The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-14


instead of the smaller Red Room. which
other Presidents wives have made use OF
for similar purposes, reserving the beauti-
full Blue Room for state occasions. The
present lady of the White House is one Of
those sensitive souls whom colOrs as well
as odors affect. pleasantly or otherwise.
She is extremely partial to blue. but red is
her bette noir. hence the change. Most Of
the Mckinley relatives who came on TO
witness the Inauguration have returned TO
their rural homes. The most conspicuous
figure among them was the Presidents
mother, Mother Mckinley" as everybody
delighted 10 call her. the dearest little old
lady in the world. with keen black eyes
that saw everything going on, and row
of snow-white cOrls each side of her
face beneath an old-fashioned lace cap
In many respects she reminds one of
Grandma Garfield" who was a pictur-
esque figure in the White House for a
short time some years ago. 1t goes with
out saying that Mother Mckinley took a
lively interest in all the pOmps and cere-
monies of the inauguration in which she
herself formed no insignificant figure. She
went about a good deal during her short
stay here, even down the river 10 Mount
Vernon and To other show places, and the
dear old lady was quite accessible TO stran-
gers, always ready to stop anywhere at
any time and talk about my SON." The
way in which she spoke those two little
words revealed the world of loving pride
she feels in him. But the exctements of
Washington soon grew wearisome and sAe
began to long for the quiet of her country
home. TO which she has returned, accom-
panied by her only daughter. Miss Helen
Mckinley. The latter is another interest
ing figure. Tall and stately, with a strong
rather than a handsome face, she looks a
good deal like her distinguished brother.
She is one of those people upon whom a
whole family often comes, almost uncOn-
sciOusly. to depend. Though of strong
character and brilliant intellect, she is ex-
tremely retiring, and the publicity to which
the family is now subjected has been to her
a severe trial. She does not like the news
paper searchlight at all, and believes. with
some of the rest of us, that the private
families connected with public men have
some rights which should be preserved.
She is the homekeeper in the old Mckinley
homestead. and. besides Grandma McKin-
ley, the two children of her dead brother,
James Mckinley. live with her
TO THE FRONT FOR FOUR YEARS.
be very much in evidence in Washington
during the next four years. are Miss Grace
and James, jr.," as he is called in the fam
lily circle. Miss Grace is near her gradua-
ton at Mount Holyoke Seminary, and will
make her debut here next season. The
charming cotetfe of young ladies who call
the President uncle will no doubt figure
considerably in Washington society. Three
% that, 81 %
with zest into the brilliant scenes before
them, being now in the late teens" Mrs.
Saxton, Mrs. McKinley's aunt. who will
remain permanently in the White House
as the first lady's' right hand is
a widow of rather striking appearance
tall. dark, with iron gray hair brushed
back from her forehead. a la Pompadour.
Mr.. Sam Saxton. Mrs. McKinley's young
cousin, will be another fixture In the White
House. where there will be ample scope
for his peculiar talents. He was the ma
jor's invaluable lieutenant during the cam
paiin and the subsequent struggle with adj
miring friends Had it not been for Sam
the major would have been prosecuted a
good deal worse than he was He will be
the unofficial major domo of the White
House, whose province is to attend to
people who cannot easily be disposed Of
and thus save the Presidents and Mrs
McKinleys time and the wear and tear
on their strength and temper, and the feel
ings of their visitors. With so many rela-
tives to share the burden of official life
the McKinleys ought to get along SWIM
mingly-as no doubt they will. As to the
new Cabinet, the personality of its men,
bers and their families has been so thor
oughly described of late in the newspa-
perS that little remains to be said. The
Shermans-plain, elderly people, are not
new to official life. having figured promi-
nently here for more than a quarter of a
century. The new secretary of state now
seventy-three years old, is born finan-
cier, whose cold, gray eyes and straight
cut, thin-lipped mouth do not denote an
excessive supply of 1.-The milk of human
Kindness" and have given him the sobri-
quet of Cucumber Sherman" He is a
rich man, and lives in q handsome white
marble and Ohio stone mansion in a fash
ionable quarter Il street, which he
owns, together with much other property
in Washington. Mrs. Sherman is just now
in Ohio, attending to the leasing of their
Mansfield house. The couple have one
daughter and one two children adopted
by them i'm infancy The daughter is now
Mrs. James McCallum. whose marriage
here few years ago was an important So
cial event, marked by the gathering of the
Sherman clan from all parts of the
try. Mr. and Mrs. McCallum have one
child. about two years old. named John
Sherman" Vice President and Mrs. Ho-
bart are yet domiciled at the Arlington
but will soon take possession of Belmont
on Fourteenth street one of the finest
places in Westinghouse whole block of
lawn and rolling ground, with a beautiful
commodious house of gray stone. sur
gan lives close by. and Mrs. James Nc
Callum directly opposite.
The secretary of the treasury and Mrs
Gage have taken a furnished house on Con-
necticut avenue which they will occupy
the remainder of this season. Mrs Gage is
considered the handsomest woman in the
court circle-tall and impressive of figure,
with dark eyes and white hair: always per-
fectly dressed-in short, the typical grande
dame of society. The much-talked-of Alger
family are not strangers in Washington
Mrs Alger and her two eldest daughters
both now married. having made frequent
visits here during the height of winter sea-
sons. The youngest of the daughters, Miss
Frances, very pretty girl is with her
parents. and the son is at Harvard There
is also married son residing "A Detroit
The secretary and Mrs. Alger have taken
EsesN ID. 4.