Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-01-29
POVERTY OF THE PRESIDENTS
"TSere rs Nothing Sc Expensive as
GIory.S
Carp" in the Cleveland Letter

Carp in the Cleveland Letter.
IF you will look back over the list
you will see that from the beginning
most of our Presidents have been poor
men. George Washington was per-
haps, the wealtbiest of them and
Rutherford B. Hayes will perhaps
rank next John Adams, at the age of
sc, after rs years Of continuous public
service, retired to his little estate at
Quincy. Mass, with barely enough
property to give him the needs of life
on farm. Thomas Jefferson had to
borrow something less than 800, 600
of 8 Richmond man to pay his debts
before he Left the White House, and
the history of the last seventeen years
of his life is one OF almost continuous
financial embarrassment President
Madison left some property at the
time of his death, bnt his widow, the
peerless Dolly, was for time Deepen
dant on the bread and meat furnish
ed her by an old negro servant, and
her last days were made easy only
by Congress buying of her for $780,
900 the manuscript notes Of
the debates of the constitutional con
vention which Madison had taken.
President Monroe. though he declln-
ed, it is said, 1858 600 from the gov
eminent for his. public services, died
very poor In New York. John Quincy
Adams must have received over
$500, 900 in government salaries, and
he is one of the few presidents who
again took up life after he left the
White House. He remained IN retire
ment only about year, and then
eutered the lower house of congress.
After about sixteen years of service
there be died IN the capita in 1848.
exclaimiRg this is the end of earth, I
am content" Andrew Jackson gained
nothing in wealth from his White
House salary 1t cost him, he says,
every cent of it to pay his expenses,
and the most Of the proceeds of his
cotton crop in addition. He returned
returned from Washington at the
close of his second term with just 800
ia his pocket, to find his farm golng
to ruin, and himself so deeply in
debt that he had to sell part of his
land to get out. Van Buren, was
2 close, cautious Nancy max
ing fellow. He got good
law fees, and began to learn econ :
envy while saving enough as young
man to get married. At his estate IN
Lindenwald, where he lived during
his last years, he was surrounded
with comforts. President Harrison
owned farm in Ohio when he was
inaugurated President. 1t is safe to
say he was poor, for he had been late
~ doing the drudgery of a clerk of
the courts at Cincinnati. President
Tyler supplied much of the money
which ran the White House out of
his own pocket, and Congress would
not pay the salary Of his private secre-
tary Moderately wealthy while here
at Washington, he left but little to
his children, and one of his sons is
now cl} rk in the Treasury Depart
ment in Washington. Zach. Taylor
was by no means wealthy when he
died in the White House James
K, Polk left big house and
enough to keep his widow, and NIL
lard Fillmore, who started life as q
wool carder, died ten years with
enough Of an estate to create a law
suit over the sanity OF his second
wife. James Buchanan did not leave
such an estate as enabled Harriet
Lane to keep Wheatlands, and with
in the past year it has been advertised
for sale. Buchanan spent all his
salary as President at Washington,
and what he had left after paying bis
White House expenses he gave in
charity. Abraham Lincoln died poor,
and it was due TO Congress that his
family were provided for. Andrew
Johnson went back to his house at
Greenville, Tenn, where he had
started life as q tailor. He died by a
stroke Of paralysis, leaving no fortune
behind. Of the other Presidents
Grants necessities are agitating the
country to day, and Garfeld's family
are wealthy only through the volun
tary subscriptions of the people.
Truly, as Sidney Smith used to say,
There is nothing SO expensive as
O.ioyw