Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-04-08
STATES AND PRESIDENTS.

Since the adoption of the constitution OF
1857 the people of the United States have
held twenty eight different presidential
elections and elected evenly different In
diy.dualls to that exalted office. which has
been held by twentyfour different Amer
leans altogether. Seven of these twenty
four Washington. jefferson, Madison.
Monroe, Jackson, Lincoln and Grant, were
reelected for second successive term.
and one of these (Cleveland) was re-elect-
ed for a second term after having left the
office; and all of them except Lincoln liv-
ed to serve out their second term, says
Leslie's Weekly. Four Of the twenty-four
tyler, Fillmore, Johnson and Arthur
were elected to the vice-presidency and
succeeded to the presidency upon tn OATH
respectively, of w. H. Harrison, Zachary
Taylor, Abraham Lincoln and James A.
Garfield, who died in the executive office
The whole period of time thus covered
(from 1889 to 1901, including Mckinley s
full term) amounts to liz years which
have been distributed among the states as
follows: Virginia has held the presidency
thirty-five years eleven months; New
York, eighteen years two months; Ten
nessee, fifteen years elevn months; 1lii-
nois, twelve years one month; Ohio eight
years seven months; Massachusetts.
eight years; Indiana, four years: New
Hampshire. four years; Pennsylvania, four
years; Louisiana, one year four months.
So that of the farty-hve states in the
union, only ten ever had the honor and dis
tinction Of supplyngk a president OF the
United States; but one of them (Virginia)
has supplied et1e president during nearly
one-third of the entire time; and. besides
the five presidents who were citizens of
that state while they were president. two
of the others CIV. II. Harrison adm Zach
airy Taylor were born within her borders.
From the fact that she has given birth to
seven of the presidents che has been
called "the mother of presidents
But 9Th law seems to have been the
father OF presidents; since, of the twenty
four different individuals who have that
high office, all of them, except the four
military heroes washington. w. H. Harri-
| son, Taylor and Grant,, practiced law at
some time in their lives; ten Of them had
been United states senators Cbesides Gar
field, who had been elected to the senate,
but had never taken his seat as a mem
Der thereof; three of them had been vice.
president (bes.des the four who afterward
became presidenD, and one Of them
James X. Polk) had been speaker of the
house Of representatives.
Remembering that Washington was in
augurated in 1883 and that he, Jefferson.
Madison Monroe, Jackson and Grant serv-
ed two successive terms each, these four
lines committed to memory become valu-
able to any one who remembers when an
event took place but has forgotten just
L., -
When joke made me joker,
Van had to poke the fire poker;
But laughing jokes get heavy greetings
AS comrades hold company meetings"
The first letter of each word In these
four lines. taken in order. gives the first
letter of the names OF the presidents, In
order: and, II one remembers, for instance.
that Texas was annexed in December. 1S45.
but has forgotten who was president at
that time and wants to recall just who was
president when Texas was annexed, he be-
gins with 1889 by giving Washington eight
years Q7g0 Adams, four years dsO); Jeff-
erson, eight years $500: Madison, eight
years da0; Monroe. eight years Qs25):
Adams, four years uS29): Jackson, eight
years dsSD; Ven Buren,. four years 0s4D;
Harrison and Tyler. four years Qs45):
Polk, four years dS49), and he finds that
Polk was president from March 4, 1875. 10
March 4. 1s49. and therefore the president
In 1915. when Texas was annexed.
In applying this formula It becomes nee
essary, of course. TO remember that Har-
rison and Tyler served one four-year term
between them; Taylor and Fillmore an
other. and Garfield and Arthur another
otherwise. the whole calculation may fall
into error and come out wrong