The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-07-18
The Presidents and their TaiIOrs

4 fashionable tailor established
himself in Washington during
Grants term, and his experience
dates from that time. I'VE have
never begun to sell as many clothes
here since Grant went out of office, !"
said he the other day. Il made all
of Grants clothes. He was very lib-
eral and easy to please. The public
men of his time were great buyers
Of clothes. 1t was a common thing
for a senator or member to buy a
dozen suits a year Grants Cabinet
people were very dressy."
How was it under Hayes ?"
1--WE never did but one Job for
HAYES. That knocked him cold.
He came down one hot Summer day
during his first year in office and
ordered us to make him a thin sack
coat out of the very best gross grain
silk. The material was expensive.
1t cost US exactly s23 to get up that
coat. We had heard that he was
close, and. as we wanted to catch his
trade, we put the price at s25. That
paralyzed him. Oh, how be did
kick ! But he paid the bill. That
was the last order We got from him.
He had the rest of his clothes chop
ped out for him by his old tailor in
Fremont. He sent his boys TO Us
for ready-made suits, but we never
made any money out Of the White
House under him. We had some
of his Cabinet on our books. but there
was very little dressing under Hayes.
The purchase of clothes by public
men fell of 80 per cent. | never
expect again to see so much money
spent in my shop as when Grant wac
Presiden-.
How was Garfield ?"
He was a very careless dresser.
He did not have much taste. He
was rather slow pay when he was in
Congress, but when he got into the
White che began to buy a much
better grade Of clothes and to pay
greater attention to his dress. The
day he was shot he had on very
handsome suit we made for him,
price $50"
DO you do much for President
Arthur"
Not dollars worth. He does
business with his old tailor in New
York-the man who makes the suits
for the members of the coaching club.
He is a very high-priced man. He
does not make the plainest business
suit under $40 He was over here
the other day to take an order for
the President. He said he did not
care anything for the Presidents
trade. He was 30 hard 10 suit. He
took up twenty pairs of trousers the
other day, made the Presidents mea-
sure and spent an hour with him
trying them on before he could find
a pair to suit. He says the only
way he can get along with the Pres
ident is to be right up and down with
him. One day Arthur spoke to him
very sharply about the fit of a coat,
and the tailor turned his back on
him. Atleast he said be did. Then
the President said
"Oh, come now, don't take anv
offense. l can't afford to quarrel
with you"
you see first class tailor Is a
pretty independent man; but while
he is particular with the President,
he is very careless with the work for
the Presidents servants. We used
to furnish the White House lveries,
but the Job goes to the New York
men now. The new livery coats Of
the Presidents coachmen and foot
men, made of cream-colored ham
mer cloth. cost s125 apiece, but, God
bless you ! they are the worst fitting
things | ever saw, except the clothes
the Fremont tailor used to chop out
for Hayes"