The Republican journal., 1892-09-22
Cleaves' Checkered Career.


WHAT A BRtnGION MAN SAYS OF THE GOV
FRNOK-ELECT.
c. @. >tickney writes to the Boston Ad-
vertiser: Hon. II. b. Cleaves whom the
Maine Republicans have Just elected gov
ernor, has had checkered and. in some
respects. romantic career Like the writ
el. he was born and reared in Bridgton
Me. hence know linn well. and could
tell many 4 pleasant story illustrative of
his evolution from a green falmer lad to
the chief magistrate Of his native State.
His parental home WAS in remote,
spaISely settled. isolated. farming neigh
bOrhoUd called the 'Hio. "a locality
which is a veritable intellectual hot bed,
from whose little 'knowledge- box OF Ii
school house has gone forth galaxy Of
notable men and women which few larger
and more pIetentious places have pro
duced. IN fact, the history OF the g1adu-
ates from that 12XlG rudimentaly institu-
tion would read like a fairy tale. But
the men and women who. q century ago.
came down from Massachusetts, and set
tel in that wild country were OF fine stock.
physically mentally and morally; and
their descendants have, with scarcely an
tAttpllPIl 'O1t lObpl 10 lltH ittll names
of their sturdy ancestors.
OF such stock was the Cleaves family.
of which Maine next governor is dis
tinguished representative. His father,
Mr.. Thomas Cleaves, was III his day one
of Bridgton' 5 foremost ownsmen-select-
man, legislator etc and two of Henry S
brothers, like himself, have made their
mark in the world Judge Nathan Cleaves,
of Portland, who died precisely one week
before Henry was elected governor. and
Hon. Thomas P. Cleaves, of Washington,
ID. c., who for nearly a quarter century
has filled the important place Of clerk of
tue Senate committee ON appropriations.
OF the military and professional achieve
ments Of Gov. Cleaves the public are toll
erably well informed. His record as an
officer i'll the Union army is as creditabe
as his after career as lawyer, legislator
attorney general, etc, Is brilliant. That
he should be nominated for prospective
gubernatorial honors by acclamation.
without any opposition whatever, and
this, too, Tor the tirst-term candidacy, is
a thing almost unique in Maine politics,
and shows moreover, how high he stands
with the people.
But to our story. When Lieut. Henry
Bradstreet Cleaves came home from the
war, after Lee 5 surrender he like thou
sands of other soldiers, was out Of a lob.
But he was not the kind of man To eat
the bread of idleness--to loaf round and
live on others. SO he went to work as a
common hand in Perley Il Stiles sash and
blind manufactory at Bridgton. One day
as he was hard at work piing boards, he
suddenly paused, wiped the sweat from
his brow, and solilouuized thusly:
'Well, Well, Here I've been at work
like a dog couple of years: and here
may stay and handle boards and do other
rough work all the rest Of nay days, or |
may break right off and strike for some
thing higher. To be sure, if | try to get
my living by my wits, | may ingloriously
fail for want OF capital, -but-I'll be
hanged if | won try it
He tried it. And when a short time
hence, Perley 4 Stiles whilom workman
rides at the head OF his brilliantly uni
formed staff as governor of Maine, Lin
coins historic rail-splitting will have
found its counterpart in a lesser but
equally romantic degree i'll the case OF
certain board piling done by farmer 5
boy in the old Pine Tree State