The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-12-05
OF THE
WHITE HOUSE
Miss Taft'S Coming Debut in
Society Recalls interest
ing Careers.
MARRIAGES IN EAST ROOM
Theodore Roosevelt Presented Two
Daughters to Society of
Washington.

1 Phyllis and the rest of the poor little
/ dears are bling fairly fitted 20 fraz-
zles, while their mammas are every
where busting about I'm the shops.
| ecstatic over such extraordinary pro-
| vocation for lavish spending. says
John =. Watkins in the st. Louis
I Globe-Democrat
Although he is the twenty-sixth
I president to hold office. Taft is only
I the sixth TO be possessed of q mar
riageable daughter during his admin
istration. Seven OF his predecessors
Washington, Madison, Jackson,
/ Polk, Pierce. Buchanan and Mckin-
/ ley-were childless presidents. Blu
chanan being a bachelor. while Pierce
| and Mckinley lost all their children
by death prior to entering office.
The only president 10 present two
unmarried daughters 20 Society was
Colonel Roosevelt, and both Of them
were under eighteen when they made
their debuts, whereas Miss Taft is
now nineteen.
From the moment OF her debut
/ Princess Alice" as this popular and
spirited girl was called. enjoyed a
round of gayety such as no other
American girl has ever shared The
most costly balls IN the annals OF So
cial history were given in her honor.
among these the famous $3.50 CO.
tillion by lieutenant Stirling Clarke.
favOrs were all gold and jewels. while
the supper was prepared by the most
Il famous chefs Of New York and con-
veyed to Washington on special
train. Onc newspaper published sta
tistics stating that in the first fifteen
months OF her social career Miss Alice
had attended $50 balls. 40S dinners.
500 parties and $50 afternoon teas. at
which she had shaken hands with So
600 people. Within the same time
she had paid loo calls. At the end
OF the fourth season she sailed with
Secretary Taft on the famous tour
or Hawaii. Japan and the Philippines.
from which she returned with twenty
three cases or presents. on which she
had 20 pay n duty Of s1.203. But 81
was on this tour that the most famous
4 OF an daughters OF the White House
abdicatcd her belleship and promised
TO become the wife OF Nicholas Long
worth. the young millionaire repre-
sentative from Cincinnati. whom she
married five days after her twenty
: second birthday. her reign I'm the
White House having lasted four years
one month and fifteen DAYS
When she was married i'm the east
! room her half-sister Ethel was only
. IA. Indeed. Miss Ethel did not reach
her seventeenth birthday until the
; summer or Iafts nomination 70 sue
coed her father. So I'm her case. as
I'm that Of her sister Alice. a debut
had to be arranged before her eight
zenith birthday. So she reigned in the
White House for just one brief sea-
son. that falling between Tsfts cleo
ton and his inauguration. She and
Miss Helen Heron Taft. her success
sor. were about the same age. had
been schOolmates at Cathedrar school
and had then been confirmed I'm the
same class when joining the Episcopal
church
The White House had been twenty
eight years without "A daughter OF
maria geable age when the popular
Alice Roosevelt made her famous de-
but. her direct predecessor having
been Nelly Grant
I The White House belle OF a genera
J.. ton ago was kept i'm school for the
l. first three years OF her fathers eight
years I'm the White House. Then she
. made her debut at reception which
her mother. strict Methodist.
e deemed a more suitable entertainment
g than a ball for the young people OF
q their daughters age.
= Like her successor. the Princess
Alice" Miss Grant was destined to
e lose her heart while crossing the
y ocean. While coming over on the
Russia" after a European tour. late
/, in 1872. she met AlgernOn SartOris.
/. a grandson Of Charles Kemble. the
e actor and nephew OF Fanny KEN
d BILE the celebrated actress. a year
= and half later-May 81. 1S74-when
= she was only nineteen and he twenty
three. they were married in the east
r. room I'm tho presence OF 200 guests
o including the cabinet families and the
= | high officers OF the army. and navy
. and diplomatic corps. all in their bril-
$ liant uniforms. President and Mrs
a Grant went over TO New York 20 see
, their only daughter sail for her new
: home in England, whence she was 10
!. return. before many years. a widow.
s Another generation had almost
reached back from Nelly Grants reign
to the time OF the previous White
House daughter or marriageable age
the studiOus Mary Fillmore, whose
. father was suddenly called. I'm the
summer OF 1859. to succeed President
Taylor She. like Nelly Grant and
" Helen Taft. was an only daughter
/ Having graduated at finishing
school at Lenox. Mass. she had en-
tered the New York State normal
4 school while her father was vice
= president. and when General Taylor's
e death occurred she had scarcely COM
q pleted the course which was to qualify
! her as a teacher.
A rather stupid time Of It for Eirl
l. OF only eighteen. poor Mary Fillmore
n j
came 90 live at the White Hos. To
4 begin with. the family was in mourn
= ing for an aunt. Then her mother fell
e into poor health. and there was little
= gayety around the old mansion during
I the time that this girl lived there.
Her mother was one Of the many
Inauguration day victims of history
She caught cold on the day when
Franklin Pierce succeeded her hus-
= band and she died within the month
! Then a little more than a year later
- and when she was only twenty-five
4 Mary Fillmore followed her mother
n TO the grave. having been stricken
with cholera while on visit to hel
grandfather
A much gayer time had been en-
= jOyed by pretty Elizabeth Tyler. the
!. White House belle who reigned be
h fore Mary Fillmore. She was one OF
four sisters. two married and the 9th.
err a child. and when their father sue.