Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-12-03
HARRISON IS WELL FIXED
He VIII Leave the White House a
Rich Man.
Estimated That the President ia saved
100000 Out OF Ills saiary--The
Cabinet Officers Are Out of
Pocket.

.Hcrrison will probably take moro than
half of his salary with him when he
~retires from the white house on the
4th Of next March. An outside esti-
mate OF his expenses. past and pros
pective, during tho four years Of his
term, leaves a balance Of S106, 900 from
the $500, 600, which he will have
drawn. No president since Grant has
ever lived up to his salary. There Is
really no reason why he should. The
government provides a house for him.
furnishes 1t and supplies the servants.
Even the barber who trims the prcsi-
dents beard is n salaried employe OF
the government. When Grant came
into office the salary of the president
was only $25, 900 annually. Yet sew.
era) of Grants predecessors had been
able to a " some money. buchanan
left n fortune OF 500, 600. Lincoln
S75, 900 and johnson $50, 600. Probably
the poorest OF the presidents was JEFF
forson. lie would have been bank.
rupt IL congress had not appropriated
$23, 900 to purchase his library. Madi-
son left q very small estate and Mon
roe died poor. Washington, as every
one knows, married the rich widow
Custis and his estate WINS worth more
than $3.50, 600 John Adams was worth,
perhaps $780, 900 at the time OF his
death, and John Quincy Adams had
managed to save about tho same
amount by prudence and economy.
Van Buren, did not drnw a cent OF his
salary during the -four years of his
term, but drew IL all in a lump 900, =
000) when he went out OF Office, lie
left an estate as largo as that OF Wash
ington. Jackson left IA large landed
estate. Polk left $50, 0C0 Fillmore
was n rich man and some Of his
money, like hat OF Washington,
came to him by marriage. Pierce
saved $50, 900 out of his presidential
salary. Grant spent a great deal of
money while he was in the white house
and all that he took with him when he
left the presidential Office was lost In
the failure OF his son His family was
supported by a fund provided by his
friends. and finally became rich by tho
sale OF his memoirs. Hayes took more
than half his salary with him when
he left the white house. The Gar.
fields were not in the white house
long enough to accumulate much
money, but the Garfield family is now
supported by n public fund. ArthuI
lived better than the average presi
cent during his term, but he was moi
able to spend all of his salary. Cleve.
land took with him from the white
house at least $50. 0G0 of his salary.
When President Harrison am into
office lie was worth perhaps
$50, 900 lie had accumulated
this money little by little in
the practice OF law. His old law
partner, Mr.. Miller, now the attorney
general, was wcrth perhaps four times
rs much, but he accumulated it by for
~tunate speculation in real estate
General Harrison never had tho
faculty for money making; hC
never seemed to see anything
outside his chosen profession,
the law. But he lived moderately. ant
out Of the large fees he received from
time to time he put by n little until he
had accumulated enough to invest IN
some manufacturing property in In
~dianapolis The estimated value o
this property, which the president still
owns, was $40, 600. In addition to this
Genera! Harrison owned the house il
which he lived.
Since he came to Washington Oh,
president has been drawing $3.50 n da,
Lee.
able to spend over half that moun
lie has to bny the food which goes or
the white house table, and pay the oil,
co!ored nanny who cooks il, bu
the other expenses of the executive,
manson, down to matches, are pro
vided for in the annual appropriation
bills. The total expens s Of the .ex
. ecutive mansion are about g., 0 1;
year. There is an appropriation fol-
tho care, repair and furnishing of the
mansion, the care of the greenhouses
improvement and maintenance OF The
grounds, fuel, gas. and the salaries 81
tho employees of the executive oflic,
and the stewards, the messengers. tn,
doorkeepers, the %watchmen and tho
engineers of the establishment, The
president has in addition to this a con
tingent fund OF SIS. 600 which he INA,
;pend n he chooses, without render
ing an itemized account TO congress
This is the only contingent fund. OK,
cept the contingent fund OF the state
department for which no ccoun i.
demanded by congress.
A fair estimate of the presidents ex.
penses in the white house during this
administration PLACES them at $l2, SOC
a year. That would make
tho total expenses OF living dur.
ing his administration $50, 600 for the
president and his family. The ion
illness OF Mrs. Harrison, with tho con.
slant attendance OF skilled physicians
and trained nurses may have made an
extra expense OF 1000. The presi.
dent contributed to the campaign fund
OF W years ago 81. 900 and 10 the re.
cent campaign fund 81 o,o0O. President
Harrison has some . rclations-one
OF them Il widowed sister living in In.
d!ana-to whose support he has con.
tributed for many years. The presi.
dent has contributed $500 a wear FOR
his pew ut the Church of the Covenant,
and 800 a year for his old pew i'm DIR.
llains' church in Indianapolis. AL.
together the incidental expenses oil
the president have been SO, 600 a wear
or si2, 900 for tho four years OF his
term. The presidents travelling has
cost him nothing, and his ho.el ex-
penscs have amounted TO very
little during his term, as lie
has been n guest at almost
every place he has visited. Ills
cottage ct Cape Nay cost him $40. 600.
aSc although nc. ,sa- he ccr:.tc-cd
in the nature OF nm investment, IL is
not at all likely that no will ever get
his $40. 900 back from it.
Counting that among the cxrenses
Of tho administration they add up as
follows:
White house ESQ Oo0
Cape May cottage. l0lol
Individual expenses. I2Mo
Mrs Harrison's illness...,......... 10000
campaign contribution ........ !. 1900
' . ~ ,UOJ
The president will have dra wn 5000. :
geo from the treasury by the 4th OF
March next He will take with him
from the presidential Office then about
y 200 Some oil this money IL al.
ready invcsted. The president went
into q real estate deal rccentv with
Attorney General Miller. Mr.. Miller
IL . shrewd business man. and no