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The betrothal of Miss Margaret Mackey, “a comely little school teacher and daughter of a humble Chester County farmer” to Hoagland Gates was the social event of the year and source of considerable gossip in the newspapers. One more restrained newspaper wrote concerning its competitor’s coverage of the engagement that “daily newspapers on Tuesday contained long winded write-ups of the above that about reached the limit of frenzied sensationalism “

Concerning the unwelcome and overblown media attention Hoagland had this to say, “I think some of the articles published have been pretty raw and placed both Miss Mackey and myself in a silly light. There is nothing romantic in our engagement. We met each other and liked each other and now we are going to be married. My mother is pleased with Miss Mackey and that is all there is to it.”