Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1897-01-23

Capt. Herndon, who said with his dying
breath: Don't give up the ship
Facing the northwest corner of La
fayette park, and diagonally opposite
the residence of Secretary Lamont, IL
the antique residence which Commodore
Decatur built in 1912. After Decatur'a
death the house was successfully oc-
cupied by Henry Clay, Martin Van
Buren,, Edward Livingstone, Jackson's
secretary of state; George M. Dalins,
Judah p. Benjamin, and finally Gen.
Beale, whose guest Gen. Grant has been
for weeks at time. The window in
the south wall of the house was ordered
cut by Van Buren in order that he might
see the signals displayed by jackson
from the white house.
ONLY n few doors from the old Woods
house is the home of the Cosmos, the
largest scientific club in the world. 1t
was erected by James Madison in 1901,
when he came to Washington to serve as
Jetferson's secretary of state. Twenty
years later dolly" Madison returned
after her husbands death, and there
for Is years she held court and dis
pensed during the remainder of her
life the gracious hospitality which mads
her name memorable.
In the next two houses have dwelt
Secretary Window, Senator Fenton and
Col. Robert &. Ingersoll. In the next
house below lived Admiral Pauldng,
Ia son of the obstinate soldier, John
Paulding, who captured Maj. Andre.
The house is now owned and occupied
nv Senator Don Cameron
The most famous house in the his
toric square is no longer in existence.
Upon its site now stands grand opera
house. 1t is a shame upon the com.
mon sense of our lawmakers that the
old residence should have been de-
stroyed. 1t was originally the elite
clearinghouse of Washington, and
numbered among it's guests John Z.
Calhoun, when he was Monroe's sec
retary of war, and afterward vice pres
ident, and Henry Clay lived in it when
he was Adams secretary of state. Then
it became the property of the cele-
brated Washington club, of which
Sicllles and Key were both members,
and the tragedy which associates their
name took place in front of it's door.
Later it became the war residence OF
Secretary Seward. and there the dead.
ly assault was made upon Seward BY
Paine at the time of Lincoln's assassina-
ton. Last 1t was renovated for the
home of James q. Blaine, who dwelt and
died beneath it's roof. The widow OF
that great man, with characteristic lack
of respect for the brilliant husband
whose whole life was clouded by domes
tic cares, sold IL e historic mansion to pco
pie who made no secret of their pur
pose to erect playhouse there. Con
gress had an opportunity to buy it
but failed to do so.
Society has circled around the square
in which these houses of historic re
nown are located, just as moths flut
ter around light. OF course, the wife
OF the president is "the first lady II
the land" and no woman has more
worthily worn that title than Mrs
Cleveland has worn il. She has alway:
been gracious and unconventional with
the general public, while size has beer
regal and superb in official functions
of society. But Mrs. Cleveland is like
all good mothers. She cares less fol
, society than she does for her little ones
During the first administration of hcl
{ husband, when she was n young bride
, she was delighted with her high so
cial position, and enjoyed every mo
ment of her time in social leadership
, During the present administration sh;
, has been more domestic; and yet he
, official functions have not been neg