Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 April 1889 — CABINET MEN'S WIVES. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CABINET MEN'S WIVES.

JHESDAMES BLAINE, WISDOM, WANAMAKER, AND OTHERS. Sketches and Portraits of the Ladies of the New Administration Their Physical and Mental Characteristics and Their Agreeable Manners.

MRS. BLAINE is will-fitted to fill the position of wife of the Secretary of State, as she has knowledge acquired by over twenty years’ residence in Washington. She is tall, well - formed, with dark eyes and hair that is rapidly turning gray. She is a trifle reserved in manner, but has had ithe widest oppor'tunities of travel, and when interested she is a most agree-

able talker. Mrs Blaine was born in Ipswich, Mass., Oct. 12, 1828, and is two years the senior of Mr. Blaine. Her father was Jacob Stanwood, a well-to-do merchant, who, by no means wealthy, was a thorough-going business man and brought up a large family of children. Her mother’s maiden name was Caldwell, which is a well-known and honored name in Augusta. Mrs. Blaine’s given name was Harriet Bailey, but she dropped the Bailey and adopted Stanwood in its stead, so that she is now known as Harriet Stanwood Blaine. Mrs. Windom.

MRS. W I Ndorn’s maiden name was Ellen T. Hatch. Her father was for fifty years a promi-, ne n t Congregational minister. He lived in New Hampshire when his daughter Ellen was born, but shortly afterward moved to Warwick, Mass.’ Ellen Hatch was ended a beauty and, a belle. She was l bright, intelligent,' clever, pretty and of most charming manners. Mrs. Win-

(lorn was a graduate of Mt. Holyoke, and after leaving school she taught in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. It was there she met Mr. Windom, who was prosecuting attorney of the county. When a student ■she injured her eyesight by hard study, and has worn eyeglasses over since. This gives a slight haughtiness to her manner, although she is really the most gentle of women. As a girl Mrs. M inuom was very pretty, and she is still pleasing in face and form. Of medium height, she is quite slender. Her brown hair is turning gray, ■but to many this only makes her more beautiful. Mrs. Windom shows careful taste in dress, and while her home gowns are plain, in society she is always an elegantly dressed woman. She has two daughters and a son. The eldest child, Miss Nellie, is 22, and has been in illhealth for a year or more. She has a rare love for music, ami has made it a special study, 1 eing well known as an amateur performer. The younger daughter, Florence, will complete her course in Miss Porter’s school this year and be a debutante of next season. The only son, William D. Windom, is an architect, married, and living in Boston. Mr. and Mrs. Windom have two grandchildren, the infant son and daughter of the son. Mr. William D. Windom of Boston.

Mrs. Tracy.

MRS. TRACY was born, educated, and married in New York State. Mrs. Tracy was Miss Belinda E. Catlin. She is the sister of Gen. Catlin, a prominent lawyer. She is cultured and is very fond of books. Mrs. Tracy is of the fair type of women, rather plump, and of medium height, i with blue eyes and light hair. Her face I '' has the same moth- | erly sweetness as Mrs. Windo m’ s.

She dresses with an elegance and simplicity becoming her years. Known as a society leader in Brooklyn in har early days, she is. better known now for her charities. For years she has been identified with the Plymouth church, and she and Gen. Tracy were among Henry Ward Beecher’s most kindly sympathizers. The Tracy family, besides General and Mrs. Tracy, consists of three children and one grandchild. Mrs Emma L. Wilmerding, the eldest, is a widow with one child. Frank B. Tracy, the only son. favors his father in appearance and in his business ability. He is a handsome young man o HO and unmarried. He now lives at home and will only spend in Washington what time he can spare from his father’s business. Miss Mary Tracy, the unmarried ■daughter, is like her mother in appearance and is in society. Alice Tracy Wilmerding, the -12-year-old grandchild, is a pretty, bright child, and resembles her grandfather. Miss Tracy, the second ■daughter, is an artist first, and after that a woman, with all the charm that years of travel and study and mingling with the artist cult gives to a receptive nature.

Mrs. Pr< ctor. Mr- and Mrs. Proctor were born in the same State, and passed their childhood days near together. They were friends at school, and when seliooi-day lessons were over their friendship grew to love and they were married. They have four children living. Arabella, the oldest, is the wife of Fred G. Holden, and resides in San Francisco, Cal. Fletcher D. Proctor, the second child, is married and resides in Proctor, where he looks after his father’s interests while the latter is absent from home. He has a daughter, who is the only grandchild of ■Governor and Mrs. Proctor. She is a year and a half old, and bears her grandmother’s name—Emily. Emily D. Proctor, the only unmarried daughter and the third

child, is with her mother. Redfield Proctor, Jr., is the baby. He is 10 years old. Mrs. Proctor has never lived in Washington, so that everything pertaining to Washington social life and duties will be new to her. She is not especially fond of society nor is she at all averse to it. While her husband was Governor of Vermont she was very popular and never attempted to shirk any of her social duties. She is a clever woman and weil educated. She is fond of literature and is always contented and at ease either in managing her household affairs in Proctor or in gracing some social gathering. Mrs. Proctor is a Congregationalist an I is a hard worker in her church. No amount of society can make her forget what she believes she owe* to her church, and some congregation in Washington will be the better off for her membership. Mrs. Proctor is mistress of the fine old Proctor homestead in Froctor, Vt. The town derives its name from its founder and her husband’s goods are very popular in their State. The Proctor mansion is said to be a most comfortable and grand old place, and the adjoining farm, which Gov. Proctor owns, is a model. It is kept in the best of order, and is stocked with blooded cattle. Mrs. Miller.

MRS. MILLER was a Gertrude Bunce. She was born in Ohio, but very early in her life her parents moved to Vernon, Oneida county, N. Y., where she lived until she was married. After her marriage to Mr. Miller they went to Peru, Ind., where Mr Miller was appointed superinten-j dent of public: schools. Some two or three years later they moved to Fort Wayne, Ind., where

Mr. Miller began to practice law. Mr Miller and President Harrison met and be came great friends. Mrs. Harrison and Mrs. Miller for eighteen years have been friends and neighbors. Mrs. Miller’s lovely homo, No. 065 North Delaware avenue, is almost opposite to the Harrison home. Mrs. Miller is tall, probably 5 feet 7, and is plump, but not fleshy. She has a most pleasant face and kind expression. Her eyes are blue and she has an abundance of roddish-blonde hair, which she bangs quietly in front and coils the rest around the back of her head. She is not fond of dress, but likes to lie quietly and respectably clad. • Mrs. Miller has been married twenty-five years, and is the mother of three children —Florence Gertrude, Samuel Duncan, and Jessie. Florence Gertrude is a young lady and is in society, of which she is very fond. She possesses remarkable mu-i.-al abilities, and has a lovely contralto voice an 1 plays both the piano and banjo. Florence is tall and slender, and has genuinely blonde hair and large, expressive brown eyes, which mnkc havoc among the young- men. She is very agreeable in manner and artistic in dress.

Mr*. W;in»iiiakt*r.

M R S. WAN A - MAKER was Miss Mary Brown of Philadelphia, the (laughter of a i l-to do and prominent grocer. Mr. Nathan Brown, his brother, went into the clothing business in a modest way with John Wauamakerin Oak Hall. Mr. Wanamaker hal no money whatever at that time. She is about 52 years old, but looks much younger. She is probably 5 feet 4 inches in height and quite plump, having

a very pleasant figure. Her hair is brown and does not show any gray. She wears it twisted high on the head, and has a slight, fluffy bang. Her eyes are blui.-h gray in color, and very calm and quiet. Her mouth is beautiful and 1 her teeth perfect. Her dresses are of the richest material but the most subdued colors. No one has overseen her on the street, either in summer or winter, in any other color than a dark grrnet, a dark-blue or black. For the house and in tire evenings she wears grays and drabs and such shades. She is very particular about her boots, which must have little'or no heel. As for her daughters, fhey must wear a similar style, but without heel at all. Their garb is as, modest as their mother’s. (Jutside of her absorbing church duties she t ares for little except, her home and a small circle of friends. These friends regard her as perfection, and her family worship her. She has four children, Thomas Rodman, Minnie and Lillie. Thomas is 27 years old, and married to Miss Minnie Walsh of Philadelphia. Rodman, 25 years old, married Miss Fanonda Henry, a young Philadelphia woman, and they have the only grandchild, little Fanonda, who is familiarly called “Nina.” Minnie and Lillie, the daughters, areabout 20 and 18 years of age respectively. Mrs. Wanamaker’s manner is agreeable to every one she meets, but she has no liking for gay society nor the falseness and frivolity of it. She is, of course, charitable. Mr*. Ru*k.

“JERRY” RUSK has been twice married. His present wife, Elizabeth M., massive, fair, motherly, and womanly, was born in Norway. By his first wife he had two children, who were given the sterling names of Charity and Lycurgus, both? of whom have been! married. The children of the second marriage are Mary and Blaine, a young lad of 12, who was

named after his father’s life-long friend, James G. Blaine. Miss Mary Rusk is a young woman about 22 years of

age, ana nas a reputation for brilliancy at repartee as well as for beauty. Mrs. Rusk spent six years in Washington when her husband was in Congress. She is of prepossessing personal appearance and medium height, and has light complexion, light-brown-hair, frank blue eyes, and a kind and pleasant expression. She has an easy grace, and a natural, quiet dignity, but is so unassuming and modest that she charms every one she meets. She is a devoted wife and mother.

Mm. N<>i>l<*. Mrs. Nobla was Miss Halstead of Rochester, N. Y. She was married to General Noble in Northampton, Mass., in 1874. She is much younger than her husband and is probably the youngest of the Cabinet ladies. Her life has been saddened by the death of two children and she has never taken any part in the social gayeties of St. Louis. She is rather a prepossessing woman. She is short and somewhat plump. Her face is pleasant and she wears silver spectacles and carries gold glasses fastened to her bodice. She is not fond of society as society, but is very fond of literary society, always drawing around her a large circle of literary people whose tastes are congenial. Mrs. Noble’s name is Lizabeth Haisted—Elizabeth without the E she says. She has two interesting sisters. Leonora 8., the younger, has written one book, "Bethesda,” which, as Mrs. Noble says, the author acknowledges.

MBS. BLAINE.

MRS. TRACY.

MRS WINDOM.

MBS. WANAMAKER.

MRS. MILLER.

MBS. BUSK.