The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-01-17

I OF him are less vivid than those df
ten years later when / saw him more
! intimately during a visit to the Her
mitage i'm the spring of 1874 But
this first interview took strong hold
upon my memory and gratifed my
youthful longing to see, face to face,
the hero of New Orleans"
A Lock of Mr.. Wirt's Hair and
the Badness OF Lafayette.
on table in the drawing-room of
| Mr.. Buffers fathers house in New
| York city, after the family had re-
moved from Washington, there stood
little box made of wood from the
| famous Charter Oak at Hartford,
| Conn. II inclosed, as a memento OF
! William Writ. carefully folded paper
containing n lock of his sllver-white
hair such a souvenir was much in
vogue in those times, whereby hangs
another story:
''The only other sister of my moth
er, Mary Allen, born in 1900. mar
ried Robert j. Macy, n shipmaster
and the popular captain of one OF the
old line OF Black Ball packets sailing
between New York and Liverpool He
and his wife were one of the hand
|
where, and, having been some time
in France, were proficient in their
! knowledge of the French language
and manners.
"The story is told of my aunt Mary
that on a visit which she paid to
Lafayette, who was always exceed
| ing courteous TO Americans, she said
to him that she had a great favor
! 10 ask. He indicated that he would
| grant It, and she begged him for a
| lock Of his hair. Madame, said the
| general, L wear a wig But to show
his willingness to meet her wishes no
proposed to have the wig so far re-
| moved that If she could find any re-
naming natural hairs she was well
come TO appropriate them to her own
use. Accordingly a few clippings were
secured which she took home, a great
treasure ana divided with my mother,
the quota of each sister being pre-
served in a ring"
While in the cabinet Mr.. Buffers
father usually left Washington dur
ing the summer, spending part of his
time in legal business in this city:
In New York he sometimes stay
ed at Bunker's Mansion House in
Broadway near the Battery IL was
a type of hotel not now to be found
"a spacious brick structure with am
pie halls sitting-rooms and upstairs
bedchambers in which its proprietors,
of tho best Nantucket stock, made
their guests as comfortable as il they
were within their own homes. A Sc
lect class of people availed themselves
Of these peculiar advantages and Mrs.
Bunker presided daily with dignity
a table around which a great many
distinguished people gathered from
time to time.
\ Sight of Aaron Burr In His
Dappcr ana Gallant Old Ago
''lt was in one of the parlors of the
Mansion House that / remember see
Ing Aaron Burr, dalpper little old
man with a round head, entertaining
two ladies' My mother had sent me
i'm to take a look at him preparatory
TO giving me some account of his
strange and eventful career, which
had been fatally clouded by his kill
ing Alexander Hamilton I'm duel at
| Weehawken.
CLOSE by the Mansion House and
fronting on the Battery and Bowling
Green were the fine residences of New
York merchants. The first Presby-
terian church stood on the north side
of Wall street just east of Broadway,
across the street from Trinity church,
"A short distance above which stood
Grace church. then, as now, number
ing many leading Episcopalians in its
congregation.
Near at hand was the City hotel,
Kept by Chester Jennings. a most
popular host. who possessed what Is
said TO be the royal faculty OF re-
memberlng names and faces. Thus.
at that time. much OF the social life
OF New York was below the city Hall
park, but the city was extending be-
yond this limit. For a time It SEEM
ed as though the eastern portion, In
the direction of Division street, would
become fashionable center"
In the spring of 1914 Mr.. Butler
went with his father to see Gen. jack
son at the Hermitage:
I'VE found our aged host quite
feeble in body, but mentally very
bright and active. He occupied one
OF the wings of the house and did not
come to the dining-room for his meals
but left that spacious apartment for
the free use of his guests, long
table being set, iplentifully supplied
with the products of the plantation
and equal to the necessities OF all
oomers at all times. The generals
habit was to sit in a large armchair
in one corner of the great fireplace
OF his sitting-room, on the ground
floor where he smoked his pipe and
talked with his family and visitors.
How Andrew jackson Silenced
Contentious OLD Preacher.
Il think It was the very night OF
our arrival that an old clergyman
named Balm. seated at the opposite
side of the fireplace, in some way
started as a subject of discussion the
doctrine OF election in which he de-
ciared himself firm believer. The
general listened In silence for soma
time, and then taking his pipe from
} his mouth gave utterance Ia decided
tone to the following; Brother Balm,
4 Continued ON Pago -Four.