The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1897-03-19
bull ARP'S WEEKLY LETTER.
BARrOW's SAGE RECOUNIs SOME
PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY.
STORY OF JECESOGS MARRIAGE
scif-Madc chief Executives College ia
ucntion aud Athletic Games al school
Touched Upon.

Touched Upon
Two weeEs ngo Tho Evening Constitution,
lu lis weekly symposium. asked which one
of the UrH. Iduuta was married twice tO tho
Same woman. The answer was given ths
succeeding week. AND since then have rr-
eciycd uuumbgr of letters wanting Co know
why.
Doubtless there are great many moro
who hive not access Co any biography of
Andrew Jackson. and would Ike tO know
why he was twice married 90 his only wife,
And s0 for the diffusion Of knowledge it
is @ good time 20 Tell these lnquirgr tho
romance of that marriage. for with most
men and women marriage is tho most im-
p0rtant event of their life.
Rachel D0nels0n was q beautiful, sprght-
ly and Interesting grl-tho best horse
woman and the best dancer On AN the cOuu-
try. She married Captain R0hards, who
proved 90 be tyruuuieul and jealous hus-
band He took her 20 Kentucky 30 live
with his mother but soon after, IN a mo Of
Jealous rage. sent her back 90 Nashville.
Her mother, who was a widow, was keep
ing a boarding house, and among her pht-
rOus were General Jackson and Judge Ov-
crt0n, both of them heightened, honorable
gentlemen. Indeed the general was noted
for his purity OF character, his homage and
chiyalrous respect for woman. When Cap
tain Richards came there TO make recon-
ciliution with his wife, he took oiIcnse at
JacksOu's UOlitpuces 70 her lie and Jack
son had hot words and further trouble was
feared. Jackson changed his boarding
house and Richards went back 90 Kentucky
and threatened 20 return and haunt bi- wife
and make her life miserable. TO escape hts
prosecutions she removed 90 Natchez, where
I she had friends and relatives. I'm the meau-
| time Richards applied 90 the Legislature Of
kentucky for leave 10 sue for divorce, for
that was then the law. Leave 10 sue was
granted 10 him, and it was generally sup
posed that DE had sued in Kentucky and
| had obtained a divorce. Acting on this be-
| lief Jackson went to Aatchez and married
| her
For two years they lived together IN Nash
willie as man and wife when to their great
surprise It was discovered that ROhards did
| not secure his divorce until a year after her
second marriage. So Jackson procured an
! other license and was married TO hera second
| time. For forty years they enjoyed an hon
| orable and happy wedlock. His devotion to
! her was intense and his pistol was ever
| ready TO avenge her fair name from scandal.
| He had many political enemies, but he
| taught them early that not even whisper to
! her prejudice would be allowed. Rachel
] DonelsOn was a true and noble woman.
! IL is a singular fact that FIVE of the first
| thirteen presidents married widows. Wash
] ingtOn set the example and was followed by
! Jefferson. Madison and Fillmore. The last
! named was married twice and so was
! John Tyler. Andrew Johnson's wife taught
| him to write after they were married.
! His humble origin and vocation and his
rise to the highest Office have long been
cited to illustrate the difference between q
| republican and a mOnarchical government,
! but he was not the only president whose
youth was marked by toll and ignorance.
| Fillmore was apprenticed to a wool carder
| when he was fourteen years of age and was
| bound to the trade for seven years. When
he was nineteen he bought his unscrved
time and bought a dictionary He could
read and write a little, but had not had ac-
cess to any books for his father had none
save Bible and a hymn book. He had never
seen a map of the United States nor a COPY
| of Robinson Cruso. 1t was like being born
| again for young man of nineteen to begin
| to acquire the rudimcnts Of an education.
But he did it and climbed slowly, but surely,
| upward until he reached the top of the lad
! der. He made n better man than Andrew
! Johnson and was far more digniAed and
| happier in his office. Fillmore became pres
ident because he was worthy of It, Johnson
was rolled into the office by the tidal wave
of the civil war. But they were selC-made
men.
Garfield was known as the teacher prosi-
dent, but John Adams and Arthur also taught
school. Eight of the earlier presidents had
no collegiate education but this is no argu-
ment against the great advantage that
such an education gives. College edu-
cation is a great comfort, Independent Of its
being a help to progress and advancement
in science and art. The limited knowledge
l acquired in three years course could
not be bought with money. 1t furnished
the tools of my trade
There is positive comfort in knowing the
origin Of English words-the old ones and
the new ones that are being continually
coined to keep up with science and dis
cOvery. 1t is a comfort to know how to
measure the distances of the sun and moon
and stars and to calculate eclipses and why
the little honey bee builds the cells in the
honey comb in heXagon shape and the laws
Of light and gravity. 1t is a comfort to an
old man to be looked up to by his children
and grandchildren as the pupils did to the
schoolmaster in Goldsmith school
'And still they gazed and still the wonder
grew
That one small head could carry all it
knew"
The danger of college life is, however very
great, and no boy should be sent there lust
for the fun or the name or the polish of it.
The athletic sport of 1t seems nowadays to
be prominent feature Of college education.
My ideas about that may be preiudices but
II so they are so strong and | am so antique
that l cannot change them. / have no more
boys to educate and they who have must
take their own responsibility, but feel as
helpless as discouraged when l read the
programmes of the matched games that are
already arranged for the coming summer
among the colleges. / can do nothing but
co 10 hoa1 To- ba.
ceed.-BILL ARP, in Atlanta Constitution.
One Of the latest uses Of the ROentSen