The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-18

800 v 800 al Vi OiQ man Gu
itoriais- The social gifts of the Blairs.
however. We're equal to the occasion.
ana they were able to establish their
| social position in Washington without
reference to their Virginia and Mary
land ancestry and connections
She was active In the organization of
many local charities, now well estab-
lished. such as the Children's Hospital
and the Columbia Hospital, but her
chief labor and lifelong devotion were
given to the Washington City Orphan
ASYLUM, founded by Mrs Madison and
Mrs. Van Ness to provide
shelter for the orphans OF the
| war of 1912. OF this Institution
Mrs Lee had been a manager for nifty
seven years. and the first directress for
| forty-four years.
historical organizations, having been
the first and organizing president of
| the washington Club and regent Of
the Mary Washington Chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolu-
| ton.
Ring From General Jackson.
Having promised General Jackson to
pay him a visit at the Hermitage, in
the last year of his life, Miss Blair
and one Of her girl friends and
FER brother. Lieutenant James l..
Blair. OF the navy. went to Ten
| nessee, where they had delightful
visit at the Hermitage. and where
Miss Blair. then grown to womanhood.
saw the last of her old hero, who said
he could not live long. and gave her
to keep in his memory % his wife's
wedding ring, apiece of jewelry he had
| always worn on his watch chain from
the death of Mrs Jackson up to that
time. Another ring he gave her was
one presented by Mrs. Eliza w. Gusts
to General Jackson on February %.
1925, and which Mrs. Custis sent him
by the hand of Lafayette. The ring
was of American gold and contained a
lock of the, hair of President George
Washington
During the Van Buren, administra-
ton The CODE continued to be the
organ of the Democratic. party, and
Miss Blair was most intimately asso-
ciated with the Van Burens. Wnen
President Van Buren, left Washington
ne presented Mrs Blair with paint
ing of himself. saying. facetiously
Madam, you will like it because 1t
has rather a foxy look" referring to
the fact that he was called by MS po-
llitical opponents "the red fox This
portrait of Van Buren, still hangs in
the old house at Silver Spring, and the
red side whiskers and the acute ex-
preston are sufficiently emphasized
in 1t to show upon what Mr.. Van Blu
ren's caricaturi based their efforts.
Told Van Buren, of Defeat.
i In those days ii was a long time be-
fore the news of an election was re-
ceived, and whether Mr. Van Buren,
was defeated or not hung in the bal
ance until the returns from some piv-
otaf State could be received. Finally
these returns came in, and Mr.. Blair
Sr., Martin Van Buren,, Jr., and Miss
Blair started out from Washington
with sad news for the President OF his
defeat. He was living at a country
home on woodley Lane, of late occu-
pied by Senator Newlands and his
! family. When the party reached the
gate Mr.. Blair and Martin, declaring
that they could not bear to take him
the news, turned off, and Miss Blair
was delegated to inform him. He hap
pened to be in the yard, and helped
her from her horse. and, judging the
result, perhaps. from her sympathetic
eyes, relieved her by saying MY
dear. 10 is unnecessary for you to ten
me. saw those two towards ride
| mast the gate, and / know that II
their news had been good they would
have come with you.' She always en-
loved this allusion to her father and
Martin Van Buren,, and cited II as an
instance of Mr.. Van Buren'sSquick per-
ceptiop and tact
She had also brought a message
from "Old Hickory" at the Hermitage
in which the advice had been given 70
him to stand in favor of adding Texas
10 the United States, and ii was the
belief of the Blairs that the indecis-
ion on the part of Mr.. Van Buren, III
the line of Jackson's advice, caused
his defeat.
Mr.. Van Buren's administration hav-
ing ended in 1871, and the Democrats
being out of office in 1912, Mrs. Lee's
father purchased the Silver Spring
estate. In Montgomery county, and
built his house there, which house was
the home of Mrs. Lee at the time OF
her death The name is taken from
the spring there, whose water. eush-
ing to the sur.ace, throws up the mica
sand, and gives, in the sunshine. the
appearance of silver.
Married Navy Lieutenant.
Mrs. Lee was married to Lieutenant
Samuel Phillips Lee. of the navy. in
1874 About 1860 her father, who
owned the southern half of the block
on Pennsylvania Avenue Immediately
north of the State, War, and Navy
Department building built Mrs. Lee
a house next to his old residence there,
which he gave to his son. Montgom-
erN Blair, and, thereafter. Mr.. and
| Mrs. Blair. ST., spent the winters with
tkeir daughter in her city residence,
and he summers at Silver Spring, up
to the time of the death of her father.
in 1877. Lieutenant Lee, afterward
Rear Admiral Lee. retired from the
navy in 1873 and became farmer at
| Silver Spring. succeeding Mr.. Blair.
| Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Blair and Admiral
| and Mrs Lee all lived to be eighty
five years of age, except that Mrs Lee
| exceeded the others by severa years.
| Among Mrs Lees possessions is the
original portrait of Andrew Jackson
| bv Srlly. painted when Jackson was In
| the United States Senate, which was
! purchased from Sully by Admiral Lee
for his wife. by reason of her affection
| for General Jackson. Sully also made
a portrait of Mrs Lee when she was
about nineteen years old.
Mrs Lee witnessed some dramatic
| scenes in connection with the eontro-
versies which led up to the civil war,
the most dramatic of which. as it ~
pressed her, took place in their library
at Silver Spring between her father
and John c. Breckenridge. Henry Clay
! was her mothers guardian and family
lawyer in Kentucky. Her father. as
a young man, had been intimate with
him also. and opposed him strongly
with General Jackson, but at the last
carried messages of forgiveness be-
tween Clay and Jackson. Clay was
the great supporter of the Missouri
4 Compromise. limiting slavery to ge-
ographical line. breckenridge was a
cousin of Mr.. Blair. and succeeded
Clay as Senator from KENTUCKY T"'
pending question was the repeal 81 .
Missouri Compromise. The old mar