The times., 1899-11-19
MILwAUKEE's ELM CHAIR.
Made From the Cambridge Tree Tn
der which Washington stood.


CFrom the Milwaukee Sentinel)
The Washington Elm" chair. which
President Mckinley occupied at the Ho.tl
Pfster banquet Monday evening has a his
tory quite as romantic as the chair i self
is unique. It is the property OF Col
Charles Il. Clarke. Of 222 Wisconsin Street
and was made from the wood OF the tr5e
under which Washington first drew his
sword as CommandeT-jn-Chief O. the Con-
tiuental Army On July 3, 11.5. The chair
was made in Milwaukee just twenty -four
years ago. but the wood in it was secured
by Colonel Clarke in 1857. At that line
the colonel was a young man OF twenty
three years. and resided with his parents
in Cambridge one morning Gf,er fierce
wind, he was passing the historic elm and
noticed that one Of its huge limbs had
been torn from the trunk Rea.iZ n the
value Of the detached limb, the young man
Immediately went to Mayor John Sargent
and asked for it. The mayor gave il to
him on condition that at some future time
he should receive a cane made from por-
ton of il.
Colonel Clarke, assisted by his cousin
Prof. w. c. Cleveland. a cousin of fcrmer
President Cleveland, then a student at
Harvard, dragged the limb to his fathers
house, an eighth of a mile distant, and
placed il in the cellar There it remained
until 1875 Colonel Clarke, who had CO.. e
to Milwaukee in 1862 conceived the idea
of having chair made from this historic
wood for exhibition at the Centennial EX-
position at Philadelphia. The limb, which
was some ten inches in diameter at its
larger end, was accordingly brought here
and portion Of it used in the construction
of the chair. Some of the remainder was
made into canes, which the colCnel read
some unused portions Of the limb
The chair is of the order known as Eliza
bethau, with national designs-an Ameri-
can eagle surmounting a keystone. 1t was
designed by Lowell Damon and William
Brah. The woodwork was by Traugolt
Plishke and the carvings by Gustav Col
dewe. The upholStering was done by Brich-
ard. The design is very handsome. The
height Of the chair is a trife over six feet,
the back being unusually high, as in all
presiding chairs. The sides of the chair
are supported by fluted pillars Of a compGs-
ite order The wood is highly polished and
strongly resembles white oak. The chair
is upholstered in deep blue cloth of a very
dark shade, which brings out in fine relief
tae full length portrait OF Washington rep
resented on the front part of the back of
the chair. The portrait is marvel of need
lewCrk and was copied from a painting
made especially for this purpose. The face
is Sc finely done that it looks like paint
ing. The costume is Of rich, bright colors
and is considered correct in every detail.
The cooked hat, epaulettes, rufied shirt,
blue coat. with buff facings. buff knee
breeches, and whiJe-topped boots and spurs
ali are given perfectly. Washington is in
the act Of drawing his sword as he takes
command Of the army.
L
only once, that being when it was sent to
Philadelphia. After the close cf the Ex-
position the chair was not brought directly
back 10 Milwaukee, but instead was taken
to Boston, where it was exhibited for sew
eral years, and where it was loaned for
banquets given in honor of Grant and
Hayes. Grant occupied the chair on two
different occasions while it was at the Hub.
e II. BTabroCk a prominent merchant OF
Boston and an old friend Of Colonel Clarke,
had possession of the chair while it was in
Massachusetts and for months kept it in
a big store window, where it attracted
much attention.
The first celebrity to occupy the chair
after it was brought back to Milwaukee,
was Mrs Cleveland Since then it has
held a place of honor in the parlor OF
Colonel CIarkes home IL is not the only
historic piece Of furniture in the room,
however. for Col Clarke also possesses a
large. comfortable armchair which was
once the property of Oliver Wendell
Holmes, and which that famous writer
used most of the time while working.
During the time the chair was on eXhi-
bHion at Philadelphia it was always the
centre of an admiring group Of spectators.
Ii occupied a place Of much prominence in
one of the art rooms. This chair was the
first article entered from Wisconsin for eX-
hibition at the Centennial Exposition.
Colonel Clarke values the chair at $1,000,
and several times has been offered sums
nearly that high.
In the fall of 1875 Colonel Clarke visited
Cambridge and redeemed his promise to
give Mayor Sargent cane made from the
wood of the limb. The head Of the cane
was enriched by gold band bearing en-
graved upon il the names Of the recipient
and donor with the date of presentation.
The mayor was at this time eighty-three
years old. Colonel Clarke kept for his own
use a heavy cane made from the limb.
This cane has a large ivory handle, which
gives the stick rich appea rance.