The Portland daily press., 1896-06-02

ouss, and Parson Cleveland had strug-
gle TO make ends meet, and do you know,
MIR. CLEVELAND set down few weeks later
and wrote me the most cordial kind of a
letter any one could imagine.
"Up at the top of the first page was a
printed Executive Mansion,' in blush
letters. The handwriting was dreadful
hard to read. He said he rememb ered
me, too, and thanked me for my letter
because it had revived some old and very
pleasant memories that had been crowded
out OF his thoughts by powerful lot of
work. I'd show you the letter now, but
l lost it or had it stolen in Los Angeles
my watch than that there document.
| "You want to hear about how / came
to know Grover Cleveland when he was o
| little shaver, do you? Well, it was in
/ 1912 Dr. 1S43 that Parson Richard Cleve-
land moved from Fayetteville "a little
place near Syracuse, N. Y. over to Clin-
ton, in Oneida county, and few miles
from Utica. was strong young man
in the country village then, and was
working for my board and some higher
education up at the big Clinton Academy
on tho hill had the job as sexton in
the Pr sbyterian church.
81 remember as if it were only yester-
day the day Parson Cleveland and his
family came into our town over the
Oneida turnpike road, one blazing day
in summer, with their household goods
loaded in farm WAGONS that the members
of the church had furnished for convey
Ing the new young pastor and his oil to
Clinton. went up and helped the pas
tor and his wife settle in the parsonage
near the church. There were two girls,
the Oldest about 10, and two boys-Grover
Cor, as he was called then, Stephen Grov-
err and q brother Willie.
"Of course I soon became we'll 40.
quainted with Parson Cleveland and his
family. The pastor was an easy, mild
dispositioned ssoholarly man, while his
wife was an energetic, aggressive and
determined young woman, who meant
to do the very best possible for her child
rem. Grover was at that time about six
years old. He was chubby child, with
blue gray Dyes, and large for his age He
was not accounted the smart one OF the
flock, and If had been going to nome
rem who would make famous name 1t
would have bean either Willie or little
Mary. Grover had hard time learning
to speak clearly, and he was clumsy,
determined child.
"Parson Cleveland was a Yale College
man, and used to walk home with! him
and the family nights after prayer meet
about what | was studying. Many a
time have helped carry the children
home from church. They would be sleepy
and cross, and all being big, heal thy
children, 1t was not the easiest job in the
world to look after them. The Clevelande
lived at Clinton seven or eight years, SO
you see had ample opportunity to oh.
serve the children develop.
ut came in my duties to look after the
big, 'old fashioned wood stove in the
church. All the old timers in the East
will recall them. remember how Grow
er used to love to come there from the
parsonage when I was at work alone
building fire preparatory to service. He
was full Of mischief and would throw
balls Of esnow on the broad stove te
watch them bubble and melt and heal
them SizZle.
Zone day when I told him several
times to Quit, he threw still larger
snow ball on the hot stove, and when
snatched hold of him he shouted some
saucy words at me.
Il lost my temper i'll moment, and
II just laid little Grover across my knee
right there in theh Presby torian church
t(with no one around, Of course } and
gave him about dozen spanks that
made my hand burn. was downright
mad, and meant business at every stroke
"Did he cry? Not bit of it. He wig
gled himself loose from me, and sup
pressing his anger ran out of the church
pell-msll across the snow toward home.
at was q week before he would look al
me. told Parson Cleveland what I had
done, and he smiled and said be guessed
Grover needed few more such lessons
than no got. The parson never needed
Solomons precept at all.
"There were probably half dozer
other times in the course of my janitor.
ship in the Clinton Pres byterian church
that had occasion to mildly chastise
Grover. Once he and several boy com
panions persisted in playing with the
church organ. was afraid they would
break some Of the apparatus, and church
organs COST heap Of money fifty years
ago. When the spunky little chap told
me one day, when ordersd him away
from the organ, to Shut my mouth OF
something to that effect, I snatohed him
and shook him almost enough to loosen
his very teeth.
"Another time when had spent sew.
eral hours in shoveling snow from the
meeting house walks, and prided myself
on my fine work. that little Grover
Cleveland undid all my work by rolling
. about the snow banks I had made alone
, each path and scattering snow all ovei
| the walks. When reprimanded him he
i. gave me to understand that I was Q