Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-02-17

The first Vice President to be-
come President through the death
of that Executive was John Tyler.
who followed William Henry mar
rison In Office after Gen. Har-
rison's death on April 4, 1841, just
one month to the day after his in
auguration. Tyler had been chosen
in 1910 on the Whig ticket with
Gen. Harrison. who was SO years
old when he was inaugurated, and
soon thereafter contracted a cold,
while going to market In a truly
democratic fashion. Like many
other people he overestimated his
constitution and physical powers
and even declined to accept
friendly advice.
He was seriously i'll only nine
days and died in the White House.
His death was a great shock to
the country, and when the people
realized that Mr.. Tyler would sue
coed to the presidency, the cry
went up from all quarters: "Who
is this man Tyler?" Practically
all they had known of him before
his election as Vice President was
as "Tyler. too"
Several days before the death
Of Gen. Harrison his serious con-
dition was fully realized, and
when the end came a Government
steamer was sent down the
Potomac to where Tyler was liv-
ing on the peninsula, to bring
him here. He is said to have
taken the oath Of Office quietly
and privately. It was the opinion
Of Gen. Harrison's cabinet that
MIR. Tyler should not take the
title Of President, but rather that
Of 'Vice President, Acting Presi-
dent" However, the advice of
Chief Justice fancy was relied
upon and Mr.. Tyler ut once as
sumed the title of President. The
Harrison cabinet was retained,
with Daniel Webster as Secre-
tary Of State, Thomas Ewing as
Secretary Of the Treasury. John
Bell as Secretary Of War. John J.
Crittenden as Attorney General,
George e. Badger as Secretary of
the Navy and Francis Granger as
Postmaster General.
The successor to Gen. Harri-
son was born in Charles City
County. Va. on March 20. 1890.
Within three months after
President Tyler was sworn in, he
vetoed two fiscal measures of his
party in Congress looking to a
destruction of the Van Buren, sub
treasury system and to the re-
establishment Of a national bank.
It was during President Tyler's
administration that young Mid
shipman Spencer. son Of John c..
Spencer, Secretary of War, and
two sailors were court-martialed
and hanged for alleged treason
while on cruise on the u. S. s.
Somers, by direction of Capt. Mac
Kenzie of that vessel.
=. Willard Fillmore.
The next Vice President to sue
coed to the presidency was Mil
lard Fillmore. who became Presi-
dent on the death of Gen.
Zachary Taylor. He was born
at Summer Hill. N. Y, January
z. 1900, and served as a Repre-
sentative in Congress from 1887
to 1843. On the 10th day of July,
1850, the day following the death
of President Taylor. MIR. Fillmore
took the oath of Office at a joint
session of Congress. He was them
so years Of age. He died in Buff
falo. N. Y, March 8, 1874.
Some say that Gen. Taylor's|
death was due to eating cherries
and drinking ice water on q very
warm day. but bilious fever is set
down as the direct cause. The
end was expected some hours be.
fore the crisis came. after which
the cabinet addressed an official
letter to Vice President Fillmore.
giving him official notification Of
the Presidents death.
Mr.. Fillmore notified Congress.
which was then in session, that
he would take the oath Of Office as
President at noon of the same
day, and this was administered to
him by Chief Justice Cranch Of
the District Courts.
johnson was one Of our most
unusual Presidents. When he was
4 years old he lost his father.
At the age Of 10 he was appren-
ticed to a tailor in his native city
Of Raleigh. This position lasted
for seven years and prevented him
from acquiring any educational
advantages. In fact. he never at
tended school q day in his life,
though while learning his trade
he resolved to educate himself. He
set out to seek his fortune in the
West, carrying with him his
mother, who was dependent upon
him for support. He stopped at