The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-11-17
MRS. GAIT IS A
WEALTHY WOMAN
I'm a ModernIy Moderate
Estimation.
HAS A FORTUNE OF 100000
Martha Washington Said To
Be The WealthieSt Pres
ident'S Wife.
WOMEN OF THE WHITE HOUSE

Washington, ID. c., Nov. t2.-Mrs
Norman Gait will be one of the
weoltbiest of the White House brides.
White House from the foundation
of the republic until the present,
have been heiresses and while Mrs.
Calls fortune, estimated at about
100000, is not large as fortunes
are accounted in the East, it is larg-
er nest egg than most of the first
ladies" have possessed at the time
OF their marriages to Presidents.
Martha Washington. the wife of
the first President. was an excep-
ton. She was very rich. George
Washington, marrying a great heir
ess, set a precedent which few OF his
successors have followed. The pref
W. brighteyed Virginia widow. Mrs.
Custis, whose lands, slaves. dollars
and mansions were inherited from
her fathers estate, was the greatest
catch" of her day and young Wash
iagton was greatly envied when he
persuaded her to say Eyes" This
marriage enabled him to hold hi-
own among the, plut0crats Of his
time and to be free from any fAan-
cial worries.
The President, who next to George
Washington, married most adyan-
tageOusly from the financial point of
view was William Mckinley. When
he married the favorite daughter of
the rich banker James A. SaxtOn. he
had barely entered upon the prac-
tice of law and was possessed Of no
capital except intelligence. energy
and character. Yet such was the re-
spect he had attained in the COM
munity that Miss Saxton's neighbOrs
all thought she was doing we'll and
no one referred to young Mckinley
az a fortune hunter. 70 him a gift
more valuable than money was her
fathers statement:
You are the only man | have ever
known to whom would give my
daughter"
Another heiress was Julia Gardi- |
ner, the pretty New York girl who
became the second wife OF President |
James Tyler, who was more than 80
years her senior.
Several of the Presidents in the
days of their youth and poverty we'd |
ded girls no better off than they |
were. who not only shared with |
courage their husbands small be-
ginning but assisted them to rise.
Among the self-made Presidents |
who also were to a considerable ex-
tent wife-made men, were John Adj
ans, Andrew Jackson. Zachary Tay- !
Tor, Willard Fillmore and Andrew
johnson. However. most of the |
Presidents had attained to a position
of modest comfort before marrying
women who were real helpmates and
shared their satisfaction in seeing
circumstances improve as the years
passed. Such was the late Mrs. Will
son. who like her husband. was the
child OF minister. Mrs. TAFT and
Mrs. Roosevelt were women OF this
type and so We're the wives OF Har-
rison, Garfield, Hayes. Grant Pierce
and Polk.
Miss Frances Folsom, although Of
family classed as comfortably well
OF, was not an heiress when she be-
came the wife of President Cleve-
land. her guardian and her fathers
law partner. She stepped from the
school room into the most difficult
position IN American social life and.
in spite OF her youth. filed g so ably
that che won universal admiration
and esteem
Although a few OF the wives Of the
Presidents have been heiresses qnite
a number OF their daughters-in-law.
and nieces have had that
advantage Miss Alice Roosevelt in
herited several large legaciee from
the family Of her mother who was
Miss Loo, Of Boston. She was given
m allowance for dress by her grand
ooiher. Mrs. Lee. which was Tar
'reatcr than thqi At the disposal OF
he averaFe nArried woman IN So
iety. Miss Harriet Lane. the niece