The Portland daily press., 1892-12-07

KlQu0r smiled ike, anu SAID ITO was 5lds
to hear that he had been such lively
kid. Being as how he was only about
three years old when his father moved
away from Caldwell and took him
along, though, he had doubts Of the
truth Of the story. Jim Randall amt
heard the last of it yet, and ne don't
claim he ever knew Grover Cleveland
nowadays"
"Mrs. Cleveland" said Mrs. Backus, a
pleasant faced old lady, who was young
during the Cleveland pastorate, "was a
tall. stately woman, inclined to be some
WHATSOEVER than her husband, who was
rather spare and slender. The care of
her growing family occupied most of
her time, All she was not liable, therefore,
to go about much among her neighbors.
/ remember perfectly how on Sunday
mornings she used to go down the center
aisle of the old wooden meeting house.
that has since burned down, with her
little flock leading and following her to
the minister's pew.
'sMrs. Zenas Crane, who died only last
year." continued Mrs. Backus, '.was
a good friend of Grover Cleveland's
mother and used often to drop in and
render such neighborly kindnesses as
would be especially acceptable to the
young minister's wife. Mrs. Crane held
the president in embeyo on her lap and
sang him to sleep many times while the
mother cared for the other children of
the family"
Mrs. Backus' memory goes away back
to the days before Mr.. Cleveland be-
came pastor. In those times there
were no stoves in the Caldwell church,
and the people had to keep warm in the
winter by means of curious little foot
stoves in which fires of corncobs were
built.
There was considerable opposition to
the introduction Of the new tangled heat
ing apparatus. The purchase of two
box stoves in which s'chunks" of wood
were burned was approved at some
what stormy meeting of the church and
congregation on Jan. 1, 1928, and one
"Doct. Orion was instructed to get
them. The church edifce was not pro-
vided with chimneys, and so the stoves
were placed in two corners of the build
ing, and the smoke was carried away by
stovepipes that stuck out Of the win
dows. Some scandal arose at one time,
according to Mrs. Backus' memory, be-
cause certain persons Of the male persua-
sion were careless in their use of to-
bacco, and the church finally passed
formal resolution to the effect that those
who must chew during divine service
should provide themselves with boxes
to spit In, and not spit on the focr Of
the meeting house."
The Rev. Mr.. Cleveland had not long
been pastor Of the Caldwell church when
the $3.50 salary which was agreed upon
was found to be inadequate to the sup
port of his constantly increasing family,
and the quaint old church record book,
from which have already made an ex-
tract. contains copy Of q letter which
the minister transmitted to the church
on Jan. 2, 1887. It set forth in simple,
direct phrase that he must have larger
income or resign his place in Caldwell.
The letter produced the desired result.
Under date Of Jan. 80, 1887, minute
appears of meeting at which it was de-
cided, by vote Of IS to Is, to increase
the pastors salary to $500 year. On
Jan. /, 1871, it WAS mutually agreed
that church and pastor would do better
apart, and few weeks afterward the
Cleveland family moved away from the
pretty mountain village Of Caldwell.
70 /. D. MARSHALL.