Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-17
PRETTY PEGGY o'NEIL.
Story of a Beautiful Woman Who
Made History.

O'Neil was welded for veal and not
for woe; for she was a good woman
In the development Of Greater
Washington it is now apparently
necessary that one of the historic
blocks of ground shall become the
site of an apartment house and the
houses of yoreful fragrance shall be
torn down and carted away.
/ With this improvement the demo-
lition of "O'NeiPs tavern" is inevitable
and thus will pass away the childhood
home and scene of triumphs of Mar
garet O'Neil, the marvelously bright
and beautiful daughter Of the proprie-
tor of the erstwhile famous tavern
Any one strolling along Pennsyl-
vania avenue may notice the row OF
red brick dwellings at the corner Of
and Twenty-first streets. But very
few persons now living know that
within that corner house some Of the
men most famous in our national his
tory have wined and dined, and that
there dwelt one woman who had a
great part in making the history OF
her time.
The spot and its environments
have vastly changed since the days OF
long ago when BILLY" O'Neil was
the owner and manager Of the place.
The estate extended down to what
has since become a public market
and comprised numerous outhouses
and stables clustering about the main
building. The house was then an
inn, and was widely known as "The
Tavern" the most conspicuous hotel
in town which was then but an en-
bryonic city Of cottages. There were
few mansions, and all Of the streets
were of dust or mud, according to
the condition Of the weather.
When congress convened 1t was
to the tavern Of BILLY" O'Neil
that the famous statesmen Of that
day repaired with their large fami-
lies and large retinues of children
and servants. William O'Neil was
descended from ancestors OF that
name whose ancient homes had
been in Ulster county, Ireland. His
wife was a woman of great beauty, and
of beautiful piety. Her daughter, who
was to become an historical charac-
ter, was even more beautiful than her
mother-and more brilliant because
of the better opportunities for intel
lectual development. The child, Mar
garet was born in Washington, June
80, 1893, while Napoleon was first
consul Of France. AS she developed
into maturing childhood she became
famous for her beauty and for her
vivacity. She had large gray eyes,
long lashes, heavy eyebrows and
wonderful mass Of wavy chestnut
brown hair. That she was the embod-
iment of grace is attested by the fact
that at a school commencement she
was crowned by Dolly" the regal
wife of President Madison, for her
graceful dancing.
That such a child-woman should
be sought, admired and besought was
to have been anticipated. She had
scarce budded into womanhood when
she became conspicuous by reason OF
her conquests. An elopement with her
first accepted lover had already been
arranged, when the child disclosed
her flight to her father by accidentally
upsetting a flower pot. BILLY O'Neip'
was a man of action. He stopped the
runaway, sent the young lover of to
his parents with his eyes somewhat
discolored, and then took his daugh-
ter in a coach to New York, where
she was walled in by a private school,
safe from observation and admiration
of mankind.
Within a year Pretty Peggy" was
back in Washington, and this time she
did not get nervous nor make any
mistake. She fell in love with
handsome purser in the navy named
Timberlake; told her story to her
mother, secured her consent and CO.
operation, and within two weeks the
wedding was solemnized with the
consent, although without the appro-
val Of her father.
During the last two years OF her
life, her 80th and 81st years, the mar
rator had the acquaintance and
friendship of this wonderful woman,
and she said that the happiest years
of her life were the five years spent
in that house on the corner Of Twenty
first and I streets, where her two
children, Virginia and Margaret, were
born. Then, at the end Of those five
years, young Timberlake was ordered
off to sea. When he started on that
cruise he told his young wife that
the condition of his heart was such
that he might never return; but he
went, in obedience to orders, and with
out a murmur. While on board the
old Constitution, at Port Malone,
young Timberlake suddenly died of
heart failure The news of the death
of her husband ended the happiness
Of her lifetime, and she was not yet
25 years Of age. Previous to that
event, her life had been without a
single care. Subsequently her fifty
five years were years of increasing
care and suffering.
When this wonderful woman was
in her S1st year, she said to the mar
rator: General Jackson was sturdy
friend of mine. He was kind and
fatherly to my two little girls, and I
adore his memory. Gen. Eaton, OF
Tennessee was also kind to me, and
I married him. He was a good and
faithful husband. My beauty was
fatal gift to me, for 1t increased my
cares and Worries and therefore
added to my unhappiness. 1t was
not my fault that 1 was beautiful.
1t was, indeed, my misfortune. 1 am
an old woman now, and l have no
worldly thoughts; and I assure you
my beauty was my bane. Women
suspected me of captivating or trying
to captivate men whom l merely en-
tertained because of my social posi-
ton; and 1 smiled upon many of
them while 1 loathed them in my
heart. But it was the duty of my
| husbopd,c u,ifa IN entertain. and