Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-02-19
BY Way Of Comparison.

by way VI comparisons
At this time when allpthe world is
taking SO much interest. in the White
House wedding; when gifts valued at
several hundreds of thousands of dol
lars have been shewered upon the
beautiful bride; when the newspapers
have not only devoted pages to the
wedding itself, but for weeks have de-
voted columns daily to the preparations
for it, chronicling the most trivial in
cidents in the daily lives of the princi-
pal parties,-at this time it is Of special
interest to note how things were done
when the last daughter of a President
before Miss Roosevelt was married at
the White House. The bride was
Nellie Grant, and the time of the we'd
ding was almost a third of century
ago. In comparison with the latest
White House wedding. that Of Miss
Grant to the young Engishman who
won her heart only to break it. was an
exceedingly simple affair Less than
200 people Witnessed it. while Miss
Roosevelrs wedding was witnessed by
over 1900 guests and nearly dooO invita-
tiOns were sent out. :
Uarper'y Weekly estimated that the
value of Miss Grants wedding presents
was between $4,000 and $6O.00O. includ-
ing n $4,000 check from her father.
The wedding occurred Friday, May -.
1874. Even the Washington papers de-
voted only half a column, or column at
the most. 10 the affair, and in COM
parison with the latest wedding almost
nothing had been said in the papers in
advance concerning it. Here is an ac-
from a Washington paper at that time.
and it is Of special interest to compare
il with the accounts now being pub
lished of Saturdays wedding i'll the
same historic mansion.
Punctual to the hour the invited
guests entered the east room and
ranged themselves in full view of the
platform. The toilets of the ladies We're
OF the richest description and there was
a profusion OF point lace. The scene
was unusually brilliant. The bridal
party entered from the blue room.
First came Mr.. Sartoris and Col. Fred
Grant. the only grOOmsman; next the
bridesmaids, two by two. the President
and Mrs. Grant and their two sons,
nd In roo a
platform the president transferred his
daughter to Mr.. SartOris, who, with thu.
bride, assembled the platform, where the
minister was waiting to receive them.
The bride wore white satin dress
deliberately trimmed with point lace
and her hair adorned with orange bios
SONS. The dress of the groom was in
the latest style with the conventional
necktie. All things being in readiness
the Rev. Dr. Tiffany proceeded with the
ceremony according to the form of the
Methodist Episcopal church. The band
played the wedding march at the con-
clusion of the ceremony. Not less than
20 persons We're present. including
justices of the supreme court, members
of the cabinet, Senators Frelinghuysen.
Carpenter, Cameron, COnkling and Lo-
gan. Vice President Wilson. Speaker
Blaine. General Sherman, Admiral POr-
ter, Commodore G.. w. Chlds, A. J.
Drexel. Judge PierrepOnt, General
Arthur, Generals Porter and Babcock
and Sn Edward and Lady Thornton.
The officers of the navy and army ap-
peared in uniforms. The company par
took of a wedding breakfast elegantly
prepared and at lao p. NJ. the bride
and groom left Washington in a spe-
cial train for New York
The columns and pages of inform-
alton and INSTRUMENTATION with
which the papers have been
filled regarding Saturdays White
House wedding and the preparations
for it are not due so much to the in
crease OF enterprise" or sensationalism
on the part Of the American press as to
the fact that the American public is
becoming so insistent in its demands
for reading matter of this kind, and
where half column or less was suffi-
Gent 81 years ago to tell of the we'd
ding. the newspapers Of yesterday and
today are given over almost wholly tn
similar event. And Nellie Grant was
probably as popular. and as deserved,y
popular. in 1874 as Alice Roosevelt has
been in 1906. What will the news
papers do, when the daughter of a
President third of a century hence
becomes a White House bride?
The appeal for help by the famine
stricken inhabitants of northern Japar