The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-10-29
MRS. TILLMAN AS A HOSTESS.
Story of Their Courtship, Their Ideal
Family Life at Trenton and in
Washington Described in
Sympathetic Style.

Writing in The National Monthly
upon "Women Of the Democracy at
Washington, Miss Isabel Joyce
SAYS some very interesting things
about the wife Of the senior
senator from South Carolina. Her ar
ticle follows:
Scarcely had the shades Of the last
session of congress drawn when So
cietv fled to the seashore and noun
tain. vet even now there are signs OF
returning official life in Washington
and it will be matter Of only a II
weeks before the social wheel will be
whirling around as gayly as Of old.
Each year there are new faces to be
met in all circles Of society, new
homes to visit, new hostesses to han
die the social ribbons and new diver
sions to lift the ordinary monotony
which is bound to characterize, more
or less, the regular calendar Of the
year. The coming Of these interest
ing additions to the smart colony at
Washington is always an event OF
great Importance, particularly to the
women of the capital, for there IS al
wavs more or less anticipation IN
what is to be expected from these
new hostesses. But, even with this
keen anticipation and the new glo-
ries which always open with the COM
ing of new social lights, the place 50
long filed by women who have been
established here many years are. the
interesting and familiar corners to
those who spend their winters IN
Washington. Congressional hostesses
of long residence at the capital have
established not only clientele OF
their own but their positions are rec
ognized by every lement IN society
whether they make the usual social
"splurse' which is so often expected
of the majority Of them or whether
they keep within their homes and
draw about them the men and Wo-
men in whose society they find real
companionship. These women are,
after all, the ones who actually ENJOY
their winters in Washington because
through their own way OF dong
things they are able to have about
them Just the people they want, to go
where and when they please and tc
govern their social career here ac-
cording to the way it suits them best.
Sueh a. hostess is Mrs. Benjamin
RYAN Tillman. wife Of the fiery and
picturesque senator from South Caro-
lima, The Tillmans have one OF the
most attractive apartments III WASH
ineton in the Toronto, smart ne"
apartment house just across fashion
able Dupont Circle and within a
stones throw of the homes OF the
Letters, the Robert Pattersons, the
Boardmans and the Herbert Wads-
wcrths, a group Of homes when
hroueht TO the section Of Massachu-
setts and Connecticut avenues the
name Of 'Millionaire's Colony"
Mrs. Tiilman is the daughter OF
Samuel Starke, a distinguished citl-
zen and extensive land owner OF Eli
bert county, Georgia. The clrcum-
stances of the meeting between the
future United States senator and
the young girl who was to be his bride
are more than ordinarily interesting
and romantic. It was during the trou-
blous days Of the Civil War when the
South was overrun with Union SOL
diers and when homes and lives were
being sacrificed in the cause OF the
States. Miss Starke, a fascinating
voung miss Of Is, was seated IN her
fathers house one afternoon when
two elderly ladies and an emaclated
boy drove onto the plantation. The
little party was on its way to some Sc
cluded spot where the boy might re-
cover from serious illness and
stopped at the Starke plantation to
rest. In those days every Southern
home held its door open to visitors
and the two elderly ladies and their
young charge, since known to fame
as ''Ben'' Tillman, were made com
Portable for several days. A little
more than three years later the boy,
2l and fully restored to health. and
the popular daughter Of Samuel
Starke were married. The romance,
which began under those conditions,
has never lost its fervor and to-day
the devotion Of Senator and Mrs.
rr;1r,,,,, ~ oorb NJ har * ono OF the