Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-24
IT WAS NOT A GIFT.
MR.. HARRISON PAID FOR THE CAPE MAY
COTTAGE.
An Authorized Statement Upon the Subject
Issued From the White House-A Check
for $4,000 Was Sent to the Donors.

An Authorized Statement Upon the subject
Issued From the White House-A Check
for $4,000 Was Sent to the Donors.
IFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, July 23.-The following
from the Evening Star is said upon the best
authority to have been furnished by Mr.. E.
j. Ealford, the Presidents private secre-
tary:
The facts relating to the transfer to Mrs.
Harrison of the cottage at Cape May Point
now occupied by the Presidents family, as
learned by a reporter to-day. are quite
different from the statements on which criti-
cisms of the propriety of the Presidents con-
duct in permitting the acceptance of what was
supposed to be gift to Mrs. Harrison were
based. The fact has now just come to light
that the cottage is absolutely owned by the
President, not by virtue of the gener-
osity of his Philadelphia friends,
but because he paid aid for for 1t In so song 10
the transaction. as the reporter was reliably
informed, is Just this: When the Philadelphia
gentlemen representing the donors OF the cot
tage-Mr. Mexican and MT; anamaker-
cottage and deeds. the President was at lunch
entirely unconscious of any intention on the
part of his friends to give him anything. He
was called into the Red Parlor, where he
found the two gentlemen explaining the plans
of the cottage to Mrs. Harrison. In few words
Mr.. Mexican told the President of the gift
and handed the key to his wife. 1t was trying
moment. Confronted by such generosity and
taken unawares, some men might have lost
presence of mind, but the President kept cool,
and, after expressing his warmest thanks to the
gentlemen for the GIFT and for their kind de-
sires he said that he and his family would very
gladly occupy the cottage, but upon terms that
should be determined upon later. Thus did he
give as his acceptance of the present condi-
tion OF future reimbursement, even before
known at ALL. 1t was upon these
terms that Mrs. Harrison and the family first
went down TO Cape May. Soon after their ar
rival, with his original decision firm in his
mind, the President set on foot quiet inveSti-
cation that brought to him accurate informa-
ton as to the amount of money that had been
expended in the investment and as soon as he
was sure of the sum he drew a check for SIC, 900
and forwarded it to Mr.. Mexican, with the re-
quest that by its means the original purchasers
should be reimbursed for their outlay. Thus
he became actual owner of the property.
This was not done. it is stated, in conse-
quence of the criticisms that followed the
public announcement OF the presentation,
for the President gave notice of his inten-
ton even before line had been printed
about the matter. He simply followed, as
one of the Presidents friends said to-day, an
inviolable custom of his, custom that he
has adhered to for years, both before and
since his election, not to accept presents of
value from his friends, custom that has
been inspired by the feeling of honor and
pride which any gentleman has whose
purse is quite amply sufficient to meet his
needs and wants.