The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-10-06
LIVING WIDOWS OF PRESIDENT.


eisht years. now lives in Washington.
and generally shares her home with her
daughter. AIRS Szrtoris Mrs. Grant
career has been one OF great contrasts
She was a daughter Of Judge Dent. and
porn 1t Whitehavea. No, near St Louis.
Her brother was a cadet at v est Point.
ana II was through him she met her fu-
tuTe husband. The family objected strong
IS 10 Grant. the poor young soldier and
il was five years before their objections
were overcome. Through judge Dent
influence Grant was ordered to frontier
duty. and it was with considerable salts
faction tnat the judge and his wife saw
him 90 west with General Taylor But
in the Mexican campaign il was Grants
fortune 20 save tie life of young Dent.
his classmate. and this soon restored MIN
10 favor in the family. The wedding took
place in 7S4S. Grant vas made q captain.
and took his wife 10 Sacketts Har5or. on
Lake Ontario. Later he was ordered 10
Detroit. where the young couple lived in
uncovered cottage fer two years.
Thence tEey moved 10 Bethel o. Mean
while their family had been growing. and
in 1854 there were four children-Fred-
erick. Ulysses. Nellie and Jesse. BY that
time Grant had become tired OF army
life, and retired with the grade OF cap
tain. Mrs. Grants father presented the
couple with sixty-acre farm in Missouri.
and the yong eX-captain became a tiller
OF the soil, and attempted 10 scratch a
living from the stones. His experiences
are com1nemorated in the name Hard
scrabble, which he applied 10 his estate.
The struggle became too fierce. and Grant
quilted farming 10 enter a real estate
office in ST Louis As a broker ne was
not successful, and the family were part
" dependent on Judge Dent for support
tiEdiog the brokerage business unrenun-
erative, Grant. in desperation. went 10
Galena, il. TO work for d salary OF 500
q year in a tannery. His employer was a
brother thirteen years younger than him
self It is recorded that in this position
ne was almost unsuccessful, and although
his salary was slightly raised from tine
to time, ne was not able 10 live com
fortably.
Then came tie civil war and the turn
ing point in his fortunes. While ne was
at the front Mrs Grant lived at Coving-
ton. Ky, with relatives Of his but fire.
quenty Joined him at points where he
was temporarily stationed With peace
came his sudden political rise and his cleo
ton as president. Mrs. Grant become the
nrst lady OF the land" During her oc-
cupsncy of the White House the notable
social cents included entertainments to
the Duke Of Edinburgh. to the Grand
Duke Alexis of Russia. to King Kalakaua.
and TO tile frs Chinese minister
During the last thirty years Mrs. Grant
has divided her time between England
and Washington. She is now nearly
eighty years of age, but her mind is still
bright ard she enjoys good health. and
may be seen riding in her carriage al
most every pleasant day.
Mrs. Lucretia Rudolph Garfield spent
but few months in the White House.
= 81 of her q
she went TO Cleveland and not far from
that city she new resides While General
Garfield was in the house of representa-
uves they lived in an old-fashioned
dwelling al the corner of and Thirteenth
streets. which has since given way be-
fore the march of Improvement. Mrs.
Garfield has always been known as do
nestle woman. Like Mrs Grant. she was
acquainted with varied circumstances. I
She was born on a farm at Garrettsvile.
O.. and it was while attending school IL
Geaugua seminary, at Chester. near her
father home. that she met young Car
field. He went later to Hiram college. a I
coedUcational institution. Miss Rudolph
followed and, after he had risen to the 1
dignity OF an Instructor. became men, !
Der OF classes taught by him In that in /
When they were married. they !
boarded in the college town for several I
years. Garfield gave up teaching TO be- I
come a preacher: this profession he aban- /
doned for the study Of law. When the war
broke out he entered the army and served /
with distinction.
Mrs. Garfield is small spare woman. /
with fine features and very brilliant dark I
eyes. she is famed for her superb self
control Her husband once sad Of her 1
that never n his political career had he /
suffered in the least from any word or act (
of hers. During the years spent by Mrs +
Garfield in Washington she was most /
often found in the Library Of Congress. [
where she studied the subjects in which F.
she was the special tutor of her sons. (
After President Garfelds death it was
that his family had been left I
without resources. and - considerable sum /
was raised by private subscription among
his friends. The income frcm this fund.
together with q pension of s5.6o0 n year .
voted by congress, enabled Mrs. Garfield [
to live in quiet comfort and complete the I
education Of her children. She Is now
siXty-three years of age. and IN indifer
ent health.
Mrs Benjamin Harrison did not marry
General Harrison until he had retired
from office. During most of his term as
president his first wife was living, and
he present Mrs Harrison. her niece, came
to the White House often to assist in the
social and domestic duties.
Mrs. Mckinley. the fourth and last
widow OF a president, was Miss Ida Sax
ton OF Canton. o Her father was a
banker. ana she acted as clerk
and cashier in his institution. Her life
romance began when William Mckinley
was a struggling young lawyer in that
town. He had returned from tie war
with little more than his military rank
and an ambition 20 master profession
ini earn q living While ~ work on
Blackstone and Kent. and walking 70 and
.ro from his office. ne had occasion to
pass near the Ssxton home. and Il was
hus that their acquaintance spr1ng up
iuder very unsensatfoual conditions A
,oung lad who had a large share in the
matchmaking IS now a prosperous huei-
less man r. Cleveland. TIE McklnlcTs
rad two children. whom they lost, this
was an aEHctiou which always bore
leaviiy upon them. TIE widow ~ the
are president resembles Mrs. Garfield ia
Ter domestic tastes. and has always be-
srudgCd She claims which public life made
lpon her husband time T. is stated IN
rod authority that she hear1 ~ her hu7-
,sud's second election % TIE presidency
With positive regret. and r. friends VIA
'fered Ter congress zlations replied thar
ie belonged to her and that the country
lad already had mere than us snare ~
iim IL wiIi be recalled that Oh the Gait
ornia trln. before beT health broke do1n.
H. told tte southern l-slics that she was
ooki7E forward 50 the time when SIZE
ma ~the msior could pass their gears
q the quiet ~ private Lfe ~ thei- Can
ou hone IRIS was her ambition
Wise and Otherwise.
Truth shines thr brighter 81 rerze-
'oro
s.r. .,-s % -.-.7 .r--.- .t.+.- r.---f-s- a.