The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-22
CLEVELAND'S ANCESTORS.
THE PRESIDENTS PEDIGREE
TRACED BACK 100 YEARS.

dents Father.
President Cleveland never saw his great
grandfather, but the Norwich Bulletins
representative has had the pleasure of
chatting with distinguished citizen of
Norwich, whose memory stretches like a
compass across four generations, and who
receives his callers with firm grasp of the
same hand that held that of President
Cleveland's great grandfather. This gen
tleman, as every local resident and many
of our distant readers may know without
telling, is the venerable Col. George L.
Perkins-that wonderful impersonation of
longevity which rewards good constitu-
ton preserved by temperate life. a man
who will round out a full century of ex-
istence on Aug. 5, next, who was born be-
fore George Washington was president, and
has outlived all the presidents of the United
States except Mr.. Hayes and the incum-
bent, who, with his six feet and two inches
of stature, is as straight as an arrow, whose
mind is as clear as his clear blue eve, and
who is as active as man twenty-five years
his Junior 1t is a delight to converse with
him of times gone by, and some of his re-
miniscences of the presidents ancestors
possess great interest.
Aaron Cleveland was Dorm In East Had
dam. Conn.,, Feb 9, 1744, but he lived and
carried on business in Norwich the greater
part of his life. His reputation was due
less to his success as hatmaker than to his
talent as a preacher, speaker, writer and
participant in the politics of his time. He
was distinguished fol- his patriotism in the
revolutionary days and he wrote many
ringing articles which had much influence
One contribution, which may be cited as an
illustration, took the form of a sermon upon
the text: Touch not mine Amounted. ~
Psalms, CIV, Is. Mr.. Cleveland's argument
reversed the common Interpretation of the
text and maintained that it proved that
mot kings, but the people, are the anointed
of God, and kings are forbidden to touch
them" That idea was elaborated with Mr.
Cleveland's peculiar keenneSS and force. and
in a manner to prove that a free people
were touched" when their rights or civil
laws were infringed or violated. The ap-
plication was obvious.
The historian, in painting pen picture
of the scene presented on that Sunday in
June after the battle of Bunker Hill, de
pictS Aaron Cleveland, the deep thinker, ."
among the prominent citizens gathered
to the old uptown church by the tolling
bell He was in the congregation when the
services were interrupted by the changing
Of the bell, the uproar, the confusion, above
which could be heard only the shouts: "a
battlel A battle has taken place on Bunker
Hill The British are beaten Hurrah!
Hurrah for Boston! Hurrah for liberty -
In ITS Aaron Cleveland was among
other leading spirits of the town contending
for the abolition of poll-taxes, the conflne-
ment of taxes to property, and the extern
sion of suffrage. The objections to the poll
tax, the last OF which is curious one, were
these:
THAT is a personal tax and ought to be
paid in personal services; that it is a double
tax, the poor man paying for tne poll,
which is the substitute for his labor and tor
the avails of his labor also; and that it is
unpolitic as preventing early marriages,
which promote industry, frugality and
every social virtue
Part of Aaron Clevelands force as a
preacher lay in his fecundity of illustration
Col. Perkins told the Bulletin representa-
tive of one of his amusing figures of speech.
1t was customary for the ministers to hold
occasional meetings, at which one of their
number would preach, followed by COLA
ton at which they would express their
views ON the sermon. The preacher on one
occasion was noted for his indirectness and
large power of saying nothing "Well, Mr.
Cleveland" one of the parsons asked what
do you think of the sermong' Zone day
when was travelling" replied Mr.. Cleve-
land, II stopped at an inn. In the room ad-
joining mine was a woman spinning
heard her large wheel whirllng, aud l
heard her walking back and forth as she
spun. l wondered and wondered what it
was she was spinning, and have been won
dering ever since"
Parson Cleveland's sermons were models
of brevity. Col. Perkins repeated the re-
mark of some wag to the effect that they
were as short as a rabbits tail"
1t is believed that Aaron Cleveland was
the first writer in Connecticut to question
the lawfullness of slavery and to argue
against it. He was sent 10 the legislature
in 1878 for TIE express purpose of in
Producing bill for its abolition, a step for
which popular sentiment in Norwich was
then ripe. 1t was after this that he became
Congregational minister. He was settled
for time at Branpton, VT, but was dis
missed in 1903, and from that time to his
death in New Haven in 1915 he was occu-
pied in supplying vacant pulpits.
Aaron Cleveland's second son, Deacon
William Cleveland, after living in New
London and New York, returned to Nor
witch to abide. He was set apart for the
Office of deacon in the Congregational
church April 80, 1912. He was man of
social inclinations, amiable temperament
and fervent piety. The house in which be
lived is the first house south of the Bean
hill MetnOdlst Episcopal cnurch. III is not
now very ancient looking building, be-
cause it has been considerably modernized
since the Presidents grandfather occupied
It, 1t stands in picturesque situation in
the shade of lofty elms and the portico on
the southern end is gracefully ornamented
with climbing vines.
By trade William Cleveland was a silver
smith. Col. Perkins had standing con-
tract with Mr.. Cleveland to keep his watch
In repair for 81 year, whether it needed
cleaning and tinkering or not. William
Cleveland's watch shop is still standing.
This old fashioned little building is also
situated at Bean Hill, ON the opposite side
from the residence and a few rods to the
south of it. It's gambrel roof, projecting
at one end beyond the side of the house, is
characteristic of many antique structures
that still stand in this historic town. 1t Is
now very respectable place of refreshment
Tor the weary wayfarer. 1t is Familiarity
known as Adams tavern"
In this building William Cleveland piled
his trade rs a sllversmith. Here he repaired
Tho clocks of the town. He was an expert
mechanician and the most debilita ed time
piece In the community, no matter whether
1t was weight clock, spring clock, a
musical clock a plain clock, a church clock,
or regulator, could not battle his skill. In
those days watches were not common. Tho
possession of q watch was mark OF dis
Junction, and it followed that Mr.. Cleve-
lands patronage was drawn from the best
people in town. As silversmith he made