Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-25
A Day in Mrs. cleveland's Life.

so large is the volume u mdleA Id
which comes with each mail from North,
South. East and West addressed to Mrs
Cleveland that it has been found neces-
sary to divide into classes those letters
which appear deserving of any notice
whatever First in this category come
the requests for charity, in numberless
forms. Appeals for money are abun-
dant, of course. Next come calls Tor
food and clothing. Then come demands
that she will make an apron for fair
in Podunk, or dress a doll for church
exhibition at Smithville. Perhaps the
funniest of the begging letters are those
which crave the gift of a baby carriage;
they are usually accompanied by a clip
ping or copied quotation from an OBJ
scure local newspaper, in which an I'M
aginative contributor describes the Cleve-
lands as receiving a carload of little car
riages as presents from inventors and
manufacturers all over the country dl-
rectly after the birth of each child. AS
a matter Of fact no such presents have
ever come to them; but the fancy OF the
average Washington letter-Wrlter runs
riot on OCCASION, and represents as
real happening what might have occurred
if the whole guild of American carriage
makers had let themselves loose in search
of great advertisement.
A second class of letters are those
in which Mrs. Cleveland is besought to
use her influence with the President to
procure offices or other political favors
for somebody in whom the writer's are
interested Even the wives of promi-
nent congressman have been known to
bespeak in this way the interference of
the President to obtain coveted commit
tee assignments for their husbands in
one or the other legislative chamber
To the third class belong letters ask
ing the use of Mrs. Cleveland's name as
a q
subscriber for book, or as subject Of a
dedicatOry paragraph.
In a fourth class are grouped the con-
ventional engraved invitations to take
part in some festivity--a wedding, a re-
ception, a christening, birthday party,
the anniversary of a society, the laying
of a cornerstone.
The almost unbroken rule in all these
cases is for one of the executive clerks
to write stereotyped form of answer,
consisting of polite acknowledgment
and a defamation. Here and there a
missive will have some distinctive feature
which causes it to be set apart from the
rest and brought to Mrs. Cleveland's no.
tice when she retlreS from the breakfast
room and seats herself at her desk A
request that she will allow herself to be
named as godmOther for some budding
genius of q new generation is rarely re-
fused. an autograph is given where the
circumstances warrant the belief that the
courtesy will not be abused, and on rare
very rare-occasions a photograph is
added. Now and then, at long intervals,
one of the other requests receives ia
vorable response; but when the recipient
is ungracious enough to share the news
of his success with the public, the re-
suit is such a deluge of appeals and de-
mands from chronic mendicants that the
kindly feeling which prompted the ex-
pertinent is turned to disgust, and the les
son costs the next 1000 applicants q
prompt denial of their prayers.
AS an example of the use to which
the declination of an invitation may be
put. single instance may be cited
From a social climber of the most self
obtrusive and offensive type, who had
been eagerly bent for years on obtaining
some personal recognition from the Pres
ident's family, came one day card for
the wedding reception of his daughter.
The stereotyped response was sent by
one of the clerks, expressing the regret
OF the President and Mrs. Cleveland that
they would be unable to attend. The
morning newspapers on the day follow
ing the affair contained full account
of all that took place, ending with list
of distinguished guests; and the recorded
procession of generals and commodores
and judges wound up with the announce
ment that president and Mrs. Cleve-
land were to have honored the occasion
with their presence, but at the last mo-
ment were unavoidably prevented and
obliged to send their regrets. Harper S
Ro7qr