The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-05-23
Mrs. Mckinley.

During the past few weeks, the
nation has followed with interest
the tour of the presidential party,
and have as well, been panied that
the tour should have been brought
to such an abrupt termination,
owing to the serious illness of
Mrs. Mckinley at San Francisco.
Any stories bearing upon Mrs.
McKinley's life are therefore of
special interest now.
Mrs. William Barron is one of
the few women in Philadelphia,
who was well acquainted with
Mrs. Mckinley in the years of
the latter's girlhood while she
was Miss Ida Saxton and while
she and her sister, Miss Mary B.
Saxton, now Mrs. Barbor, of Can
ton, we're attending Brooke Hall
Seminary at Media. She spoke
as follows to an enquirer" re-
presenative, on Friday last:
81 well remember when the
Saxton girls came to be under
the charge of Miss Eastman, with
whom held a trusted position
in the seminary at Media" said
Mrs. Barron. "They were both
pretty girls, and their modesty
instantly won the admiration of
all who met them. Their faith
er brought them to the semi
nary while he was enroute to
Europe on a protracted tour,
The girls were already well adj
vanced in their studies-all they
needed being a finishing course
such as Miss Eastman's school
afforded. At that time thought
and L still believe, that Ida Sax
ton, afterwards Mrs. Mckinley,
was the most beautiful girl / ever
saw. She had a remarkable
peachy complexion and lovely
brown hair. Her eyes were mag
netic and held tho glance of every
one who looked into them. Both
she and her sister enjoyed good
health and were among the jol-
lest of the ninety and more girls
in the seminary.
''It was not alone the good looks
of the SaXton girls, though, that
attracted attention to them. Their
gowns and tastes in the selec-
ton ofmaterials wereremarkable.
For neatness they were the pat
terms of the school, and their faith
er seemed to grant their every
desire in the matter of dress. To
know Mrs. Mckinley in those
days was but to love her. She
was most considerate of the feel
ings of others, made friends with
almost no effort and held them to
the last.
among the girl friends and
the school mates OF the Saxton
girls at the seminary were young
women from New York, Boston,
Washington, Baltimore-in fact,
the daughters of wealthy men
from all over the United States.
Some of these girls, from their
natural surroundings and promi-
nence of their parents, naturally
seemed destined to far outstrip
the Saxton girls in future life but
| can truthfully say that not one
of them was more worthy of be-
coming chief lady of the land than
Ida Saxton.
"Mrs. Mckinley, as a school
girl, l remember, was especially
fond of music, and this was the
only field in which she excelled
most of the other pupils. She
played the piano exceptionally
we'll.
"As for the social life of those
times, it amounted to but little
for the young woman. Occasion
ally the girls gave dances, but on
ly the pupils were present. The
musicales given were also attend
ed exclusively by the girls. 1t
would have been worth a young
mans life to have forced his way
into that well-conducted seminary
and a governess and instructor
were always present even when
the brothers of the girls visited
the school. Atlong intervals and
with good excuse the girls were