The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1875-01-09


fact was never regarded norused as an argumer
in favor of increasing the compensation OF tt
Executive. Their poverty was almost uniforI
ly due to their want of tact and shrewdness
the management of their private affairs or
their utter want of appreciation of the value
money. OF the former, Thomas jefferson
notable illustration, and Franklin Pierce
the latter. | have heard Col. John w. ForL.
the intimate friend of Pierce all thrnpgh
administration, say that tho New y
/ sJdtcsaSan was req Tcncii J au,- - s,.~-.
out of his own pocket to mendicant offce-seek
ers when he could not secure them place
the public crib. His successor, James Buchan
an, with his shrewd, thrifty Pennsylvania traY
ing, knew the value of ten cents-you remen
Der the Fremont Buchanan campaign song
titled ''Ten Cent Jimmy"-and saved none
during his term, besides maintaining the fam,
of the White House tor elegant and liberal hos
pitality. Buchanan's dinner parties both be-
fore and after he became President were models
in every respect He always superintended
the preparations for them himself, even TO the
most minute detail, and calculated their cost
in advance to within few dollars. During
the war, when the premium on gold advanced
to 1856, and everything else went bounding up
with it, contractors and others. who had sud-
denly come into possession Of large sums of
money, which they scarcely knew how to ex
pend, wondered how "poor Lincoln" lived on
$25, 900 a year. The truth is, MIR. Lincoln not
only managed to live on this sum, but to save
something But for tho Wild shoddy extrava
gance of his wife, he might have saved more,
Tor his own habits and tastes, as we'll as those
of his children, were exceeding frugal and sim
pie. 1t was among the gossip of the times that
Mrs. Lincoln had other resources, besides the
purse of the President. upon which she drew,
and there was probably something in it, for
her balooning ideas of living, if humored, must
necessarily have swamped Lincoln. The
"household," under Andrew johnson was most
economically administered by his daughters,
two sensible, unpretending ladies, who were
general favorites, even when their father was
sort of an Ishmalite, politically and socially.
Johnson saved between $50 900 and $40 1000 out
of his salary, but, unfortunately for him, it was
gobbleG by those Christian bankers, Jay Cooke
Co., in whom poor Andy, like many other
misguided persons, placed some confidence.
GRANTS THRIFTY MANAGEMENT.
Gen. Grant is unquestionably the most thrifty
President who has occupied the Executive
Mansion for years, not even excepting James
Buchanan. He will retire at the close of his
term the richest of all our Presidents. His ex
traordinary and uniform good fortune has fol-
lowed him in the investment of his money as
in everything else, and every talent has been
made to yield full harvest Grants habits
and tastes like those of Mr.. Lincoln, are very
frugal and simple. He has one weakness which,
in other men might lead to extravagance,
namely, an inordinate fondness for horsefiesh.
Butwith hs'canny'Sc shrewdness, he indul-
ges this luxury at comparatively little expense
to himself. He is good judge of a horse, and
has been known to make some very advantage
Gus Grades" or "swaps." 1t is said that famous
Michigander, who is the terror of the British
lion-Zach. Chandler--once sold Grant pair
of horses which did not turn out as he repre-
sented, and which he purchased on Chambers
word, without having seen them. If the Sen
ator expected to ''sell' the President as we'll as
the horses, he was doomed to dsappointEsent
for Grant did not drive them ham q Iozei4 iIisTs'
until he discovered their weak points, and he
made Chandler take them back and refund
The Presidents st. Louis farm, which is stock
ed with some of the best blooded animals in the
country, furnishes him all the horses he needs
at comparatively little cost. But for the fact
that regular annual sale Of thoroughbreds at
the st. Louis farm, such as take place at the
leading stock farms of Kentucky, might furnish
a column or so of scandal for the New York Sun
and papers of that ilk, it is probable Grant
could make as good display of fine colts as
Nc Donald, Alexander, McGrath, or the late
John Harper AS it is. the surplus stock is
quietly worked off at private sale, Welding, 1t
is said, good profit Mrs. Grant, though not
the handsomest woman in America, is perhaps
one of the best managers. The fact of his hav
ing such a wife, is only another illustration of
Grants rare luck. If he knows how TO fight
and drive a horse, she understands all about
housekeeping, marketing, shopping, and how
to keep the buttons on the childrens Clothes
These are excellent accomplishments in any
woman, or rather they were so regarded when
Mrs. Grant was girl. That was before it was
considered the acme of young lady's glory to
be able to "dance the German" and fritter
away the hours of an evening with small talk
to brainless BOBBY. From what | have said
of the habits and tastes of the President and of
the character of Mrs. Grant, you will net be
surprised to learn that Grant saves more OF his
salary than any of his predecessors. The house.
hold of the Executive Mansion is run upon SEN
sible, economical principles, and yet there is no
lack of hospitality. 1t is very seldom that it is
without guest or two of some kind. In addi-
tion to the customary Estate dinners" which
consist of members of the Cabinet of the Diplo
matte Corps, Justices of the Supreme Court and
mobs of Congressman, the family or private di-
ming room is frequently the scene OF quiet little
dinners, composed of the Presidents personal
friends. have heard bon viuants say that the
Presidents dinners are nothing to brag of,
either in point of Substance or service. In his
early days Grant lacked the training which
would enable him to com pete, in this line, with
men like Sam Hooper or the late Charles Sum-
ner. He is not much Of a judge OF wines, and
his stock is mostly selected at random. Cham :
ragne is about the only wine for which he has
any Partially, and his taste for 1T is rather ac-
Quired than natural.
ACTUAL RUNNING EXPENSES.
Alarge proportion of the expenses of running
the White House is borne by the government.
The entire appropriation for this purpose for
the present fiscal year is Sl2S,2OO. This In
cludes the Presidents salary, the salaries OF z
secretaries, clerks, messengers, policemen, us
ers, watchmen, furnace keeper, steward, a
for fuel, light, taking care of the mansion,
pairs, plumbing and gas-fitting, stationery a.
the steward, the President employs and pa
out of his salary all his household serval
cooks walters, cham bermaids,- coach mar
man, etc. But the list is not long, and tt
cost no more, if as much, as for the servants
any private gentleman. Some OF the wick
members of that party which frightened M.
sachusetts out of her propriety, last Novemt
and came near upsetting her, insinuate tt
Grant is in the habit of placing his coachma
footman, walters, ETC., on the regular govern
ment pay roll of "messengers," but this,
doubt, grows out of party malice. | heard
President Johnson say, on one occasion, that 1t
cost him about $4,000 year to live while he
was in the Executive Mansion, and he remain
ed here all the year round, from January to
January. President Grant is usually absent
six months of every year Oh an average, and 1t
| is presumed that his expenses when travelling
| or at Long Branch are less than in the White
House. The general impression is that it costs
Grant about $4,000 year. He has hosts OF
| friends, not only at home, but abroad, who
| never fail to remember him. and it is no secret
that some of the expensive luxuries of life are
supplied by them at very little cost to the
| Presidential purse. Men'sopinions differ about
what Mr.. Sumner termed "gift-bearing Greeks. .
Andrew johnson, for instance, would not ac-
cept even span of horses, while he was Presi-
| dent. His tailor related an incident to me, the
| other day, about him which shows how very
| particular he was in such matters. When he
| became President, after the assassination of
| Lincoln, this tailor thought he would make and
present him suit of clothes in honor of the
event, or, rather, a celebration of it. Hav-
| ing his measure, and knowing exactly what
the Presd ent liked, nothing was said about it
until the suit was finished and sent to Mr..
johnson with receipted bill, and the compli
ments of the tailor. Next day, the tailor was
summoned into the Executive presence. when
Mr.. johnson gave him to understand that he
could not accept any present. gave him check
for the amount of the bill and admonished him,
| if he valued the Executive a customer, never
to repeat the operation. But, as have said
the views of men, in and out of office, differ up
on these matters, and this being free country
every man has right to his opinion from the
| President down.