The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1899-01-21
A HISTORIC STORY.
How Peggy ONeil Broke Up Presi-
dents Cabinet.

With the razing to the ground Of
the old O'Neil House in the national
capital, at the corner of Twenty frs,
and [ streets, there will have passed
from view one of the historic land
marks of Washington's past. In il
was born, reared and adored the
only woman in the history of the
nation who broke up q ministry, raj
lied a Presiden. to her side against
his Cabinet advisers and divided
the society of the capital into two
bitterly opposed factions.
She was Peggy O'Neil, an inn
keepers daughter, belle, an Am
bassadress, and as poor mortal
when life's thread was cut, as ever
was carried from cot in the poor.
house to a grave in Potter's Field
The inn of Billy O'Neil, the father
of the famous Peggy, was at the
beginning of this century resort
where the most brilliant statesmen
of the nation congregated. General
Jackson, afterwards President, and
Senator Eaton, who in the course
of events married the fair Peggy,
lived here in the good old days.
AS girl Peggy O'Neil lived in
humble circumstances, but she soon
became famed for her good looks.
Her father was descended from the
family of that name which original
ed in Ulster, Ireland. Mrs. O'Neil
was woman of great beauty, and
from her Peggy inherited her win-
someness. Peggy was born in Wash
ington about the time that Napoleon
Bonaparte was the First Consul of
the French Republic. She grew up
into charming beauty, with soft,
hair, clear, pink complexion, and
big grey eyes. So graceful was she
that at a school entertainment at
Georgetown Mr.. Madison, wife of
the President, in honor of her pro-
ficiency in dancing, crowned her
with wreath of roses.
Peggy was but child when she
became an adept in the art of Gu
pid's conquests. One of her first
escapades was an attempt to elope,
but in her haste to escape from the
parental mansion Peggy upset a
fowerpot and the noise attracted
her father. He stopped her flight
and consigned her to a boarding
school in New York. On her return
to Washington she became engaged
to Young Timberlake, a purser in
the navy, who had fallen in love
with her at first sight, catching
glimpse of her at a window in her
fathers house. Within two weeks
after their first meeting they were
married and for a few years they
lived happily together. Three chill
dren were born of this union, son,
who died young, and two daughters,
Virginia and Margaret.
Undertake was sent on cruise
on the old Constitution, and while
stationed at Port Malone he was
discovered one morning with his
throat cut from ear to ear. Suicide
was the verdict-jealousy the cause.
His wife, it was said, who lived at
the old house on Twenty first and
streets, was too fond of General
Eaton, who boarded at the inn.
At any rate within three months
after the sad death of her husband
the fair Peggy became the bride Of
Senator Eaton.
Jackson, who had been Eaton's
roommate and boon companion at
the O'Neil home, was now President,
and when he saw that public opinion
turned against his former landlords
pretty daughter, he determined to
espouse her cause. The wives of
the Cabinet officials refused to call
upon Mrs. Eaton. From the feel
ing engendered between the ladies
arose the bitter feud between Cal
houn and the President. The wife
of the Minister of Holland was also
tho cause of the recall of her
husband. But there were plenty of
widowers and bachelors in the Dip
lomatic and legislative service of
the country then, and they gave all
sorts Of entertainments in honor uf
Senator Eaton's young wife. At a.
dinner given by the Russian Lega-
ton the President took in Mrs.
Eaton, whereupon the wife of the
Holland Minister arose and left the