The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-09-11
MIR. CLEVELAND SENTIMENTAL

MIR. CLEVELAND SENTIMENTAL,
How IL Little Bluc-Eyed Girl Secured
Government POsition-Rcsult OF
shooting Squirrels ON an Old
Friends Plantation.
Special to the Augusta Chronicle.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Sept. 4
There is a good deal of sentiment
about Mr.. Cleveland in spite of his
big form and strictly business methods.
In cold and callous way he turned
down thousands of ollicc-scekers dur
ing the past year and refused favOrs to
his best friends when his Judgment
ran contrary to theirs, but before n
little bluc-eycd girl OF l5 who wanted
to work, his big heart melted away
Without the endorsement of a single
politician he provided for her as a
father would look to the interest of his
own child.
Just fifteen miles from Washington
there lives an old school mate of
Grover Observation-Disclosures Burr. He
owns 900 acres OF wooded land Just off
the old State road. He is an old
bachelor and lives in quiet and un-
assuming manner, and though so near
Washing ton has not visited the Capital
OF his country since Grants first in
auguration.
The soldier President was his ideal,
and since Lees surrender ut Appomat-
toX old Burr has been a strict follower
cf Republican traditions. During
Mr.. Cleveland's first administration
Burr never visited the White House
nor even asked the President Il favor,
and Mr.. Cleveland possibly never
knew that an old school mate was
living SO near. Representative Comp
ton, who knew of the association be-
tween tho two men in their boyhood.
told the President of Burr's residence
and asked if he remembered him.
With that strange memory which
never seems to forget Il name MIR.
Cleveland recalled him and told sever.
anecdotes which had linked his life
with Burr's in their earlier days.
When the old Maryland planter heard
that his old school mate had not for
gotten him he wrote letter to the
White House, and in his characteristics,
blunt way stated that he was a Re
publican, and if the President didn't
mind that he could come out and shoot
squirrels on his place. He went on to
describe, so Compton says that he had
not allowed a squirrel to be shot on
his place since the war, and suggested
that when politicians became too much
for him the President might come and
take crack ut some of them. The
letter began in Il very formal way, but
the Old larmcr soon dropped into Il
personal address and closed in the fol-
lowing familiar manner "Now,
Grover, if you don't mind my politics
l'll be mighty glad to sec you again
and talk over old times"
This was chance out of a thousand
for Mr.. Cleveland. His mouth fairly
watcrcd Tor those squirrels and his
heart ycarncd for just such an escape
from political friends and nattcrcrs.
He told Compton to say nothing about
his proposed visit for he was deter
mined to tn Ike his old friend by surprise.
Accordingly one morning at day-bl cak
seated III Il side bar buggy he started.
out In quest OF Burr's plantation. He
started from his summer home at
Woodlcy and that day it was given ont
| by his ever faithful Thurber that he
was not well and would remain in the
| country.
He had two men from his place with
him and the sun was well up before
| they reached their destination Break
fast was over and Burr had gone to the
postolicc several miles distant. Mr.
| Cleveland, without revealing his idcn.
tity, sat on the front porch to wait foi
his old friend. He was pretty tired
and very hungry. 1t was at this time
that Lena Bradford, the heroine of this
little story appeared on the scenes
She lived on the Burr place and had
the run OF the house. She sat down or
the steps in front OF Mr. Cleveland. not
finding old Mr.. Burr at home and rat
tied on about crops until she got tho
President Interested. When he finally
suggested that he wanted some water
she went to the well near by and
brought him gourd full. On learn
ing that he had had Il long ride she
volunteered to get him something tC
cat. She soon had the conventional
country breakfast Of ham and eggs
spread and the President ate heartily
Shortly after he had appcascd his ap
petite old Burr came in and old mem
orics were revived.
Before leaving that night he inquir
cd as to tho history of Lena Bradford
and found that she was one of scvcra
children OF widow who had recently
been appointed postmaster at Coles
| Vile, the little station where Burr aG
gone to get his mail.
Apparently whenever he thought o
his visit to old Burr he thought Of the
little bluc-cyed girl who had brought
him water. The episode closed only
last week when Lena was brought tt
Washington and installed in a 5000 po.
sition directly under the supervision o
the Secretary of Agriculture. Tho
people around Cocsville say that tho
President has paid Burr several visits
since that morning when Lena Brad
ford served him breakfast. Th9 good
people OF that town had greater sur
prise in store for thpm whom William
Burr, sitting in the postonicc, one day
announced that he "reckoned hc'C
vote the Democratic ticket next time.