The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-13
About Notable Americans
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN =

the United States and ono of the most
eminent keutucklans of the day. they
became engaged, and Mrs. Madison re-
turned the courtesy which her sister had
extended to her in her widowhood. So
ii came that Thomas Todd and Lucy
PAYNE Washington were married IN the
White House 1t was the first White
House wedding. Thomas Todd. Lucy
Payne S last husband, and John Todd,
Dolly PAYNE s first husband, were of
different Families. Judge Todd was one
of the first Kentuckians TO come into
political prominence. He was clerk of
al the Ten constitutional conventions
held in Kentucky while that State was
trying to gain admission to the Union,
and was a distinguished lurist. His
son. Charles s. Todd, became a noted
diplomatist and was sent to Colombia
in the twenties to unravol the tangled
relations Of the United States with the
South American republics. Later he
was sent by President Tyler to be min
ister 10 Russia. and there laid the foun
.dations for the friendship between the
most liberal republic and the most auto
cratic dcspotism on earth, which friend.
ship has since continued. 4 son of
Charles 5. Todd is still living in Shell
byville. KY. He is one Of the only
TWO surviving Kentuckians who fought
in the war with Mexico as a captain.
Ii is interesting to note in this con
nection that this family of Todds was
not the same as the family founded by
Levi Todd friend and companion of
Daniel Boone. who WIS one Of the first
settlers Of Kentucky, and who lost ms
life in the disastrous battle of Blue
Lack, when his brave band Of pioneers
was overcome by the Indians in the
last Of tho Kentucky fights with the
redskins. Levi Todd was the grand
father of another mistress of the White
House. Mrs, Abraham Lincoln
The wide range covered by American
rcmaNces is illustrated by the fact that
a man who came 10 the United States
from Italy without q penny was forced
10 forgive his son for marrying mem
Der Of the Washington family. while
the Washington descendants main
tanned marked silence concerning their
own opinions of the marriage. Miss
Mary Caroline Washington Bond was
the great granddaughter of George
Steptoe and Lucy Payne Washington.
Her early oirhood was spent in Nir-
ginia and Washington, and she looked
upon historic Harcwod as a part OF her
sentimental dowry. She made her de-
but in New York at a charity ball
few years ago. and there met Attlllo
p Morosini son of Niovanni Morosinl.
Her beauty captured the Young man
and an earnest courtship followed His
father was a Catholic. she was a Prot
cstant So the marriage was secretly
planned and secretly solemnizcd, His
father torgave,
The man whose son thus married into
the Washington family is ono Of the
most remarkable examples of what a
man can do in America. He Is OF IT.
lustrious ancestry himself, tracing his
family back to one of the reiguing doges
of Venice but he came 10 America with
the eyiled patriot Garibaldi. absolutely
pcnniIess. One day he found lost
child in the street and carried 1T home,
The father offered TO reward him with
money, but Morosini declined. lie then
offered a Job and Morosini took 1t. me
man was President Marsh of the Erie
railroad. and young Morosini became
clerk in the offices of that corporation.
He was, called ''the silent Italian by
his fallow-cIcrks. but his ability and
devotion so duty brought hlm TO the
attention of Jay Gould, when that tnan-
cier became head of the Erie. MoroSlnl
was made auditor When Gould left
the Eric. Morosini. went with him as A
secretary The two men were rarely
seen. except together. The Morosrul
millions and the Morosinl palace are
thc rewards Of this Italian patriot
loyalty to his friend.
Returning to the families whose his
tory touches the old life at Harewood,
IL is interesting TO note that the Oldest
man in public life III the United states
the venerable Senator Pettus OF Ala
bama. is a kinsman Of Dolly Madison;
Friend John Pavnc named his baby girl
4 SnnfSVnDH
daughter of Nathaniel West cambridge
and granddaughter of Gov, Alexander
Spotswoo the colonial Nireinlan, who
sent ont the expedition from Williams,
burg TO discover the Pacific ocean and
found the Valley Of Virginia instead.
When little Dolly PAYNE was . years
old her godmother married Patrick
Henry. the orator of the Revolution, and
then after Hcnry's death she became
Mrs Edmund Winston. Henry and
Winston were kinsmenl and both were
cousins of Dolly s mother Edmund
Winston Pettus is a grandson Of An
thony Winston, brave Revolutionary
soldier. who was the brother of I'd
mund Winston and first cousin of Pat
rick Henry and of Dolly Madison s
mother.
Senator Pettus will be eighty six
wears old in July. If he lives untu the
/ expiration of the term for which he
I has been elected he will be ninety
! four wears old He was seventy-six
when he first came to the senate. and
he had never held political office
before. He was born IN Alabama IN
1921 when the State was still almost a
wilderness II was love affair which
made him public man. When he
was sixteen. as he puts it. he was :, the
most ignorant boy in the country He
felI in love with pretty Mary Chapman
when he was mere boy. Riding by
her home one morning he saw her
watering plants on the veranda, The
ardor Of youthful love was too much
for discretion. He jumped, from his
horse. ran up the steps and popped
the question without further ado. She
laughed and said; eco on. boy. go to
f. school and learn something, He was
heart broken. but he did not give up
Hc went away to Clinton college in
Smith county, Tennessee, about forty
miles cast of Nashville Clinton col
lege has long since disappeared, but
,,o- Gopricb,uu IN stitutlon and