The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-08-28
PRESIDENTIAL pECULIARiTIEs.
Personal Traits Of Hayes, Garfield, Arthur ant
Cleveland.

-
Personal Traits Of Hayes, Garfield, Arthur and
Cleveland.
The Presidents mail is very heavy.
Quite a number of the letters contain
applications for autographs. These
requests are always complied with
when it is possible to do SO.
Elbow does President Cleveland sign
responder of Secretary Henley to-day.
..As a matter of fact the President
has had so little time to write letters
since his inauguration that / can hard
ly say, but I believe his usual form is
yours truly"
How about his predecessors"
NH. Hayes usually wrote Sincere
ly yours" Garfield, Very truly yours
and Arthur, Faithfully yours"
WHO of these was the better pen
man?"
"All wrote we'll, but Arthur proba-
bly, made the prcttiest copy. 1t was
very difficult, however. to get him to
write. | never saw any one who dis
liked more to use a pen,. yet he wrote
rapidly and with apparent ease. Gar
field prided himself upon his penman-
ship. You know he taught it in his
younger days, but grew careless after
entering public life and his letters lost
some of their symmetry and grace"
Did Garfield write many of his own
lettersp"
"He seldom put . pen to paper. He
dictated everything to his stenograph-
er. He dictated easily and we'll. Mr..
Hayes, on the contrary, seemingly en-
joyed writing. 1t was nothing un-
usual for him to write half a dozen
letters before breakfast. President
Arthur never dictated. He would tell
Us what he wanted to say, and we
would putt i'll u w words. His an
nual messages, however, he wrote him.
SELF"
"NWho of the four Presidents you
have served under were the most pop
ular with the clerical force of the Ex-
ecutive MansionP"
''Mr. Hayes. I know the politicians
lid not like him, but to the employees
of the White House he was always
kind and courteous. We we're all very
fond Of Mrs. Hayes. Every Thanks.
giving she gave the clerks and secre-
taries here an elegant dinner in the
State dining-room. After the meai
was concluded she would go down into
the east Don and play 'high-spy
with the children. and enter into theil
trolics with as much est as if we were
all members of the same family
How were the Gartields?"
"Gen. Garfield was a delightful man
generous, whole-souled and affection
ate. OF Mrs. Garfield l can't say Sc
much. She was very reserved and WI
met her only at intervals. Gen. Gar
field delighted in a good game o
billiards. He liked the contest Their,
was in 1t. Before he was made Presi
dent he used to play at the Rigg
House billiard room with Rockwell
Swain, Corbin, and other of his ia
miliars."
Did his political troubles bother
him muchP"
apparently not. The oficc-seek
ers worried him the most. He uset
to say he had been struggling witt
ideas all his life, and it was very tire
some to have to decide whether A o
B should be appointed to a partlcula
vacancy. His judgment may hav
been faulty at times, but his impulse
were good. The cast of his mind wa
essentially literary. He ought neve
to have entered into politics. His per
ceptions were wonderfully acute. n
caught on readily, as the boys say"
"Did you like Arthur"
"We respected HIM. No one coul
be brought into relationship with Ger
Arthur and not respect him. He wa
always courteous, but cold and form
al. He transacted his business with Il
through his private secretary, Nj
Phillips. He had the rare faculty {
keeping people alta distance. Their
was something in his manner this
forbade the slightest approach to +:
miliarity. We all admired Presidel
Arthur, but he never won our hear
as others did by reason of his unal
proachability.'-SpcciaI to Detro
Free Press.
r