Lane spent a great deal of time reading to James Buchanan from news- papers and discussing with him current political matters. Mrs. Ellet does not give the source of her information but writes as follows: At Wheatland she [Harriet Lane] entertained her uncle's friends and foreign visitors, with lady

United States and the Buchanan family, over a period of fifty years, was priceless at time of his death and would become increasingly useful as source material for historians. Main- ly through the efforts of his niece, Harriet Lane Johnston, a large portion of these papers have been preserved in both