Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1884-12-20
SATURDAY. DECEMBER 20, 1884
The President Elect.

Gath: Durlug lnis "eck law ~
I'D to Albany and seen, in his executive
chamber, the president-eiccs. lie rs a
new type of president, and takes us back
to the instance Of Monroe, and a little
to that Of Washington. Gen. Washing
ton was not an educated man, nor a
soldier in any regular army, and he
triumphed through life by hard method,
sticking to bis business, taking physical
exercise, but not much literary exercise.
He had, however, such elevation OF
nature through the events he passed
through, that it may seem like bl"sphe-
my to compare the respectable accident
of Yesterday with Washington. Cleve-
land has had nothing but executive
career. He has never been in the legls-
lature and has hardly ever seen Wash
ington city. When he came to Albany
in the first few months he considered
himself a failure, and told a few intimate
friends that he was out Of his sphere and
wanted to 90 back to his law office in
Buffalo. There" said he, II did feel
al home when I VAS sheriff and mayor"
His friends told him to hold on to the
governorship, and he would like it bet
ter and might want a second term. He
had just about grasped the idea of the
state Of New York and something Of its
politics when he is elected president.
As I went through that great building
at Albany, which has not its equal in
all Europe and probably not in the
world as the palace OF q province or
ever Of Il government, / thought of the
difference between western and eastern
views.
The building has cost about $16,000,0 900
already. The superintendent thinks he
could finish it for $1,000, 900 more, but
another officer of the government told
me they would hardly get through with
it with $4,000, 900 more. The capitol at
Washington only cost $~i3,000,000. The
state capitol at Albany, built entirely
since the civil war and in our great
period of debt, and built by both polit-
ical parties with mutual ~avarice and
support, has already cost nearly Sl6,500,-
600. The wa~inscoting at the farther
corner opens after a while, and in comes
the governor. He is a solid man, stand
ing erect, with a large stomach, large
chest, large throat and chops, rather
pnlegmatic, not brisk in his movements,
moving rather slowly and a few feet at
q time, and speaking in a distinct throat
voice. He says but little, and that
rather Of an off-hand sort in reply to
something. His face is not flexible, and
scarcely any feature Of it moves at any
time except the eyes, which are Of a
somewhat cold blue, a little watery, and
by no means affectionate. He is dressed
in black, has brown hair, straight and
smooth, and this hair is lighter than the
pictures would indicate, while his COM
plexion, though naturally good, is some
what mussed as if by good living, and
perhaps by beer. AS he is only 46 years
old, and of hardly more than the me-
dunn height, his seize and weight indi-
cate the pleasures of the table and want
of manly exercise. There is quite a
bald place on the top or back of his
head. AS he moves about he puts his
wrists against his hips. or occasionally
puts one hand behind his back. His
Office manner is not constrained nor yet
hardly easy, but rather stifish and re-
minds one Of a s~choolmaster or a school
trustee making a visit to the school, or
perhaps better yet. Of a bank president
who has come in in the morning and
found many callers and suspects most of
them of wanting a loan. In reality most
Of these callers are delegations to get
pardons for various persons in prison.
In meeting people.to whom he is intro
duced Cleveland does not relax his erect
.carriage, maintains dignity with some.
thing Of a smile and can if he chooses
merely speak and not say a word. He
swill perhaps sit down while the others
are waiting or talking and begin to
spite atths table. I think he will kil
IN Washington 10 carry en- executive