East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-06-17
Women Of the White House--lS4O

A few days after the New Years
reception of the president in 1899, the
Boston Post introduced to its readers
the new lady of the White House,
Mrs. Angelica Singleton Van Buren,
the wife of the eldest son of the chief
magistrate, The event is thus cele-
brated in the letter of the Posts
Washington correspondent: THE ex-
ecutive mansion was place of much
more than usual attraction in conse-
quence of the first appearance there
of the bride of the presidents son and
private secretary, Mrs. Abram Van
| Buren,. She is represented as being
\ a lady of rare accomplishments, very
modest yet perfectly easy and grace
! full in her manners, and free and vi
various in her conversation. She was
universally admired, and is said to
have borne the fatigue of a three
hours levee with a patience and
pleasantly which must be inexhaust-
ible to last one through so severe a
trial. A constant current set in from
the presidents house to the modest
mansion of the much respected lady
of eX-President Madison, ex-President
Adams and his lady were also cordi-
ally greeted at their residence by a
number of friends The picture OF
Angelica Van Buren, is a reproduction
of a painting which still hangs in the
corridor of the White House.
When Martin Van Buren, moved in
to the White House his wife had been
dead for II years. and for one season
the executive mansion was without a
mistress Van Buren was almost the
anththesis of the man who had pre-
ceded him and made him his heir
He was suave in manner. courteous
almost to effeminacy, lover of lux
ury. Unlike Jackson, he was not hail
fellow well-met with all who came tC
the White House, and the receptions
over which his daughter-in-law pre-
sided were no longer characterized by
unseemingly scrambles for food.
Angelica Van Puren would have
been i'll at ease had she been called
upon to preside at General Packson':
dinners. for she was as much an aris
tocrat at nature as was her father-in
law. Under her guidance the Whit,
House became again the gathering
place of wealth and fashion and birth
She was the daughter of South Caro-
lians who held a high social position
and was educated at a fashionable
girls finishing school in Philadelphia
On visit to Washington she va
presented to President Van Buren j.
Mrs. Dolly Madison, and she becam'
at once a great favorite of Presiden
. Van Buren,. His son could hav,
chosen no young woman for his wifi,
who would have been more agreeabl
to the president. The marriage tool
. place at the residence of the bride
father, and young Mrs, Van Buren,
first public appearance at the Whit
House was that which has been de
scribed above.
In the spring of 1899 the younl
couple made hurried trip to Europe
In London they were entertained b
the BRIDES uncle, Andrew Stevenson
L then ambassador to Great Britain. an
, Mrs. Van Buren, was presented a
court. When she returned to Wash
fngton she was more than ever anxi
Gus to make Washington society a
4 formal as that which she had foun
abroad.
The elaborate dinners at whic
Mrs. Van Buren, occupied the seat
honor among the ladies were dt
; nounced for their duxury by the Whi
y orators and writer's. The critic fair
p walled in his righteous dismay owe
the shameless prodigality. How d.
lightful it must be-" he said, Ito
real genuine Loco Foco to eat his plat
de fole gras, dine desosse and salad
a la volatile from the silver plate wit
= a golden knife and fork. And no
exquisite to sip with golden spoc
his soup a la Refine from a silver II
)r reen. What will honest Loo
t. Foco say to Mr. Van Buren, for spent
N ing the peoples cash in foreign Fam
,r Kemble green finger cups, in whic
to wash his pretty tapering, soft, whit
t. lily fingers. after dining on fricai
deau de yeau and omelette souffle
or How will the friends of temperate
d relish the foreign cut wine coole
~ and the barrel-shaped flute decantel
with cone stoppers?"
u When it was also discovered tn;
800 had been spent for artifici
flowers for the presidents table an
crowning indignity of all. that ch,
= had been brought to Washington frol
J. London, the anger of the critics kne