Evening star., 1946-01-20

marriage OF 1ormef
Ex-President President BENZ m 1 n
To Morry Harrison and the niece
of his first wife, Mrs.
Mary Scott Dimmick. Friends and
members Of their families admittedly
were opposed to the match, but their
mutual devotion has been fire.
quently commented upon and the an
nouncement of their intention to marry
is not surprising" The ex-President's
home in Indianapolis, it was understood,
was being prepared ito install a new
mistress in it." Described as "a bright,
chatty and agreeable talker." the pro-
spective bride was believed to be about
the same age as Mr.. Harrison's daugh-
ter and the former President 81.
Though the marriage lasted only five
years, it was happy and congenial. Mr..
Harrison died in 1901.
Halt a century ago Washington at
tracted celebrated visitors very much as
1t does today. Among
Distinguished the more or less famous
Guests men and women who
were registered at local
hotels as reported in The Star for the
week ending Saturday, January II, 1896,
were: William H. Crane, the comedian;
Charles Henry Niehaus, sculptor; Mrs.
p. F. Collier, wife of the well-known
New York publisher; Dr. r. j. Gatling,
inventor OF the Gatling gun, and DR..
j. G. Justin, inventor of the Justin high
explosive shell; NJ. M. Stephens, Mayor
OF st. Louis, and his bride on their we'd
ding journey; Thomas w. Lamont,
flnancier: Burr Mcintosh, actor, and
Nancy, his sister; Eugene Sandow, the
strong man, and Mrs. Sandow, and P. L.
Williams, Salt Lake City attorney, ac-
companied by two young ladies, both Of
whom are named Kate williams, but
who are in nowise related-his daughter
and her most intimate friend"
1t was reported in The Star for Janu-
ary l3, 1896, that: Outdoor skating
evidently enjoyed
Skating the zenith of its
In Georgetown glory for the sea-
son yesterday, and
all day there were crowds upon the ice.
More cautious skaters selected
Rock Creek as the scene of their pleas
ure, and number skated up to the
Zoo and beyond. The Canal also had
quite crowd upon its frozen surface,
and one or two parties skated up to
Great Falls BY far the largest crowd
was on the Little River and the (Po-
tomac) River, and at one time fully
1000 people were out. The Aque-
duct Bridge was thronged with specta-
tors, who, from their high point of
vantage, enjoyed the antics Of those
below. No accidents occurred which
were serious"
A quotation from the Journal of the
Royal Horticultural Society, London, ap-
pearing in The Star
Pototos Debut of January IA, 1896,
In Fronce seems worth reprint
ing now, as follows:
TN France we find that the potato was
placed on the royal table in the year
1916, but 1t was Parmentier, an apothe-
cary, who really introduced it and did
all he could to get 1t generally culti-
waited, though not without the assist
ance Of the government. In It'll high
prize was offered by the Academy Of
Besancon for the discovery Of new
food which would fill the place Of
cereals in case of famine. Parmentier
showed his potatoes and Louis XVI
gave him SO morgen of land to plant
them on. : All Paris talked of moth
ing but potatoes and the cultivator OF
them. The King said: France will
thank you some time hence because you
have found bread for the poor And
France has not forgotten Parmentier." !"
Potatoes were growing on his grave in
Pere IL Chaise Cemetery at least a. iata