The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-01
THE PRESIDENT AT THE FENCE.


ties which make men great. Than SPUR
rel shooting. there is no better school Of
diplomacy. 1t requires quite as much
circuInspection to deal with a full-grOwn
gray squirrel as IL does to negotiate with
Sir Julian PauncefOte or the American
representative of the Grand Turk The
pursuit of a full grown gray squirrel in
which original sin is always present and
developed to an extraordinary degree
viii fit a man TO wrestlo successfully with
the most knotty problem Of public policy
or IL will enable him TO eat an inferior
dinner with evident relish. Every au-
tumn before the convening of Congress,
MI Cleveland has many days Of sduir-
rel shooting and had not his summers
fishing got him into the proper frame
OF mind for the high duties of his Off
cia season the squirrel shooting would
surely accomplish that end.
Ii has been my good fortune 10 attend
the President upon one of his squirrel
shooting expeditions. not as his guest
but following the same lanes and by
ways crossing the same meadows and
woodlands, climbing the same fences and
in one instance bringing down squirrel
missed by the presidential gun. am,
as the result, In a position TO say that
the chief magistrate is as good shot
as he is a fisherman, that he Is a tireless
walker and that he has a keen eye FOR
the discovery OF squirrels that many
younger man might envy.
II he is not quite as proficient in climb
ing Virginia rail fences as he is in sur
mounting political obstacles 1t IS hardly
to be expected, but he does climb them.
and with comparatively few mishaps.
Those who have only seen President
Cleveland surrounded by the pOmp and
circumstance inseparable from his Of
fee when he appears upon great pub
lie occasions, would find II hard TO re-
cognize him in shooting costume climbing
a Virginia rail fence He goes at it in
. thoroughly systematic ana deliberate
manner-not at all as a boy does playing
hare and hound. There may be more
squirrels than one could "shake a stick
at in the adjacent woodland and their
chattering may be perfectly audible but
II will not hurry Mr. Cleveland one par
ticle in his fence climbing 10 get TO
them. He approaches the fences much as
a reluctant but determined bridegroom
approaches the altar He regards the
fence from afar with eyes of stern COM
lrehension and estimates its height and
strength like t~ailod thorou ;hbrcd
hunter following the hounds. II there is
"A gate or gap not TOO Ear away ne MAKES
fcr II but If the obstacle presents an UNI
broken front he walks TO IL as ne would
walk 10 the front of a platform when
about TO address "A large me ting Nicho-
las Johnson. the middle-aged but agile
colored man who always accompanies
Mr. Cleveland when he goes out Tor
squirrels. climbs the fence lrst IS guar
antee of good faith. Then Mr. Cleve-
land follows the good safe Did custom of
passing his gun over the fence TO his
man. This IS because IL might otherwise
go or and hurt some one. Then Nh
Cleveland climbs. First he ,rasps the
top ~ and shakes II a little to see If
Il Is TO be trusted. If not ne tries the
next section OF fence Then he places his
right foot on the bottom rail as one
would n about 10 step on basket of
eggs. II this rail proves 10 be all that
Is expected the President draws himself
,ip a notch and tests the second rail from
the bottom. Nicholas stands by regard
ing the operation with due solemnity and
occasionally offering "a suggestion hut