Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-15
THEIR FIRST WISH
SENATOR CLARK'so RELATIVES
DESIRE HIS HAPPINESS.
His Marriage Complete Surprise, but
They Have Not Opposed It
In Any Way

Rumors Of family opposition to the recent
marriage of Senator William A. Clark are
entirely disposed Of by an interview held
Yesterday by New York World reporter
with the eldest daughter of the senator,
Mrs. Clark Culver. The latter is summer
ing at Greenwich, Conn, and has her
cousin. Mrs Moore Richardson of this city
with her on a visit. Mrs. Culver said: my
fathers happiness is the first consideration
of his children, and all talk of opposition
to his marriage is ridiculous. He literally
gave us no time for opposition. 1t came as
a complete surprise. Oh, yes, we had heard
rumors of it before, but never considered
them seriously at all. The senator IL SO
constantly in the public eye that 1t was
small wonder they should gossip about his
possible marriage.
And of course, we have known for years
that he was havin Miss La Chapelle educat-
ed abroad and was giving her opportunity
to develop her musical talents. But then
my father has done that for SO many young
women that there was nothing astonishing
about It, Her sister was in the same sense
his ward in Washington school, and there
are several might mention who have since
come into artistic prominence who owe their
start in life to him.
1T has been said that Miss La Chapelles
sister was the sweetheart Of my brother
Charles when he was mere lad, but that
all knew them slightly, as you know people
who live In the same town. When Amelie
La Chapelle was sufficiently grown to think
about sweethearts my brother was pursu-
ing business enterprises elsewhere. She
went away to school and he was married
soon afterward.
MY fathers kindness to the girls was
not as friend of their dead father, Dr.
La Chapelle. He could not have been called
that The senator merely saw in Anna a
promising child, as he had in Others and
made the offer of educating her.
AS far as we have been concerned" went
of Mrs: Culver, 1T was only one of the
senator's little philanthropies We thought
no more Of it. When the young girl went
abroad eight or nine years ago she was only
sixteen, and my aunt Mrs. Abascal, &C
companied her. She was in the care of
chaperon in Paris.
While they were travelling in Algeria,
where my father was with them, the report
OF their marriage was persistent. OF course
we could know nothing positively, but we
gave it no credence whatever And when
we learned the fact here from my fathers
lips it was completely unexpected.
When did he announce 1t? week ago
last Sunday. My sister, Mrs. Lewis Ruther-
ford Morris, was here and our father was
with us, preparatory for his departure for
st. Louis that night. He told US that he
was married and desired us to make the
announcement Mrs. Clark is now in
Italy. viii the senator join her there? 1
cannot say, l do not know what my father
intends to do this summer"
Asked If the senator was. man of i'm
pulse Mrs. Culver replied with slow smile:
No, he is man of deiberation But he
does not talk of his plans. That has been
his custom always. He might remain on
this side; he might go abroad very soon. I
should be surprised at neither
Mrs. Culver said that as she had been
kept in the dark as much the outside
world she had not yet seen her fathers
little daughter, Audree. who plays so large
a part in the present situation. To her the
present Mrs. Clark has been always more
or less Of an abstraction, having touched
her own life SO little. Her beauty and ac-
complishments she cordially admits.