The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-15
WHITE HOUSE BABIES
PAST AND PRESENT CHILDREN WHO
WERE BORN THERE.

House Babies-The Lines Of the Majority
Of Them Have Not Been Hsppy-Three
Died In Ahject Poverty.
It was afternoon. I was walking
slowly along one side of Lafayette
square. wondering why Jackson's statue
was given the center, while Lafayette,
the "rightful heir" was driven with
his statue into far and grudging corner
Of the plot. The grind Of wheels at
tracted my attention. 1t was the White
House carriage just turning out OF the
grounds.
Within were Mrs. Cleveland and the
two older children, Ruth and Esther.
Mrs Cleveland looked bit worn. She
is growing very heavy these days-the
scales say 1876 pounds.
AS glanced at the White House party
in the carriage noted that the two ba-
bies looked hale and well. Why doesn't
one see pictures Of the White House
babies scattered through the land?
Cleveland won't allow any to get out.
A picture of Baby Ruth or Baby Esther
would be as hard to find as King Solo,
mons mine and be almost as valuable.
The president is opposed to scattering
the likenesses Of his near and dear ones
abroad in the general land.
Speaking Of babies born in the White
House. Baby Esther was the last The
first White House baby was also a girl
and made her debut during the faraway
reign of Jackson, back in 1880. There
was the space of G3 years between the
first and the last White House baby.
Who was the first? She was the daugh-
ter of President Jackson's niece, who
was the wife of Andrew jackson DON
aldson.
This frst White House baby, Baby
Donaldson, grew up and married Mis-.
sissippi gentleman-oncea congressman
named Wilcox. General Wilcox has
now been dead full 80 years, and Mrs.
Wilcox, who was the first to try the
White House as place wherein to be
born, has since Grants time been a
clerk in the treasury department
Jackson's administration produced
two more White House babies, both
Donaldsons, both children of his niece.
The second and the third White House
babies were, respectively, John Samuel
Donaldson and Rachel jackson Donald
son-the latter named after the presi-
dents dead wife, for whom to the day
of his own taking off the stern jackson
mourned like lover.
The world waited until President Ty-
ler's time for the next White House ba-
by to be born there. This baby was Rob-
ert Tyler Jones, the child Of President
Tyler's daughter Mary, whose husband,
Captain Jones, was South Carolinian.
This, the fourth White House baby
practically the second, for the two DON
aldson babies, the second and third of
the line Of White House babies, died
long years ago as children-grew up to
be soldier of the Confederacy. He
served as captain in Armisteed's brigade
and was wounded several times. He is
dead now, and his grave is very new.
He passed away broken, shattered
man, in bitter poverty, only year ago.
Until Robert Tyler Jones was dis
missed the curious, searching the treas
ury, could find two White House babies
Mrs, Wilcox and Tyler Jones--earn-
ing their meager salaries at desks from
which they could overlook the great
house they were born in, not stones
throw away. But the great house had
changed hands many times since their
cradle days, and the new tenants were
cold strangers to them.
The fifth baby was Julia Dent Grant,
daughter of Colonel Fred Grant, who
was born there while her grandfather,
the silent Grant, was president. There
is nothing to remark about the fifth
White House baby, beyond the fact that
che was christened in the blue room,
whereas the Jackson babies had been
christened in the east room. Old Hick.
ory loved children almost as we'll as he
hated the British. There cannot be too
many children" said Jackson-and
never had one himself.
The sixth White House baby, and the
last one-to date-was and is Baby
Esther. When she was born, her father
was entitled to remark that Of all the
chief magistrates since the dignifled
days Of Washington, in buckles and silk
hose, he, Cleveland, was the first to be-
come q parent during his term of Office.
Thus it will be observed the list of
genuine White House babies is but q
short one--only six in all, Baby Esther
the last Of the line. Three of the White
House babies are dead-iebe two Donald
son babies and Tyler Jones. who died in
the coils Of abjeot, savage want. OF the
others, the first, gray haired and old,
bends over her desk for the bread she
eats. The last baby has life all untried
before her. There is the record. Nor
would IL show that to be born a White
House baby is any absolute advantage.
The hovel baby may live to be wiser,
happier and better off.-Alfred Henry