The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-10-07
Engagement to Mrs. Gait of
Washington Announced
at the White House
WEDDING PROBABLY
IN DECEMBER NEXT
Bride-to-Be a Woma nof Beauty and
lth-Announcement of the En-
gagement Came as a Surprise to OF
fetal Circles in Capital.


fetal Circles in Capital
| WASHINGTON, Oct L Woodrow
| Wilson, President of the United States,
announced last night his engagement to
Mrs. Norman Gait of Washington. The
date of the wedding has not been fixed,
but it probably will take place in Deem
| Der at the home of the bride-elect.
| With the marriage of his two daughters
and the death of Mrs Wilson more than a
year ago, the Presidents life had become
one OF solitude. His absorption in official
labors began to tell on him physically and
when a few months ago he began to take
a renewed interest in personal affairs, his
friends and members of the family vel
coined the distinct change which it brought
about in his health and spirits
Last night-at the end of a busy day for
the President, during which he announced
he would vote for woman suffrage took a
firm position IN favor of national defense
land received a number of callers-AIrs.
IGalt was dinner guest at the White
House.
At the moment when Secretary Tumulty
stood in the executive offices announcing
the engagement to a large number of
Washington correspondents who had been
summoned for the occasion, the President
and Mrs. Gait were spending the evening
with DR.. Cary L. Grayson and Miss Bones
in the White House parlors,
| The news was given out in brief state
f ment, which read:
The announcement was made today
of the engagement of Mrs. Norman Gait
of this city and President Woodrow vii
SON
( No word as to plans for the wedding
J. was said to be available as yet but it gen
S orally is presumed that Mrs Gait, who is
, of democratic tastes, will prefer private
: wedding in her home instead of in the
: White House. Grover Cleveland was the
= last President to be married in the White
D House. Should Mr.. Wilson eventually de
= eide to be married there it will be tho
t third wedding in the mansion under hi.
t. administration, the first between Jessie
2 Woodrow Wilson and Francis b. Sayrt
: being held in the East Room and the sec
:, ond being between Secretary McAdoo anl
, Miss Eleanor Wilson being solemnized il
; the Blue Room.
It Mrs. Gait was present at the first so
n clal affair participated in by the Prcsiden
n and Miss Margaret Wilson in more than
a year. 1t was tea given by Miss VII
II son to neighbors in the artist colony a
4 totnlSh, n. ii.
Since the return of the President t,
Washington he and Mrs Gait have spcn
70 many evenings together, sometimes at tn
). White House and often at her home Las
week she occupied a prominent seat il
It the Presidents reviewing stand at the G
l. \. r. parade.
The President was in a happy mood las
: night The satisfactory settlement of tn
N Arabic case and the disposition of man
9 other important questions pending. to
n gether with the announcement of his Ell
gagement, had buoyed his spirits He Wi
1t go to Philadelphia Saturday to attend tn
Is worlds series and it is likely that Mr.,
Gait, together with Miss Bones and othe
members of the Presidents immediat
q family, will be in the party,
The brief announcement from the Whit
House made by Secretary Tumulty cam
as a surprise to official Washington, hu
b. to number of intimate friends it ha
long been expected. From this circl
Ia came last night the story of a friendshi
:, whose elimination was viewed as a happ
= turn in the troubled and lonely life of tn
Q nations chief executive
ID 1t was Miss Margaret Wilson and he
a cousin, Miss Bones, who drew Mrs Ga
into the White House circle They me
it her first in the early autumn of last yea
r
- they sought her out more and more fr,
- quently and the friendship between thcl
- rapidly ripened into an affectionate int
macy. Mrs. Gait spent month this sun
mer at Cornish as the house guest of til
Presidents eldest daughter It w,
through this intimacy of his daughter an
cousin that the President had an oppo
tunity to meet and know Mrs. Gait Or
- OF the most interesting facts about the el
~ gagement indeed, as told by friends.
that the PRESIDENT daughters should ha,
- chosen Mrs Gait for their admiration an
y, friendship before their father did
! Mrs. Gait is the widow of a promine1
business man of Washington, who die
\ eight years ago, leaving a jewelry busine
Il that still bears his name She has lived
Washington since her marriage in 1S9
I She is about IS years old and was Mi
| Edith Boiling born in Wytheville, Va
| where her girlhood was spent and whel
her father, William H, Boiling, was
| prominent lawyer.
| In the circle of people who have know
| Mrs Gait for many years she has been T
| garded as an unusual beauty, gifted wit
! a natural charm. Friends speak of her
| being constantly sought out as a delight
| companion, remarking especially on h
| thoughtfulness and quick capacity for an
| thing she chose to undertake
| For many weeks Mrs. Gait and her rel
| tlves have been frequent dinner guests
l the White House. Often she has accomp
| MED the President on motor rides. She
/ not quite as tall as Mr. Wilson. has dal
hair and dark eyes and always is in styh:
attire. Her tastes are said to be striking
similar to those Of the President, with
Z deep interest in literature and chart
| work