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--> --> First ladies, part III By Jeff Cheek Article II of the Constitution is a blueprint for the President to follow. There is no guidebook for the First Lady, so each of the 38 had to establish her own routine. Helen Taft, wife of the 27th President, decreed that no bald headed waiter or butler would serve in the White House. Lou Hoover presided over an equally regal mansion. All butlers, waiters, and footmen must be exactly five feet, eight inches tall. They wore traditional black tie and tux until dusk then donned white tails. Any sound from a servant would detract from formal dinners, so Mrs. Hoover devised a system of hand signals to convey her orders to the waiters. Mrs. Cleveland was the opposite. She held a reception every Saturday afternoon for working women, despite the protests of Washington society leaders who did not want to see the mansion "crowded with a great rabble of shop girls." Lady Bird Johnson, wife of the 36th President, has the shortest courtship of any First Lady. She met Lyndon Baines Johnson at a friends house one evening. He asked her to join him for breakfast. They had a second date at 2: 30. Johnson proposed that afternoon, less than 24 hours after meeting her. They were married two months later. LBJ forgot the ring so a friend raced to the nearest Sears, Roebuck to buy a $2.98 ring to slip on her finger. Nine First Ladies have lived into their eighties, but Elizabeth "Bess" Wallace Truman wins the crown for longevity. She passed away at 97 and is buried beside her husband in the courtyard of the Truman Library. Caroline Harrison was First Lady 1889 to 1893. She reluctantly consented to having the White House wired for electricity, but was so afraid of it that she called a servant to switch on the lights when she wanted illumination. Poor Mary Todd Lincoln is the only First Lady ever to be confined in a mental institution. She had four sons, one of whom died in Springfield, and one in the White House. Her husband was assassinated sitting beside her. Three of her brothers and a brother-in-law were Confederate officers, killed in action. These tragedies were too much for the poor lady. IN 1875 her son Robert had her declared legally insane and committed to a sanitarium. Four months later, a second judge overturned the verdict and she was freed. Abigail Adams was wife of the second President, John Adams, and mother of the sixth, John Quincy Adams. This record stood for two centuries, when Barbara Bush became the wife of the 41st President and mother of the 43rd. Some First Ladies have shown formidable courage. Eliza McCardle Johnson taught her husband to read and write. He was a senator from Tennessee when the Civil War broke out. He fought against secession and had to flee for his life. Four times the Confederate Government ordered her to leave but she refused. Greenville was her home, and nobody had the right to throw her out. Eliza won the battle. Almost every First Family had pets. Usually, these were dogs, cats or birds but Grace Coolidge had a pet raccoon, Rebecca. The strangest was Emily Spinach, a green snake belonging to Edith Roosevelt, wife of Teddy Roosevelt. Ulysses S. Grant adored his wife, Julia, and was lonely and depressed when away from her. He drank too much, but was sober when she was beside him. In the White House she often served Roman Punch. INGREDIENTS: 1 quart lemon sherbet 1 cup rum 1 bottle chilled champagne PREPARATION: Turn sherbet into chilled punch bowl, add rum, then champagne. Serve immediately. Jeff Cheek lives in Medford. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing