The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-05-24
THE PRESIDENTS
FROM GEORGE WASHINGTON
TO BENJAMIN HARRISON.
Comparisons of the Nations Chief
ExecutiVes-Their appearance
and Private Oareers-A Ma
jority Military Men.

General Harrison, on the day he be-
came President. was ffty-ive years,
seven months and fourteen days old,
about year less than the average age Of
his predecessors when inaugurated. The
grandfather OF Mr.. Harrison was the old
est OF the Presidents, having entered /
upon the duties Of the Office in his sixty
eighth year General jackson, when he
began his second term, lacked eleven
days OF being sixty-six years old, and
buchanan was only five days younger
than this when inaugurated The first
SIX Presidents, also Taylor and Johnson,
were all older than Ben amin Harrison
when inaugurated. General Grant was
the youngest President inaugurated,
being under forty-seven; Mr.. Cleveland
next, not quite forty eight; Pierce forty
eight, Fillmore forty-nine, Polk and
Garheld each fifty, Tyler and Arthur each
h1ty one, Lincoln ffty-two, Van Buren,
and Hayes each fifty
Twelve Presidents were lawyers only.
Gsrheld had the most varied occupation;
he was teacher, preacher, lawyer and
soldier before becoming q statesman
John Quincy Adams was professor of
rhetoric IN Harvard College, besides hav-
ing been lawyer and statesman.
jackson was taught the alphabet in a
log schoolhouse, and was a lawyer, |
planter and soldier Arthur was a (
teacher apd lawyer before he presided /
over the United States Senate. OF the |
other soldier Presidents, Hayes, Pierce, |
Monroe and Benjamin Harrison were |
lawyers, Grant a tanner, William Henry
Harrison a physician and Washington a
surveyor. Taylor was a soldier and
soldier only, by profession and occupa-
ton.
If we include President Lincoln, who
was militia captain for a short time in
the Black Hawk War under General
TAYLOR, we shall find that a majority Of
our Presidents have been military men.
OF these General Grant doubtless has had
the most extensive lighting experience
aud received the greatest number OF pro-
motions. He rose from Lieutenant to
General. Monroe had risen from cadet
to Colonel when he was wounded in the
shoulder at Trenton. Washington,
Jackson, William Henry Harrison and
Taylor were Major Generals; Garfield
was Major General and Hayes q Briga-
ulEA VI hOAuhLEE4oF 4GIL6 " -
a Brigadier- General, and the President
elect Brigadier- General Of Volunteers by
brevet. Arthur was Quartermaster-
General on the staff OF the Governor of
New York.
Hayes was wounded four times in bst-
tie, jackson also received four wounds,
though none of them in battle. When
captu.ed by the British, while a mere
boy, he received two severe sabre cuts,
one on the hand and the other on the
head, for refusing to black an officers
boots. In his second duel he was
slightly wounded in the breast and then
deliberately killed his antagonist, Dick
enson. His fourth wound, which was
the most severe, when two balls and a
slug were planted in his shoulder was
received in a row with Colonel Benton,
at Nashville. General W. Fl. Harrison was
slightly wounded in the thigh at the
battle of Tippecanoe. General Pierce
was accidentally injured in battle by be-
ing thrown from his horse in the ad-
vance on the City of Mexico.
A majority of the Presidents rose step |
by step, almost continuously, to that high
odice. Some met with serious reverses,
however. Lincoln was defeated for
United States Senator by Douglas, pre-
vious to being nominated for the Presi-
dency. Polk was defeated twice for
Governor of Tennessee before he became
! President, and the President-elect had
been previously defeated for Gov
e-nor Of Indiana. No candidate ever
met with a more surprising defeat than
| did Andrew jackson, when, after re-
ceiving the highest number of electoral
votes for the Presidency, he was defeated
in the House of Representatives by John
| Quincy Adams; and no man, perhaps,
ever exhibited more of that determine
ton which achieves success than did
Jackson afterward.
The highest per cent. of the electoral
vote received by any President was that
/ of Monroe in his second candidacy,
/ 90 %; and Washington for his second
term ranks next, having received 97.77
| per cent. The lowest per cent. of the
electoral vote received by any success
| full candidate was that of John Quincy
Adams, 30. Is, while jackson, the de-
feated candidate, received 6S.1J per
cent. of the electoral vote.
The tallesJ President was Washington,
whose stature was six feet four inches,
and the shortest, James Madison, who
was not above five and one-half feet in
height. jefferson, Monroe, Jackson,
I Tyler. Lincoln, Garfield and Arthur
were all six feet or over. John Adams,
his son John Quincy, and General
Taylor, are each said to have been five
feet eight inches, the same height as
Benjamin Harrison. AS regards weight,
Jackson, though SIX feet and one inch
in height. was probably the lightest in
avoirdupois, as he only turned the scale
at 145 pounds. Cleveland, when in
augurated, is said to have weighed 30
pounds, bat has probably increased
somewhat since.
All OF the Presidents with two excep-
lions, from Washington to Lincoln. had
customarily smooth shaven faces. The
exceptions were John Quincy Adams
and Van Buren,, who wore high side
whiskers. President Johnson was usu-
ally smooth shaven also. Dir. Lincoln
wore chin and side whiskers. President
Harrison follows the example of General
Grant, Hayes and Garfield in wearing a
mustache and full beard. President
Arthur's mustache and whiskers will be
remembered, and Mr. Cleveland is the
Only President who has worn mustache
simply.
Dir. Harrison's eyes are blue, agree
ing in this respect with a majority of
the Executive eyes. Mr.. Cleveland's
are brown, as were also Arthur's, aud
among the dark eyes were those OF Mr..
Harrison's grandfather. The darkest
ewes were those of President Pierce
which were intensely black, as was also
his hair A number of other Presi-
dents, it will be remembered, have had
dark har, though in a large majority of
cases it was either gray or became gray
while in the Executive chair jefferson
had red hair, which changed to silver
white IN color.
The Presidents, as arule, have dressed
with uniform propriety General Tay-
Tor may be regarded as an exception. as
he preferred ''fatiguen suit or dress
suit very much too large for him in
order to be Comfortable
All of the Presidents have been mar
ried men except Buchanan. William
Henry Harrison had tie largest family.
ten children, nine of whom reached