The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-18
RULER OF THE WHITE HOUSE.

L s.
Those who know are prophesying
that the White House menage for the
next four years will be a curious one.
Mrs. Mckinley is not only the victim
of i'll health, but is totally unaccus-
toned to having demands made upon
her. Responsibilities are things she
has never shouldered in Canton. She
VIII not shoulder them in Washing
ton.
Upon whom, then, viii the burden of
the social situation fall? This is the
question which agitates Washington at
present, and there is growing belief
that those who answer Mrs. Heistind''
come near to guessing the cOnundrum.
Mrs HeiStind is not a relative of Mrs.
Mckinley, and since we choose our
friends, though we don't choose our re-
latiOns." the ultimate verdict upon the
Wife of Captain Heistind will pronounce
also upon the judgment of the wife of
the president. There are some who say,
however, that Mrs. Mckinley was not
an active factor in the McKinley-Heis-
tind friendship; that she merely sub
mitted more or less passively to an in
innate intercourse forced upon her by
the energetic, busting little army Of
ficer's wife whom she first met at a
hotel in Columbus, O. Be this as it
may, the intimacy is an established
one, and many we'll known Canton wO-
men who have been close friends of the
Mckinley household for years have
,
finding themselves quite pushed aside
and overlooked in favor of a woman
from goodness knows where
AS a matter of fact, Mrs. HeiStind
was born and brought up in a small
town and since her marriage has passed
most of her life at frontier army posts.
Her husband will be an attache of the
White House, but has had nothing at
all to do with his Wife'S present posi-
ton, due entirely to her own clever,
pushing methods, and partly, no doubt,
to the utter callOusnesS with which she
uses her sharp little elbows. Mrs.
Heistind is described as a short, plump
woman with keen black eyes, smoothly
brushed black hair, drawn back from
a square forehead, and abrupt, awk-
ward manners. She is the pOSSesSOr of
a remarkable gift, being able absolute
1y to hold her tongue, and her sphinx
like impenetrability has probably much
to do with her success. For some
months Mrs. Heistind has been entirely
at home in the Mckinley household,
running in and out at all hours with a
complete absence of ceremony, and fire.
quently stopping all night when Mrs
Mckinley happened to be suffering
more than usual She has indeed made
herself quite Indispensable to the invalid
lady, running errandS, packing trunks,
receiving newspaper representative
who, by the way, never got anything
out of her-and experimenting the re-
moVal to Washington. In scarlet
cape and far from smart black hat she
was perpetually in evidence during the
Mckinleys' last few days at Canton,
and was one of the most conspicuous
figures in the presidential party while
the inauguration ceremonies were in
progress and at the ball. Her gown
for the latter function was of gorgeous
brocade.
The McKinleys became acquainted
with Captain and Mrs. Heistind when
the president was governor of Ohio
The two families lived at the same no.
tel in Columbus. Mrs. Mckinley was
i'll and lonely. Her casual acQua1nt-
ance, Mrs. Heistind, soon began to play
the part of devoted friend. The init
macy was helped on by the facts that
Mrs. Mckinley is almost extravagantly
fond of children and that Mrs HE'S
tind has a charming little niece, Won
derfully bright and precoeious. This
child, who was stopping with her aunt
at the hotel during the Mckinley So
jOurn there, has a great gift of mimicry
and recites long and ambitious poems
in a manner quite amazing. Little
Mary KOlbe'S accomplishments were
used by her aunt for the entertainment
of the inValided wife of the governor
and the tiny performer became a great
favorite with Mrs. Mckinley, who aft
erward invited her to visit Canton.
Mary Kobe was one of the guests on
the train which bore the president to
Washington.
1t is apparent that Mrs. Heistind is
a clever woman. During last summer
and autumn she had sole charge of all
functions which took place at the Nc
Kinley mansion in Canton and it is con-
sidered highly probable that she will
run" the White House dinners, per-
hapS even decide on the guests and say
what style of dress they shall wear.
This prospect is understood to be far
from agreeable to the great ladies of
the new administration and interesting
developments are looked for There
may be organized opposition to the lit
tie, unknown western woman" who
doesn't know how to dress and habitu-
ally wears too many rings, and it is al
together likely that Mrs. Heistind's ex-
periences in Indian skirmiSheS will
stand her in good stead in Washington.