The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-09
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.

AS is well known, Mrs. McKinley's
two children, both daughters, died in
infancy. Were the younger one living,
she would be % years old, the age at
which Miss Betty" the third daugh-
ter of General Taylor, began her bril-
liam but brief career as mistress of the
White House. Ever since the birth of
this younger child Mrs. Mckinley has
been in poor health, and the history of
the executive mansion furnishes no
precedent of one physically frail dis
charging the public functions that de-
volve upon the wife of the president.
Mrs. Cleveland, through seven years of
her husbands two administrations.
readily met every demand made upon
her by private socials and public levees,
though Mrs. Harrison, after three years
of unremitting industry, supplemented
by disease, became an invalid, and died
in the White House of tubercular con-
sumption. While Mrs. Benjamin Har-
rison died in Washington during her
husbands official term, Mrs. William
Henry Harrison did not reach there at
all, and is the only wife of a president
who never went into the White House.
Her delicate health prevented her
crossing the country with the general
on his way to Washington, in February,
1S41, and his death, we know swiftly
followed after his Inauguration.
Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Fillmore, both
of whom were physically infirm, as is
Mrs. Mckinley, were represented by
their daughters. So was Mrs. Taylor,
who had an aversion to appearing in
public, and John Tyler, whose wife had
lately died, put forward his daughter
in-law, who had been an actress. Three
of these were e-presidents, and it
will be noticed that no wife of vice.
president who succeeded to the presi-
deney ever acted in the capacity of
mistress of the White House, except
Tylers second wife, and she for but a
short time. Mrs. johnson was con-
firmed invalid, and never appeared in
society in Washington. She had two
daughters, Mrs. Senator Patterson and
Mrs. Slower. Mrs. Patterson was eX-
ceptionally devoted to the interests of
her father She more heartily appre-
ciated his efforts than the other chill
dren, and he in return gave her the
most attention. So when he became
president Mrs. Patterson very natur-
ally took the place of Mrs, Lincoln.
And though but a plain woman from
the mountains of Tennessee, she was
not altogether unacquainted with the
duties of the first lady" She was a
school girl in Georgetown when Polk
was president, and became his frequent
guest, spending most of her holidays
in the executive mansion. After she
became it's mistress she labored more
industriously possibly in it's transfor-
nation than did Mrs. Harrison. The
soldiers had left it in rather a sorry
plight. Mrs. Patterson is the first in
stance of the wife of a senator and a
daughter of a president presiding over
the, White House. Jefferson's second
daughter, Mrs. Eppes, held a similar
position, but she never was in charge
of the mansion, and was but once a
visitor there during her short life af-
ter her fathers election. Mrs. Patterson,
it is said, was simple and very elegant
in dress, and a most industrious wo-
man, but with no taste whatever for
art or literature.
Abigail Fillmore was altogether diff
ferent from Mrs. Patterson. She was
proficient in the French, Italian, Ger
man and Spanish languages, and was
progressing rapidly in sculpture when
she died at %. The recent death of q
sister together with impaired health,
prevented Mrs. Fillmore from entering
into the gayeties of social life in
Washington, and the duties, therefore,
that devolved upon her as the wife
of the president We're left almost en-
tirely to her daughter. Abigail was
but a girl, fresh from school, and was
the youngest mistress the White house
ever had. This distinction had pre-
Viously belonger to her immediate pre-
decessor, Mrs. Bliss, better known as
Miss Betty" General Taylor's young
est daughter, who assumed her duties
as hostess at the precise age that
marks Abigail Fillmore's death. Abb
gail was an energetic and highly-cul-
tiyated young lady. She had perfect
ed herself in languages and music af-
ter her fathers accession to the pres
idency, and in the leisure moments of
life largely devoted to society. Her
devotion to sculpture grew out of an
association with Harriet Hosmer, who
was her schoolmate. Death had made
1t possible for Fillmore to be president,
and followed swiftly upon his retire
ment He had been out of tire White
house but twenty-siX days when his
wife died at Wizards hotel, in Wash
ington, and his only daughter, his be-
lcNeu ADlSdll, SuTNlNeu HeF mOtner
hut a short time, dying of cholera
soon after the family's return to Buff
falo. Mrs. Fillmores early advantages
had been greatly superior to those of
her husband which were poor, indeed,
and through his rising fortunes had
been his nearest friend and counselor.
She was born with the century, and
lived three years past its meridian,
dying at twice the age Of her daugh-
ter, less one year.
General Taylor was in the presiden-
tial office but fourteen months, and
during this short incumbency the hos
pitalities at the White house were
much curtailed. Mrs. Taylor from
disinclipation, refused to accept the
responsibilities of hostess, and trans
ferred them to her daughter, Elizabeth,
Miss Betty" who, as the youngest
daughter of any president who had
honored the receptions with her pres
ence. and quite a pretty one, too, was
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