Omaha daily bee., 1885-01-03
GIFTS FOR
That Will be Given &c Charity.

The presents continue to arrive at the
executive mansion in Albany forGovernor
Cleveland, despite his declared unwilling
ness to receive them and the labor of re
turning gifts has become so great as to
necessitate a new departure in this bust
nest. The COVE nor has therefore decided
on a new policy. All gifts now on hand
and all that arrive in the future will be
handed over to AlbanyIcharities. ClaIets,
wines or liquors of any description will
probably be sent to the hospitals, while
many rare and peculiar articles will deco
rate the tables at some chnrch fair during
the winter. The cause of religion and the
wants of the poor and sickly will thus be
ministered to, while the president-elect
will be saved a good deal of letter writing
and the frequent ringing of
express drivers at the door. OF
course small souvenirs from warm
personal friends and sentimental
remembrances of prominent events i'll his
public career cannot be construed by Gov
ernor Cleveland as valuable gifts which
he might be called upon to return. An
indiscriminate collection of articles, how
ever, come by by the mail and by express.
The latest is n case of claret with the
governor S likeness labeled on each bot
tie.
AS illustrating the extent of the gift
mania, the following is taken from an
Albany paper: The queerest place in the
state is Gov. Clevland's barn or store
room. The..ba,n is a substantial struct
ure, built just back of the executive man
sion and during the administration of
more wealthy governors it was used fol-
the carriages and horses of these worth
les. Gov. Cleveland, however, doesn
keep horses and since his election to the
presidency the vacant barn has been uset
to store the vast collection of miscellane
Gus presents that come pouring in from
every quarter of the union. Formerly
these packages were delivered as the exc
cutive chamber on the hill, but as the,
kept constantly increasing in number AM
variety, it was found impossible to re
ceive them there, and 50 a kind of uniol
depot was opened in the barn. 1t keep
II man busy receiving, arranging, an
shipping back the packages addressed t
the pre~sident-elect. In spite of the fac
that the greatest care is exercised i
finding out who sends the stuff, an
his address, many of the packages renal
unidentified. The governors orders ar
that all presents shall be returned to tn
sender at once. But, as about half of tn
gifts come anonymously, it is not so cas-
to carry out the instructions. A cler
was busy marking and sending away PACK
eges. 1he collection of bald eagles, bicy
cles, chairs, desks, brushes and other brio
a-brac would have put a junk-shop t
blush. Yet there was one marked dii
ference between the stock in til
governors barn and the junk shop-heI
every article was brand new. The eagl
tapped his wings dolefully in his woode
cage with an air that told plainly it WI
the first time that he had ever been mad
a show of, and two owls stared in a wol
derfully knowing way at the expressma
who was taking the things ava,
Not a speck of dust dimmed IL
brightness of the glittering bicyc
that was promptly going back to Boston
and the red plush of a comfortable ar
chair showed its newness through the TIL
covering over it. The only thing tn
bo:e traces Of wear was a barrel coye'e