The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-09-20
Three Distinguished Widows.
Mrs. James A. Garfield, Mrs. Benjamin
Harrison and Mrs. Grover
Cleveland.
Cleveland.
y y y y y = y y =

Although there is now no surviving
ex-President of the United States
three women still live who have shared
the lot of former rulers of the nation,
The three widows of ex-Presidents
are Mrs. James A. Garfield, Mrs. Ben
jamin Harrison and Mrs. Grover Cleve-
land. 1t has nearly always been the
case that the widows of Presidents
have outnumbered former holders of
the office. The strain of caring for
the nation s affairs seems to bear
heavily on incumbents of the chief
magistracy, and it is rare indeed to
have had more than two ex-Presidents
living at the same time, despite the
fact that the term of office being only
four years it would naturally be ex-
pected more would survive after con
Guiding terms of office to receive the
respect of their fellow citizens.
Mrs. Garfield has long survived her
husband, who has now been dead al
most twenty-seven. years.
Mrs. Garfield divides her time be-
tween three places. She deeply loves
her old home town of Mentor, Ohio
which is rich in memories of her young
life. There her children were reared,
there are thousand memories of the
statesman stricken down by the bullet
of Guiteau.
Mrs Garfield is also partial to Wash
ington. Despite the fact that the cap
ital city saw the off-taking of her hus-
band, she has made it a practice to go
there often to spend the winter, with
in sight of his triumphs during the
brief time that he occupied the White
House.
In Pasadena, California, Mrs. Gar
field has a summer home. There she
spends larger part of her time in the
midst of idyllic surroundings. She
spends most of her time sewing and
reading. She is a sweet and gracious
woman, gentle and kindly and always
ready to speak of the triumphs of her
husband.
Mrs. Benjamin Harrison.
Mrs Benjamin Harrison was not ac-
tually lady of the White House, for
her distinguished husband had retired
from public life before he welded the
beautiful Mrs Mary Dimmick, the
favorite niece of the first wife of the
President.
She became a member of the Harri-
son household prior to his election to
the Presidency, and after his Inaugural
tion she took a prominent part in all
the activities of social Washington.
The first wife, Mrs. Mary Scott Har-
rison, was an invalid during a large
part of Mr.. Harrison IS stay at the
White House. and much of the social
duty devolved upon Mrs. Dimmick. She
cared for it with complete success.
When four years after his passing
from the White House Mr.. Harrison
announced his purpose to remarry,
there was general pleasure and hearth
est good will expressed all over the
country. On February 81, 1897, child
was born to the pair, Elizabeth Harri-
son.
4 woman of rare beauty and charm,
Mrs Harrison is very popular, both in
Indianapolis, where she had her home,
and in Tuxedo, n. Y, where she spends
much of her time.
Mrs Cleveland.
Mrs. Cleveland has only lately been
made the widow of a President. The
whole life of this lovable woman, since
her girlhood days. radiated around the
life of the only man the Democrats
have succeeded in putting in the White
House in half a century of effort.
They were welded in the White House
during the first term of the then New
orker.
For the remaining three years of his
term Mrs. Cleveland presided with
charm and dignity that were irreslsti-
BILE, and that gave her, perhaps, more
popularity than any woman
Of the many who have held the title OF
First Lady of the Land. -
For four years more in private life,