The morning times., 1897-01-18

Gifts are already beginning TO pour in
upon President-elect Mckinley. During tlie
next four years he Will be the recipient o.
d continual stream OF them, representing z
the Spontaneous offerings of the people.
The latter are always eager to bestOw
things upon the President, and such cOHlFl-
buttons constitute one OF the nuisances tf
tile Chief Executive office, says the New
York Journal
Even now the White House attic is
stuffed and cranmed fun with donations
which have accumulated during the past
administrations. No small addition to tue
stock on hand has been maae by Mr.. CIeve-
lapd, and only the other day a big closet
full OF articles, sufficient in variety TO
stock notion store, was sorted over and
transferred to the loft.
Naturally, there is some difficulty n dis
posing OF things OF this kind. 1t would
never do for the President TO sell the
peoples gifts at auction, and only very
few OF them are Of the slightest use to him.
Consequently, they are relegated to in
definite storage, where they are preye1
on by mice and spiders spin their webs
over them. Soae Gay before very long
there win have to be big bonfire to
The variety ofthe contributions iSextraor-
dinary- They include every sort of thing
that the President might be supposed TO
require-as, for example, patent tires for
his carriage wheels, improved horS eshOas
for hls horses, bottles and teeth appii-
anceS for his babies, and novel patterns OF
warming pans for his ted. Mr. Cleveland
being famous as fisherman, has received
in this way every imaginable kind OF reel.
book, bob-float, sinker, fishpole, etc. These
have included in particular the fishing ap-
paratus invented during his incuInbency nf
office. Ingenious devices patentable and
otherwise, are constantly being forwarded
to the White House, the usual object being
to get the President interested in them.
Inventors sometimes expect the President
to GO TO the Patent Office and get patents
for them in return for gifts OF their ma
chimes, etc. On more than one occasion
they have brought their contrivances to the
White House, insisting ON setting them
up in the Yestibule.
A crank once fetched what he said was
new kind of religion in a box as an
offering to Benjamin Harrison. There are
ever so many people who make things, not
necessarily patentable, and desire to have
them employed by the first family in the
land. They like to say: Il sent Mrs Nc
kinney one OF these In most cases they
expect nothing in return.
On the other hand, numerous presents
conferred upon the Chief Magistrate have
an advertising motive behind them. For
example, patent medicine man ma desire
u letter from the President to use in his
business.
Where such a motive is suspected, no
letter of acknowledgment is sent, and the
gift, il at all valuable is returned
All gifts received at the White House are
referred to the private secretary House
hold articles-among them such as clothes
pins and other things of domestic useful
ness-are handed over To the steward Of
the Executive Mansion. while books go to
the library Most of the presents are never
seen by the President, though anything that
happens to be particularly nice or inter-
esting is submitted to his notice
Many of the gifts are of the most homaly
description-things priced by rural folk s.Bd
simple people of small means, though
wholly useless from the Presidents point
OF view. For instance, there are rabbits
feet for luck and canes by scores. Within
receive more than / 90 walking sticks, prob
ably, most OF them actually cut by the
hands OF the donors.
Then, too, people often send to the
President photographs OF their dead chill
dren; sometimes it is the last photograph
in their possession which they part with
thus. They suppose that the Chief Magis-
trate will put the treasured likeness on his
mantelpiece and take fatherIy interest
in it. Scores of infants are annually
named after the Chief Executive and his
wife, and in these cases photographs are
always forwarded. The President feels
obliged to regard this sort of attention
as an honor and compliment, and in
variably one of his clerks returns an ap-
preciative reply, signed with the august
autograph.
The line is drawn at the White House
against presents of large intrinsic value,
which are promptly returned. A man
once sent to Mrs. Cleveland brooch OF
precious stones. 1t was sent back to the
donor, with q curt line to the effect that
Mrs. Cleveland was not accustomed to re-
ceiya valuable gifts from persons whose
acquaintance she did not enjoy Mr..
Cleveland being mighty hunter, con-
siderable quantities of cartridge shells
and various things useful for shooting
have been received by him from. time 90
time Many boxes of cigars, most OF
them not at all to his taste, have been
bestowed upon him, usually by manu-
facturers getting out new brands He
smokes them if they are good; the others
he gives away. There is an unwritten
rule to the effect that the President ac-
cepts no wines or liquors. except from
personal friends.