordered him about. He
worked only one day and then sick,
faint and nearly dead, he crawled to
his miserable attic and died.
The fifth White House baby was born
there during General Grants term and,
as stated, is the daughter of Colonel
Fred d. Grant, and is now known 10
the world as Julia Dent Grant Little
Miss Grant was christened in the Blue
Room. while other We're baptized in the
big east room.
The sixth baby born in the executive
mansion was Esther Cleveland. who
came into the world on September Q,
1898. Esther Cleveland enjoys the dis
tinctive honor OF being the first child
born in the executive mansion TO a
president OF the United States during
his term of Office. The first Cleveland
child. Ruth, was born on Fifty-third
street, New York. on October 5. 1891.
after the president had left the White
House for the first time. The ladies
Of the cabinet were very anxious that
Mrs. Cleveland should remain in Wash
ington for this important event. and
for a time IL was thought that Mrs.
Cleveland would stay at the summer
cottage on the Tenallytown road for
June ana come 10 the W hite House at
this time. But the weather grew 50
hot IN May that il das deemed advis-
able 70 proceed AZ once to Gray Gables.
and that was done. Before leaving
Washington. however. Mrs. Cleveland
had fully prepared for the event and a
was ordered for weeks a
the country home preparing the outfit
for the little one. Mrs. Cleveland in
sists upon having all her babies cloth
es made in the house and not bought
ready made, and hence each child has
had a complete outfit OF nursery lin
gerie.