Omaha daily bee., 1896-07-05

himself an occupant of the white house
Many of the cabinet officers, whose wives
refused to visit Mrs. Eaton, were forced 10
resign, and thus the whole government was
upset by this modern HelenI F1haiiy, Eatoh
was sent as governor-to- Florida, and later
on he was made minister to Spain,
While in Spain Mrs. Eaton became a
warm friend of the Queen Christina, the
latter royal lady delighting in the beauty
of the two daughters of Timberlake, VINO
accompanied their mother abroad. Virginia
was a blonde, and one OF such rare loVeii.
ness that all who her race SUN
rave over it's exquisite delicacy and soft
ness of coloring. Being highly accomplished,
the girls soon became much admired, and
the stay of General Eaton abroad was a
social triumph for his wife, who had been
so snubbed in her own home.
In the meantime the old tavern had been
sold in 1923. O'Neill failing in business,
most of the property passed into the hands
of General Eaton, who sold the larger part
of the estate in that year to Mr.. Gadsby.
Mrs. Eaton retained some of the interest In
the property, and when she returned to
Washington at the end of her husband s
foreign mission she took up her residence
in what is now No. 2007, this being one Of
the houses owned by her family. The house
is still standing today, though newly
painted.
After the return of the Eatons to America
they lived for a while at the capital, and 1t
was here that General Eaton died, leaving
| his wife quite well off in the goods OF this
world. One of the Timberlake girls, Mar
| garet, had married a Mr.. Randolph OF Viz
| ginia. and her early death left Mrs. Eaton
with several grandchildren 10 claih' hei
care. ,
The next daughter, Virginia, was married
to the Duke de Sampoyo. who was a member
| of the famous French family, and the child
] of this union, a daughter, was wedded TO
one of the noted Rothschilds, the family
| ,ubnca wealth 10 in the untold Millions.
While her grandchildren were living at
her homo Mrs. Eaton sent them TO dancing
| school to an Italian master. who was ABOUT
20 and whose name was Buchignani' ohe
day the young man visited the house, ana II
seems that the elderly lady was at once
smitten with his charms, for in a short
while it was announced that she was To
marry him.
The wedding took place, though the bride
was SO and old enough to be the grand
mother Of the man whom she selected to be
her husband. For some years all went wen
when in selling off a part OF the block "hlcI
had composed her property the young ltal'
ian took several thousand dollars and elopeo
with one of the grandchildren OF mis- wire
the pair making their home In Canada
Mrs. Buchignani was now in a state OF dls
tress. her husband having made away witt
her money, which reduced her to poverty
For the sake of her grandchildren she Sc
cured a divorce from the Italian, but me-
life was now on the daWnWaru pain Al
most in want, she took a simple hall room
in a poor part of the city, and she who hac
been the most beautiful and eeurted woman
in the most brilliant of foreign courts, WHIT
had broken up the cabinet Off nation, an'
made and marred the fortunes or the states
men of the young republic, died in poyert!
in the humblest of lodgingshin the city II
which she had scored her triumphs.
The property, or most oft, which wa
purchased by Mr.. Gadsby,, Is still in the fam
lily, one of the daughters, having married
gentleman named McBlaF Mrs. McBlai
who is an old lady of strihinsly fhndsom
appearance, still lives in the house whicl
was once a part of the OHNefR~' estate, and II
her family are still preserved the silye
and china used by Mr.. GadsbX when he en-
tertained General Lafayette during the visi
OF the latter to America, Probably no hous
in Washington ever saw famou
people or such strange events as thos
which grew from the bewitching beauty @
the lovely Peggy o'Neill.