Evening star., 1948-11-07

President. Handsome, some say
she was. and yet it Is probable it
was rather her delightful way of
greeting people that made her ap-
pear beautiful, for others say she
was only passably good looking. But
she undoubtedly was diplomatic and
tactful and a good politician, and
aided her husband materially in the
performance of the duties of his
Office.
On August "a, 1914, she was one
Of the last to leave the White House
before it was sacrificed to the torch
of the British, and her name will
ever be remembered for her good
judgment and presence of mind
upon that occasion in saving
Stuart's portrait of Washington,
which hung in the state dining
room.
Some say that to save time Dolly
ordered the pictured cut from the
frame, but events transpiring a
half century later, when the picture
and frame were turned over to an
artist for cleansing. conclusively
showed that the canvas had never
been cut.
Dolly did not return to the White
House, for it was not again habitable
until September, 1917, when it was
occupied by President Monroe. Al
the time of her death, July II, 1849
she was residing at her home al
the southeast corner of H street
and Madison place, and burial serv.
ices were held at old st. Johns
Sixteenth and H streets, with the
President and his cabinet and &
large number of other prominent
persons in attendance. She il
buried at Montpelier, beside hel
husband.
Mrs. Adams Wed in London
Louise Katherine Johnson, daugh-
ter of Joshua johnson. the brother
of Thomas johnson, a three-term
Governor of Maryland and chair
man of the Board of Commissioners
to lay out the city OF Washington
was a well-schooled woman of con-
siderable foreign court experience
Though born abroad she was OF
American parentage and married
John Quincy Adams in London
when she was % years old.
During her early married life she
was with her husband at the court
Of Berlin, and accompanied him as
well to Russia. where he was as
signed to that diplomatic station.
The awarding of beauty is usually
overdone. but Katherine Adams
truthfully had her just share, and,
in addition, was highly educated
and mentally equipped for the po-
sition of first lady of the land.
Unfortunately, however. about the
time Congress selected her husband
to fill the Office of President her
health began to fail and his admin
istration was socially a rather quiet
one. OF her, writer says:
"She was a person far beyond the
average woman of her generation.
She early received advantages en-
joyed by few of her predecessors
and perhaps none of her success
sors."
Famous Victory Ball
In 1901, we are told, she went to
Boston to dwell with her husband S
people, but very soon came to
Washington, where her husband
served in the United States Senate
from 1903 to 1908. He resigned,
went to Russia. and was Minister
from 1909 to 1914. In this connec-
ton nothing could be more graphic
than the diary which she kept on
this voyage, which consumed three
months. Summer merged into win
ter she says, before the little
wave-and-wind-beaten bark touched
that then inhospitable shore" With
her husband, the first American
Minister to Russia, Mrs. Adams
lived in st. Petersburg for six years,
poor, studious and ambitious"
When Mr.. Adams became Secre-
tary of State, Mrs. Adams gave a
famous ball. 1t was given on Janu-