The Washington times., 1915-12-17

while the occupant of the White House.
President Tyler, the 'irst President to
wed while welding the scepter of pow
er, simply stepped or ard surprised
everybody. President Cleveland, how
ever. was married in the Blue Room OF
the Executive Mansion and the Ameri-
can people, particularly the women
were kept in a constant furry ot cN-
citement over the announcements con"
cerning the wedding. which were is
sued at intervals from the White House.
Many weeks In advance 1t was given
out by Col. Daniel Lamont, the Presi-
dents secretary, that the Chief Execu-
tive would wed Miss Frank almost IN
variably mispelled Frances) Folsom
his beautiful young ward. who lived in
Buffalo, N. y. The wedding day was
announced as June 2. 1856.
Full Details Announced.
Several days later 1t was officially
announced that the wedding would take
place in the Blue Room of the White
House, that Colonel Wilson. then Com
missioner Of Public Buildings and
Grounds, would be master q ceremon
les. and that all the members of the
Presidents Cabinet would be invited.
Public interest next centered in the
official announcement that the Rev.
Byron Sunderland, pastor of the First
Presbyterian Church Of Washington:
and formerly pastor Of the Central
Presbyterian Church of Buffalo, which
Miss Folsom attended, would perform
the ceremony.
A few days later President Cleve-
land announced that he had selected
Wilson S. Bissell, his former law part
ner as his best man.
Happy and rejoicing over the forn-
coming nuptials, the bride and BRIDE
,grocm-to-be disclosed practically all
of the ceremony, which has fixed at Z
o'clock on the evening of the beautiful
June day.
AS a result of the many official an
nouncements made about the wedding,
public interest was whetted to a Keen
edge, and, all the world loving a lover,
a great crowd assembled around tha
White House grounds to be near the
President and his bride, although they
had not been invited to pass within
the portals of the Executive Mansion.
Hundreds of men and women VINO
gathered at the gates of the White
House. where they were halted by
guards, wore evening gownr, full-dress
suits, high hats, and white gloves.
Church Bells Rung.
Because everyone in Washir gton ana
the nation knew the hour of the we'd
ding, the bells in all the church tow
ers in Washington were rung from Z
to ; O'Clock on the evening OF June 2,
1886. All the whistles on the factories
and steamboats, in the harbor were tied
down and allowed to screech for JOY
for a full hour. Prof. Widows, organ
ist at Metropolitan Methodist Church,
played Mendelssohn's Wedding Marcn
on the church chimes and rendered
other appropriate selections, concIud-
ing with Cegal Wedding Peal. from Z
to 8 o'clock during the evening.
Miss Folsom. who spent the day be-
fore her wedding with her mother and
father in New York, came to Washing
ton in the private car OF President Rob
erts, Of the Pennsylvania railroad, be-
ing met at the local station by the
Presidents sister and whisked to the
White House in a carriage, arriving
all-important day.
Announcement OF her safe arrival and
of the fact that Best Man Bissell was
In Washington, was made by Colonel
Lamont, who described the brides cos
tune for the trip as a close-fitttng
black silk dress and a peak chip hat
with high white feather. He said she
would be given away by her father.
After making this announcement, Col
onel Lamont left the White House In
company with a number of newspaper
men and went to the City Hall, where
at II 80 o'clock on the morning of the
| wedding day, he obtained the license fol
the marriage of the President and Miss
Colonel Wilson stated on the day pre-
vious to the wedding that he would be
unable to transact any official bushes!
because of the task of decorating the
| Blue Room and other parts of the White
| House, for the wedding was a big one
and he intended converting the .Execu
tive mansion into a bower of blossoms
Shaved Himself.
That President Cleveland was in ever!
sense a Democrat was established b,
Colonel Lamont's statement that tn
President had shaved himself for tn
wedding. That Mr.. Cleveland was un
terrified to the last seems to be estab
| lished by the following quotation fror
| newspaper published on the day o
| the wedding:
| "He appeared to he in good spirits
and the brightness OF his eye, which
his most noticeable characteristic, wa
| in no way dtmmed.
Many wagon loads of flowers, potte
plants, and moss were taken to tn
| White House on June l and from tn
| conservatory of the Executive MansioI
| Agricultural Department propagatin
grounds, and, the Botanic Garden. TIL
| curtains to all the rooms of the Whit
House were drawn, and flowers an
moss were placed on the sills to shu
! out all lRnI. flO"cIb VI every uSSCIlI
tion were used IN building huge ALTA
on which the wedding service was pei
| formed, and all the mantels and corner
were strewn with profusion of bios
| SONS.
Promptly at o'clock the weddin
| ceremony began, the Marine Band, d
I rected by John Philip Sousa, burst fort
with Here Comes the Bride" as Mis-
Folsom entered the Blue Room on tn
arm of her father. Following the brid
and bridegroom to the altar was tn
distinguished party of richly gowne
and jeweled invited guests. Those
the party were Mr.. and Mrs. Folsom
Miss Cleveland and Mrs. HOyt, the Pres
ident's sisters, and William Clevelan'
his brother; Beniamin Folsom, brQthe
of the bride; Secretary of War End
the Navy Whitney and Mrs. Whitne!
las, Secretary OF State Bayard and Mr.
Presidents sister-ln-law; the Rev. Byro
Daniel Lamont and Mrs. Lamont, VIII
Rogers, of Seneca Falls. N. Y; Mr.
troit, and Mr.. and Mrs. Harmon. {
BostonA
: Attorney General Garland was invite
but did not attend. He sent his II
ETets.
The Brides Gown.
: The bride wore a wedding gown mad
, in Paris, fashioned of ivory satin simpl