Evening star., 1901-09-26


odist churches, the Foundry and Wesley.
Mr.. Van Ruren. who had served as Sec
retary OF State and minister to England,
under General Jackson. stepped into the
White House IN 1887, and he was the frst
man of Dutch descent and OF the Dutch
Reformed faith to fill the position now oc-
cupied by Mr.. Roosevelt, who is of the
same descent and religious faith. Mr. Van
Buren, had, after a married life of ten
years, been q widower for thirty years. aid
his children, four sons, were grown up :
There was then no Reformed church mere.
One of the sons, Major Abraham Van
Buren, was his private secretary, and IT
was not long after the family took posses
sion of the White House that Mrs. Madison,
who had returned to the capital, presented
her cousin, Miss Singleton of South Caro-
lima. to the President and family Miss
Singleton in few months became the wtfe
of Major Van Buren, and after bridal
trim she was made the permanent hostess
of the White House, Mrs. Madison ana
the ladies of the cabinet having previously.
at the request Of the President. filled that
position. The family having no church OF
their faith here worshiped In the nearby
churches-at ST. Johns usually.
Old Tippecanoe.
Gen. William Henry Harrison when in
augurated in ISL had been married forty
six years. but his family had not left
North Bend. Ohio. to take up their abode
in the White House before he died. His
was the largest family of any OF the Presd-
dents. consisting of six sons and four
daughters, most Of them married. with
families of their own. Some of these came
on and were in the house when the Presi-
dent died. He had selected a place of wor-
ship for himself and family before his
death, and it was his chosen rector Rev.
William Hawley. DID, of St. Johns, who
officiated and conducted the Episcopal
burial service at his funeral.
When President John Tyler took the
house vacated by his chief, in April. 1871.
ho had hoo yrto rrf N
thirty years, and was a communicate OF
the Episcopal Church. worsfiping at st.
Johns, the nearest church to the White
House. There were three sons-Robert.
William and John-and three daughters
Mrs. Sernple who still survives: Mrs. Jones
and Miss Lizzie Tyler, the latter soon
after, by ceremony performed In the
White House, becoming the wife Of Mr..
William Waller. lawyer of Virginia Mrs
| Tyler the first lady in the land, was i'll
fitted for that position on account Of her
health, and but twice before her DEATH
which occurred In September. 1S42-at the
wedding above noticed and at a children's
fancy ball at Christ mas time-did she ap-
pear at a public function, the wives of the
The death OF Mrs. Tyler ended the festivl-
ties for time, and before the days Of
mourning were over, In February, 1Si3, by
the bursting OF gun on the United States
steamer Princeton near Alexandria, the
White House was again made a house of
mourning. Two Of the cabinet secretaries.
Upshur and Gilmer. Commodore Kennon
and others were the victims, and the fu-
neral services took place in the east room.
In June, 1874, Mr.. Tyler went to New York
and married again, his bride being Miss
Julia Gardiner Of that city, daughter of
victim of the explosion She was Installed
as the mistress of the White House, but
her reign was SHORTCUT one season, end
ing in March, 1915
The family of President Polk was a small
one when he became the nations tenant of
ha ~, I1l- -
Mrs. Polk, an adopted son Ga nephew),
Colonel J. K. Walker, son of his sister,
who became his private secretary, and Mrs.
Walker. The social duties were performed
by Mrs. Polk, assisted by Mrs. Walker, and
In those days Of much aspersion on the
motives of the leaders Of the parties In
countenancing or opposing the war with
Mexico. Mrs. Polk was given the credit of
bringing about good feeling between many
of the opposing politicians. The surprise Of
the day was her entertainment of Henry
Clay (Mr. Folks opponent at dinner. The
family of the Presbyterian faith. and
attended at times the First Church, on AZ
street: the Second. New York avenue, and
the F street church.
Gen. Tnylor's Incumbency.
General Zachary Taylor came to the
White House in 1s49, with his wife. son
and two daughters-Mrs w. W. Bliss and
Mrs Wood. One daughter, the first wife
of Colonel jefferson Davis, afterward presf-
dent of the southern confederacy, had died
several years before
General Taylor had been married nearly
forty years. He and his wife were of the
Episcopal faith. Mrs. Taylor was averse
to leaving the quiet of her home for the
society Of Washington. Consequently 9TH
efs had to do the honors of the house. and
the blushing Miss Betty" as Mrs Bliss
was known. filled that role for the short
period which ended with the death of her
father In July, 1850. Coupled with the sor-
row on the death Of the old hero was the
regret felt that Washington would lose the
presence of Mrs Bliss. Mrs. Taylor. who
had lived quietly in the Housekeeping por-
ton of the building, left Immediately after
the funeral.
Miilard Fillmore, the Vice President took
the oath Of office as President July 10. 1850.
but the family, consisting Of Mrs. Fillmore
and her daughter, was unable to leave
Buffalo till October following. Mrs. Fill
more was not In the best OF health, and
being in mourning for a sister, the position
of hostess of the White House was not
coveted by her. Her daughter. though less
than twenty years old. was. therefore. her
substitute in q great measure in doing the
honors. Like some Of those who had pre-
ceded them. these ladies OF the White
House preferred the dwelling portion of the
building. and one room. II no more, was
made homelike. 1t was fitted up a
library. and with the daughters harp and
piano much Of their time was passed there.
The daughter had followed the footsteps of
the mother in teaching a school, and was
SO engaged when her father was called to
the chief magistraey. The position she
filled at the White House was no easy one,
for in the society season there were a morn
ing reception, an evening levee and one or
two state dinners each week. 1t was sea-
son for political contest also, fugitive slave
legislation and other matters being under
discussion. The filibustering expedition
to Cuba, the visit of Kossuth in the inter-
est of liberty for Hungary. the deaths of
Calhoun Clay and Webster, and the send
ing Of Commodore Perry to open the ports
of Japan were subjects which brought
prominent people to the White House. but
the young hostess was equal to each occa-
sion as 1t arose.
After leaving the White House the FIJI
| mores prepared to make a southern tour.
but within a month Mrs. Fillmore died at
Willar1's Hotel. Rev. Smith Pyne Of st.
Johns Church. who had been their rector,
officiated at the funeral.
Under q Heavy Cloud.
Asheavy cloud rested upon the next occu-
pants Of the White House, Gen. and Mrs.
Pierce having but three months before lost
| their only son. a boy of thirteen years. In a
railroad accident near Boston. They had
been married nearly twenty years. had lost
| two children in infancy and now mourned
I their last Gen. Fierce left his home at
L ~ 49, toR,