The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-07-15
A Woman Who Presided Over The
White House.

Harriet Lane Johnson, VINO recently
died in New York, enjoyed wide
popularity in this cocntry and in Eng
land during the career O. her uncle,
President Buchanan. She Tas born
at Mercerburg, Pa, in 1888, tLe laugh
ter of Elliott T. Lane and Jane Buch-
anan. Her parents dying in her girl
hood, she was taken in charge by
her uncle, who sent her to the Roman
Catholic convent at Georgetown for
her education.
She was just out of school, hand
some girl of twenty, clever, of winning
manners and an engaging talker, when
Buchanan was made minister to Eng
land in 1853. There she made wide
acquaintance and achieved great pop
ularity in diplomatic circles. On
Buchanan's election to the presidency
she became mistress of the White
House, and there her charm, good
taste and diplomacy won much re
nown. 1t was while she. was mistress
of the White House that the Prince of
Wales, now King Edward, visited
America. She entertained him at
Washington, and took him to Mount
Vernon.
Much to the delight of the prince,
she invited him to pay visit to a
fashionable boarding school for girls
near Washington, where the prince
bowled a game Of nine-pins with some
of the young women. The prince re-
membered these things and when Mrs.
Johnston was in London, at the time
preparations were being made for his
coronation he invited her to attend
the ceremonies.
One of the interesting events recall
ed by Mrs. Johnston Of her life in
England was the ceremony at the Uni
versity of Oxford, when her uncle and
Alferd Tennyson received the degree
of doctor of laws.
The demonstration, always bolster
oas on the part of the students, was
on this occasion directed largely to-
ward the beautiful niece of the Ameri-
can minister.
The marriage of Harriet Lane and
Henry Elliott Johnston of Baltimore
took place in 1866 after long engage
ment, Miss Lane being unwilling to
leave her uncle, who in his old age,
became more and more dependent on
her companionship and care.
The great sorrows of her life follow
ing upon the death of her uncle were
the deaths Of her husband aud her. two
young sons. Her married life was
spent mostly in Baltimore.
In historic old st. Paul Church,
Charles and Saratoga streets, in that
city, there is a memorial on the north
ern side of the edi6ce which Mrs.
Johnston had placed there in memory
of her two sons. Besides this she
founded in the church home on North
Broadway, in their memory, a free
ward for children. After several years
of retirement and travel following her
loss of family, she went to Washing
ton for the winter season, subsequent
ly buying and remodeling the house at
Eighteenth and streets, which was
her last residence.
The house con tained many interest
ing souvenirs of her career, and es-
pecially in its connection with public
life. On it's wall there is portrait of
King Edward, painted just after he
left the United States. It was sent
by him to President Buchanan. Just
under the portrait, in little black
frame, is the letter which tie prince
sent with the portrait. The letter
was penned by his Royal Highness ON
the shores of Palestine, where he was
travelling.