Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-17
OWNED ny THE PRESIDENr
nut rev Presidents Before Mr.. CBeve-
iand who Acquired Property I'm Wash
ingtOn.

Hut Few Presidents BEFORE Mr.. Cveve.
iand who Acquired Property I'm WASH
ington.
george Alfred Townsend writes from Washing
Ton 10 the Boston Globe:
"Mr Cleveland IA the twenty second President.
IL seems. But he is the first President TO have
oult himself a home while President within this
eapnai city. He is, therefore, Cleveland the First
among the denizens OF Washington. One looks at
MS clean, little, transformed house beyond
georgetown with a curious sense OF recognition
mat this man bethought himself OF the fimsiness
OF history and magistratedom and remarked:
wen, this is a pretty good town, and here VIII
set up my pillar The President very probably
made a good Investment when he bought this
piece OF ground, some twenty acres, understand.
or more. II this city should extend In the
proper manner and seek the high plateaus
toward the west. where the prospects are
tains come into view, every one OF Cleveland's
acres will become building lots, and, perhaps,
when his wife has become as Old a woman as
Mrs Polk or Mrs. Tyler. who are still living, she
will begin TO realize upon her park and have some
alternate lots dispose OF; for Washington, while
IL has come to kind Of stop, is PROFESSIONALLY TO
be very large CITY, and Mr.. Cleveland has put
himself In the axis Of It's Development He took
large stone house and had an architect transform
IL In the weil-knOwn style we see, or kind OF
U-shaped gable chimney, and with verandas sus-
pended along the front, the whole house taking a
COO look and being hint to this Government TO
PROVIDE for It's magistrate some place where he
can hide himself at times and feel that he is
near his duly, yet out OF observation.
The President should have some resort within an
hours reach OF Washington, where the altitude Is
high and the views picturesque, and where he
Can lose himself from The pubic gaze and still be
talked to by te ephone or telegraph whenever any,
thing comes to pass In this hot city during the
summer months This summer Mr.. Cleveland has
had the benefit OF remarkably fine weather In
" aSh ngton, wet and cold weather rather than
hot ana dry, but frequently the summer climate
here IS exaSperating. though the planting OF in
Vulnerable trees In this city, which are now well
grown, has probably altered all the conditions OF
the atmosphere, and the sewering OF the town and
the channelling OF the Potomac River and filing
II up nave created here out OF a modern Babylon
something OF modern Paris.
WHAT OTHER PRESIDENTS HAVE DONE
Our previous presidents have all considered the
propriety Of making some investment at Washing
ton, but few OF them have done so. 1t is, indeed,
surprising TO see what an immense caravan OF
wealthy prominent persons have passed through
this town In the last ninety years and taken lot
In It's fortunes. You can almost count the indi-
viduals OF public station who deposited any money
In Washington. Gen. Washington bought some
bits OF ground here and there but they were OF no
value, think, 10 him nor to his wife after he died.
John Quincy Adams, think, purchased a house
mere in the vicinity CorcOrans residence, near the
White House. and II i am not mistaken, IL is
still in the familys possession; and within a few
rods Of 1t Henry Adams, the historian, built his
Large mansion, and the house was hardly built
when Mr.. Adams lost his wife. The Adams
family had particular reason TO be friendly 70
Washington city, since the wife of John Quincy
Adams was a Maryland woman, raised at no
great distance from this capital and quite q con-
necti0n still exists here OF Mrs. Adams family,
such as the Johnson's, OF whom Is the Confederate
General Bradley johnson, and the Heilens and
others. Connected with the JohDsons were the
Keys, OF whom was MIS- Pendleton, who died
from a frightiul accident In Central Park New
York. Her husband, who Is still living, though
he has had slight stroke OF paralysis, was one
fhEaf hrraiA
city OF Washington in very recent times, and
the house he put up has become the center OF a
series of hne houses facing the Executive Man.
sion, and only few squares separated from 1t.
with Presidents who have
PAID SOME ATTENTION TO WASHINGTON CITY,
II Is TO be observed that nearly all the other ones
were tmpecunious men, except Washington, who
was a strict business man, living under declining
conditions in his commonwealth, the land running
down and the CLIMATE becoming impaired, while
the strength and lust1neSs OF the country were
going 10 the far West TO SetJle-ln kentucky and
elsewhere. Mr. jefferson owned nothing here that
i have heard OF. Mr. Madison did have house in
Washington, or his vile had succeeding him, In
the Vicinity OF the White House square, and It Is
now Occupied by a club called the Cosmos Local
tradition says that Mrs. Madison HAD TO abandon
this house and go to the country on account OF the
persecution OF her sou by first husband, who
Was an nabttual Spendthrirt, and who went to his
grave at the Congressional cemetery with only
one carriage behind the hearse, and one OF
tne two mOurners In that carriage died 10 this city
-
leaving fortune OF about $3OO0OO
Mr.. Monroe has some pOSierlly or connections In
Washington city, but i think he never acquired
property here, having been himself In a most silly
condition OF impecunios1ty for man who was
never out or a salaried situation Ior about forty
years. He has descendants now In the public
service. Think none OF the early Vlce-Presidents
acquired any property here, though two of them
nave feet OF soil In the old cemetery by the
Eastern Branch, namely George Clinton, Of New
ork. and El0ridge Gerry, OF Massachusetts, Gen.
Jackson had no property in Washington city and,
alter he had retired from the presidency, was COM
PEELED 70 accept present OF $4,000 from his edi-
tors and printers, Blair s Rves
FROM WASHINGTON TO CLEVELAND.
"From the review have made Mr.. Townsend
concludes .'and from other information 1t is clear
that no person acquired property as the President
OF the United states in this District between Gen
Washington and Grover Cleveland. Gen. Grant
took a lot here and was about TO build residence
but he never carried his idea into effect as he was
decoyed OF TO New York by the financial set and
there he purchased, in what he supposed TO be his
day OF prosperity, a handsome residence, which Is
body to this District and IL lies among a people
quite foreign TO everything In his history except
his so-called financial life and the term he spent
al the West Point Military Academy. Had his
family placed his body In the District OF Columbia
Il would have been monumentaliZed In a very
handsome style before the present day. Mr. Lin
,oln, also, should have been buried here where his
real history was lived, instead OF being taken back
10 Springfield for burglars 10 speculate upon his
bones and sculptOrs TO raise over this pathetic
lie tremendous insignia OF conQuerors' cannon,