, 1884-08-16
BLAINE-C CLEVELAND.
Something Very Complimentary to
Both Candidates.
blaine n Teacher In m philadelphia
blind AayIum-CIeveIand n
Teacher In n New York
institution.
LaGathn In phLLadelphia Timss.

l-Gath' in Philadelphia Times.l
As we go along we overtake great people
unaware. Right opposite my residence Is a
blind asylum, with a fine green yard before
1t. which Is a great comfort to me In warm
weather, The building Is bout 200 feet
front on a lot 800 feet deep; Il Is made Of Sing
Sing granite, which looks something like
white granite, and has buttresses and turrets
in something Of the Elizabethan style. This
institution had spent twelve years ago more
than &,OO0,0OO in educating blind people. 1t
seems that New York took the first steps on
this continent to educate the blind, and this
society was organized more than fifty years
ago.
A dry or two ugo a young gentleman rang
my bell and was brought up stairs, and no
said 10 me: Il thought you might like to
know that Grover Cleveland was u teacher
IA the blind asylum opposite your door,
Salh 1; How long ago WINS thatF
About thirty years" said he; Abut there
~ not IA single personal recollection of
him in the institution 10 seems that he and
n brother were both teacher here about
one year each and at the same time"
Said !: Have you looked the archives upf'
Yes said he, "and there find the names
Of both The Clevelands. But there have been
10 many teachers in the Institution that no
reeort is left Of these, but 1 suspect from a
Mr.. Allen having been the secretary OF this
Institution and that being the name OF
Grover Cleveland's unch, that they got their
places through the Influence Of this uncle. It
was from the blind asylum that Grover went
To Buffalo and settled there
So there are parallels in all lives. Blaine
after marriage took his wife, and she was a
teacher like himself, and they taught at the
Philadelphia blind asylum, while Grover
Cleveland, "A little later, or nearly at the
same time, was IA teacher Mt the New York
blind asylum. 1t seems to mo that this par
allel is complimentary to both men.
Our presidents present very peculiar con-
trasts in education and n very large percent
ageo Of our statesmen began at school-teaching.
Teaching school was in the first half OF this
century what writing for the newspapers Is
nova method OF tiding over the early years
Of ones life until a more substantial oppor-
tunity can be- presented. William II. Seward
and Lyman TrumbuIl went south to DO tu-
tors. John Adams studied law under cover
Of teaching school at Worcester, Mass. JEFF
ferson had all the instincts OF a school teacher,
though he was led into public life. l found
the last Of the kin OF James Madison, his
nephew's daughters, teaching school In Vir-
ginla a few years ago. Aaron Burr was the
son Of tho first schoolmaster Of Princeton.
John Quincy Adams taught at Harvard col
lego. I think Andrew jackson made "A feeble
effort at school-teaching for a little while in
western North Carolina, though there is some
doubt about this. Willard Fillmore. / be-
.hsne had a little spell Of school-teaehing in
western New York.
Garfield and Blaine were especially school
teachers cut out for that business, and each
ardent to make it the occupation OF his life.
Blaine hardly changed his avocation when he
became an editor, and he Is still making books
and setting lessons for the second generation.
While Andrew johnson was taught to read by
his wife, Garfield taught his own wife Latin
and she in turn taught her SONS and his their
Latin and Greek lessons to go to Exeter
school The man who endows an institution
of.learning or beneficence is unaware what
passing travellers he may entertain. These
institutions OF beneficence are clearly asso-
ciated with useful and eloquent biography.