The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-01-29
The Case Of Grover Cleveland.
BY ALFRED HENRY LEWIS.
From The New York Journal.
TIT GontinnoH

The effect of money getting on
Cleveland has been marked, and
would be tremendous had there
been more of him. But Cleveland,
considered as mere raw material for
any purpose, has ever had his
limits. His earliest money came
from Red Top. 1t was revelation
to him. 1t gave him an appetite,
too, which stays with him today.
Cleveland had never made dol
lar; naturally, he doesn't know how.
It's like calling on a horse to make
dollar. He had grown to forty
eight and Washington without so
much silver as might serve by its
,jingling to keep the devil from
dancing in his purse. But he met
wise men; men who saw in him the
latent money advantages which lie
dormant in every President, and
who were willing to work them to
his and their advantage.
Probably the same sort Of men
saw aforetime the money chances
which slept in other Presidents.
But, as one after the other, Jeffer-
son, Madison, Monroe, Jackson,
down to our own time, left the
White House, some abject paupers,
mos of them leaner than they came,
it would seem that those others
lacked the thrift to permit their
development. 1t was not until
Cleveland's day the White House
became lucrative, and he will retire
he who was dollarless at forty
eight-with the record of being the
first President who leaves richer
than he arrived. Coming poor, he
departs with the wealth of dreams.
And to the quiet of his con-
science, it is to be doubted if he
could tell you a word of how all
this glittering, pleasing marvel
came about. He has millions, and
he doesn't know how. And it's an
even chance he loses them before
all is over. When he ceases to be
President and gives up his lamp of
magic, which he has only to rub to
make all about him rich, those who
have used him and lived by him
will take what he has away. Nor
has he the money wit to serve for
its protection.
But to 60 back to Red Top. A
coterie bought bundle of suburban
acres to the northwest of Washing
ton, cheap. Then they put Cleve-
land in as part owner Of the ground
floor. Docility and a Presidential
example were considered equivalent
for his share.
They trundled him into the centre
of the tract. They built four walls
and roof about and above him.
They named it Red Top, and left
him to hatch values while they
searched for purchasers.
Washington is founded in its real
estate values on snobbery. There
is sort of toady-may his tribe
decrease-who will pay fancy
price to inhabit house built next
to, for example, the President.
They were conducted in droves to
Red Top. They bought doughtily.
AT the close of these festivities in
real estate Cleveland was aided to
unload with the others, and reaped
a profit of $4,000. This was his
beginning.
After his first term was over, still
confident in his power to incubate
real estate, he took a sand blown
waste at Buzzard's Bay-100 acres,
I believe. But the charm had de-
parted An ex-President cannot
hatch. So he sullenly built high
board fence all about his Buzzard's
Bay possession and enriched it with
signs: "Keep out, by order Of Gro
yer Cleveland"
with his coming to second term,
however, prices at Buzzard's Bay
began to stir. His 100 acres COM
menced in their values to take on
pride blown ciphers, and from acres
quotations attached themselves to
feet. New signs joined the old sui
len mandate which told one to keep
out, and urged one to hasten to a
real estate firm in Boston and buy
thereof. And multitudes took the