The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-05-13
PRES, 1YLER'S
DAUGHTER N
s81A YEAR
Child of Former President of
United States 81 Years of
Age Today.
IS AN INNATE OF
HOME FOR FEEBLE
Being Totally Blind and senile
Knew Several Former
Presidents.

Associated Press to The Evening Times.
Washington. D. c.. May ia hap
py Virginia bride at nineteen, mis-
tress of the White House at twenty
one and totally blind and an inmate
Of the Louise home in this city at
eighty-seven. Such is the life story
of Mrs. Letitia Tyler Semple, daugh-
ter of former President Tyler, who
was eighty-seven years old today.
When it is remembered that Mrs.
Semple was little girl when Lafay-
cite made his last visit to America,
and young woman before the Semi
mole Indians were finally pacified in
Florida. it would seem that she al
most belongs to another age. She
saw the first telegraph wire in the
United States stretched from WASH
ington to Baltimore. and later was
given a piece of the original Atlantic
cable by s. F. B. Morse himself. She
was present at the launching of the
Allegheny. the first iron ship in the
United States navy to be propelled by
steam. She was acquainted with such
notable figures in public life as DAN
iel Webster, John c. Calhoun, Henry
Clay, Washington Irving, Andrew
Jackson. John Quincy Adams and nu-
merous others.
Mrs. Semple in her. youth was her
fathers constant companion. She
was good musician and was the life
and spirit of the household. At the
age of nineteen she became the wife
of Mr.. Semple.
When the death of William Henry
Harrison made Tyler president he
brought large and interesting fami-
ly to the White House. Mrs. Tyler
was an invalid and could never dis
charge the duties of mistress of the
White House. During the first few
months Of Tyler's administration Mrs.
Robert Tyler. wife of son of the
president. acted as his hostess, while
the presidents daughter, Letitia, re-
NAMED at their Virginia home with
her mother. Some months later Mrs.
Tyler made the trip to Washington,
accompanied by her daughter. now
Mrs. Semple, but succumbed to her
malady very shortly afterward and
was buried from the White House, of
which she had never been able to as
sumo the duties of mistress. Alto.
the death of her mother Mrs. Semple
assumed the duties of mistress of the
White House. which she discharged
with grace and tact until her fathers
second marriage only a few months
before his term of Office expired. His
second bride was Miss Julia Gardner
of New York.
Like most elderly people, Mrs. Sem
pie lives in the past. Her last visit
to the White House was during the
administration of President Pierce,
whose family were intimate friends.
Since that time, although invitations
have come to her for every function
given there and are still coming, she
has paid no attention to them, She
leads a quiet life in the Louise Home
for the Aged, which is filled with
southern ladies Of gentle birth and
culture. The home is not a charita-
BILE institution, for each woman must
pay for her board and room. The
charge is modest, as the institution
was handsomely endowed by the
founder. the late philanthropist, w.
w. Corcoran. who gave 1t in memory
of his daughter Louise, who died in
her youth.