The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-03-04

the president elect has received since the
st. Louis convention have founded 20
ological garden In connection with one Of
the Canton parks, and have partially
stocked the president-e!oct's farm. All OF
the gifts have been taken care of, either
at the Mckinley home or at those OF his
friends.
Every room in the Mckinley house Is
supplied with several rocking chairs which
have come as gifts. One of them, sent by
admiring Canadians, is made of polished
black ash, and weighs 40 pounds. One OF
the diversions OF the newspaper CORE
spondents ON dull days was to watch nerv-
our office seekers sit down in the chair and
attempt to hitch 1t along. An attempt
to move it always resulted in n surprised
look on the face OF the occupant.
Another rocking chair that has been
given place in the library Is made of
small hickory withos, carved with a jack
knife.
one Of the most unique of the gifts is
large tree stump, the bark carefully var
nishcd and the top polished like a mirror.
1t stands on castors aud bears brass
plate with the names OF the donors
Evedintly every campaign club In the
United States has sent its photograph 10
the president-elect and the number of
pictures of this sort would fill a large
wagon. Then there are hundreds of other
photographs OF babies who have been
named after Mr.. Mckinley. first born sons
of tender years wrapped in American flags,
and little girls in dresses composed of the
Stars and Stripes.
II Mr.. Mckinley smoked pipe he would
have enough in tho donated to him 10
last the rest of his lifetime, constant
smoker though he Is. The pipes have come
carved from all sorts Of wood. and there
are many elaborate carvings of'pipestonc
One of the last gifts to arrive was cigar
stand in the form OF globe of different
woods, highly polished. There are scores
of "E Pluribus Unums' handpainted, and
bearing the name Of the giver. In The
back yard rests the great tin horn that
was carried TO Canton on the shoulders OF
enthusiastic republicans,
Tho array of wooden chains and Whitfield
out curosities would fill large room If
they were gotten together. They illustrate
better than anything else the oddities OF
an American presidential campaign Some
OF them arc exceedingly crude but the
donCr evidently had never seen anything
better, and had forwarded his creation to
headquarters
Every gift, no matter how humble, was
acknowledged by letter, but, of course, II
was impossible for the president-elect to
see them all. Every one will be taken
care OF.
Strange to relate, there was not a single
instance of n gift being sent collect.
The express charges or the freight. when
the gifts came by freight. were always
paid by the sender, which is remarkable,
considering tho number of gifts received
a few weeks ago a white kitten was LEFT
In the Mckinley library by the express
company 1t had been sent from one of the
Western States for Mrs. Mckinley because
II was born on election day with black
NJ on It's forehead. The NJ was. of course,
understood by the person who sent 1t to
stnnd MCKINLEY
Unfortunately. Mrs. Mckinley does not
tolerate cats about the house as pets. anu
so the kitten was given to a nelghbor as
souvenir.
Another noar neighbor Of the McKinleys
has as trophy OF tho election small
bantam rooster. On election morning the
rooster, which had studiously avoided the
Mckinley home since its arrival, came 10
the Mckinley front porch. mounted trel-
lis and began a triumphant growing when
the superstitious people OF the neishoor,,
hood have regarded ever since as good
omen.
One OF the city parks has a family OF
raccoons that were captured In different
parts OF tho United States and used rs
campaign emblems. After the election they
were sent to the pres!dent-elec as memen-
tos. In the same park are seven American
eagles that were "toted' in the same way
In republican parades and then shipped 10
N.htuu' outSp ponies, uetF, peit
and The American hog, some OF the lai,er
valuable hlooded stock, are among the
gifts Mr.. Mckinley has received,
IL is estimated that the recent campa'sn
has brought nearly million and hal,
dollars into Canton Between 100000 anu
100000 people have called on the president,
elect since he was nominated, as estimattu
by the number ot railroad tickets soid
here. This does not include thousands more
who have come to Canton from nelghborins
towns by electric car.