Evening star., 1935-04-07

caps for him. Matchmaking widows
do their best ogling when they are
in the Presidents company, and since
he has been in the White House full
bakers dozen of ladies have beer
reported as sure to marry him. Miss
Folsom of Buffalo was here last Winter
with her mother and was courted by
not few as the White House lady in
prospect.
A few years ago. it Is said, Mr..
Cleveland paid his attentions to Mrs.
Oscar Folsom, and the rumor was that
he would marry his old partners
widow. But gossip went on to state
that Mrs. Folsom was like the Vicar
of Wakefield. a monogamist, having
decided prejudices against second
marriages. Cleveland then let his eyes
drop, and instead Of the mother they
fell upon the daughter. Miss Folsom
was fair to look upon, and it may be
that she will yet come here as the
White House mistress.
Old friends of Cleveland. however,
will take you aside and whisper en-
phatically that the President will
never marry. They will tell you.
L
the only woman that the President
every really loved has been in her
grave for 25 years or more. He met
her, they say, when he was a school
teacher in little town in New
York, when the down had just begun
to come upon his lip and when she
was sweet l6 They loved, but were
too poor to marry.
Cleveland went West to make a
fortune, and while he was gone his
sweetheart fell i'll and died. James
Buchanan's love Tilted him when he
was a young man, and he never
courted another. Fillmore had much
the same experience as Cleveland in
that he was too poor TO marry when
he first fell in love. He went off and
spent three years at Buffalo without
seeing his sweetheart, because he had
not even enough to pay the travel
ing expenses over the $50 miles that
lay between them.
The Presidents matrimonial affairs
form the gossip of the week in Wash
ington. Half a dozen people claim
to have seen letters from the family,
into which the President is said to be
about to marry, speaking Of a match
which is to take place this Summer.
This family is that Of the late Oscar
Folsom of Buffalo. Oscar Folsom was
one of Clevelands dearest friends.
He was his law partner, and after
Folsoms death, Cleveland eyttnded
his friendship to the family 1 men
toned previously how it was reported
that Cleveland at one time had made
love to Folsom's widow, but the wom-
an now spoken of as his prospective
wife is oscar Folsoms daughter. Miss
Folsom is a beautiful young lady of
%, who last year was a student at
Wells College. in Aurora, N. Y. Last
October she and her mother made a
short visit to the White House. and
they are now travelling in Europe
Some of the veteran know -alls of the
Capital tell me that the wedding is
to take place this Summer and that
Miss Folsom is LAYING in a Paris
trnuSseau of extravagant dimensions.
Others say that Cleveland is footing
all the expenses of the European trip.
and ule or two can predict for you
! just how the wedding will take place.
something like that of John Tyler,
who rushed of to New York one
night and was married quietly in one
of the churches there. Cleveland will
perhaps go off on his vacation and
at our breakfast tables We shall read
the announcement that the President
has been married and that there were
no cards
The Ex-President
1t is wonderful how little interes-
comparatively is taken in a President
after he leaves the White House.
Chester A. Arthur is now lying at the
point of death. and not one man in
a thousand in Washington pays any
attention to his condition. A little
over a year ago the country went
I wild if he was the least bit i'll, and
+ when he had a bilious attack dur;rg
his trip to Florida the papers were
full of editorials about him
Arthur's sickness is largely due tn
his life at the White House. He lived
too high. exercised too little and paid
too scant attention to keeping good
hours. He did not get his breakfast
/ much before 10 o'clock and his supper
did not begin until or 10 o'clock in
/ the evening. He often sat at the table
/ until after midnight and though he
| was not a glutton. he liked fine wines
| and terrapin. For time he took his
horseback rides which the doctor
prescribed for keeping his system in
order: but he soon discontinued them
and toward the close of his admins
tration he grew heavier than ever. He
said once that he needed only six
hours of sleep. but that he generally
allowed himself seven.
President Cleveland takes no more
care of himself than did Arthur. The
fact that man as heavy. as he has
put on 40 pounds of fat. is against
the prospects of good health.
Long Live the King!
The most painful contrasts in Amer
ican history are found in the lives
of our Presidents. The American
people are as tickle as the Italians.
They worship the up and never look
at the down. The King is dead. long
live the King! The President OF the
/ United States has more power than
the Queen of England; the former
| President is worse off than the
ordinary citizen. We exalt man to
the throne for four or perhaps eight
years. We expect him to entertain
like a prince and to administer affairs
| like a statesman. At the end of his
term we tear his robes from his back,
cut off his salary. and cast him upon
the world expecting him to maintain
the respect due the position he has
hel6.