The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-26
TALES OF the BlACkbuRNs.

VXIHEN he was boy of 20 years. lust
w Iresh from the college halls of old
Center. Joe blackburn married the
beautiful Theresa Graham Now, a man
of 63. with long years OF public life be-
hind him and third term in the United
States senate opening before him. the
authorized announcement of Mr.. Black
burns second marriage is made.
Senator blackburn has chosen the
widow Of his cousin, Judge H. III. Black
burn OF West Virginia. to take the place
lie vacant by the death Of his first wife,
Mrs. Mary A. Blackburn mas been
widow for more than three years. After
the death Of her husband she received q
clerkship in TIE Quartermaster generals
office. which she continued to I'LL until last
week. She Is a women of strong personal
magnetism. of fine personal and gracious
manners anu by her marriage will become
the latest addition to the senatorial brides.
For number Of years the former Mrs.
Blackburn. together with Mrs. Carlisle.
gave added distinction to the reputation of
kentucky's hostesses. All three of her
daughters made their debut in Washing
ton.
There is something Of q romance con-
nected with the first marriage of Senator
Blackburn. At ~ he was graduated from
Center college. Before the day of gradual
ton came he met and had fallen ,.eeply in
love with Theresa Graham. the 16-year-old
daughter of Dr. Christopher c. Graham.
who for over half a century, lived at Har-
rodsburk. He died at last in LouisvA..e at
the age of 100 years. When young Black
burn first left Center college he went to
Chicago for the practice of law. Return
ing to his own state. in brief time he be-
came volunteer elector for John c.
Breckenridge.
Before the campaign opened he was mar
ried to Miss Graham, and from that time
until her death, two years ago. their mar
ried life was one of happiness, broken only
by the civil war. through which young
Blackburn and several of his brothers, of
whom he had eight, served with gallantry.
Throughout the whole of his public life
Mrs. Blackburn was his stanchest sup
potter and wisest adviser.
Their home in Washington was one Of
the centers of the social life Of that city.
OF his three daughters, two have married.
and in the ives of both romance mas
played a part. Senator Backburn's eldest
daughter is the wife Of Colonel Herman A.
Hall. who is a member of the staff of Cen
eral Chaffee. Years ago she married and
was widowed in two weeks, her husband
dying of rapid consumption near Los An
geles. CAL In her bereavement Lieutenant
Hall was ready in his sympathy. A year
later the young lieutenant was ordered to
Washington, proposed and was accepted,
the marriage following soon after.
-
A Washington dispatch says that shortly
after the debut of Miss Lucille Blackburn a
young attache Of the Spanish embassy,
whose wife has since died, became her
avowed and ardent worshiper. She mar
ried Mr.. Lane, however whose tragic
death made her widow some time ago.
Romances in the Blackburn family have
not alone been confined to the present gen
Grafton. Senator Blackburn's father, DR..
e. NJ. Blackburn, was the owner of
famous bluegrass farm on which were
foaled horses known to every thurman the
world over. He was the father of nine
stalwart sons and three daughters. His
friends and neighbors were the Steels and
Bufords. But as has been recorded of
friends and neighbors since Bible times,
Blackburn lost an eye as tribute to the
superior fistic skill of old Abe Buford in
debate over division fences
80
The other dispute was more deadly in ma
ture, his third son falling before the pistol
Of young Captain Steel in a duel brought
about by the heat of po...ical campaign.
A-e left q widow to whom many paid court,
but the successful sutton of them all was
his younger brother. James.
-
OF the three sisters, two were married
to the same man-General Thomas Flour
noy of Arkansas. The eldest sister uAed
shortly after his marriage to her. and then
General Flournoy pleaded his suit with the
younger. The third sister married Judge
the civll war as "copperhead," and was
imprisoned for his outspoken sympathy
with the soutern cause and for aiding pris-
oners to escape.
All the brothers married and several of
them set the example which Senator Black
burn is now following-that of marrying
the second time.
| The people in the mountains. near Rock
| castle, tell the story of a Blackburn VINO
came among them to pursue his pet study
of geology. He found there mountain
maid who taught him the lesson he had
never learned before. His eyes told him
that she was beautiful, his heart that she
was good. He argued that In everything
but the place of her birth she was the su-
perior of all o...er women. lacking but a
part of their advantages to outshine them
all He married her, intending to take her
back with INTO ---s own world. but her
influence proved the stronger. He settled
down to the life among her own people,
and until the day of his dean, years later,
was one of lem in dress, action and
| thought, lost to ambition and content to
| live with narrow horizon shut in by