Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-09-23
FACTS ABOUT PRESIDENTS.
Roosevelt the Youngest and the First
of City Birth te Hold the High
Office.

Theodore Roosevelt is the youngest
man who ever filed the Office of pres
dent OF the United States; he is the
first president whose birthplace was in
large city; he is the first who has
achieved distinction in war. states
manship and letters previous TO taking
the chief executives chair. and. with
the exception of Van Buren,. he is the
first whose paternal ancestors were
of other stock than that which comes
from the British islands. AS If all
these distinctions were not enough. he
will bring to the White House the
largest family of small children that
ever made its old walls echo with
shout and laughter
The first presidents were all well
advanced In years when summoned to
that high Office. Washington was 81.
John Adams 62. Jefferson. Madison
and John Quincy Adams were each
49, Jackson 81. Monroe 50. Van Buren
80, William Henry Harrison GS. the
oldest of them all Tyler 81 Taylor is,
Polk and Fillmore 80. Pierce was the
first president who was under SO when
inaugurated. his age at that time be
ing AZ buchanan. who succeeded
him. was almost as old as Harrison. 6G.
Since 1860 four men under so, includ
ing Roosevelt, have reached the pres
idency. Grant was Al. the youngest
man up to the present time. Cleve-
land was AS when first inaugurated,
and Garfield was 40. Roosevelt is
iS, four years younger than Grant.
Lincoln was so when called to the
White House, johnson 81, Hayes "a,
Arthur 81. Benjamin Harrison 55 and
Mckinley SO.
All the presidents except Roosevelt,
who is native of New York City,
were born either in the country or
in small towns. Quincy. Mass, the
| birthplace of both the Adams. and
Raleigh, N. c., the birthplace OF An
drew Johnson. having been the largest
| towns that could boast such an honor.
| or the twenty-five presidents, four
teen. over half. We're of English de
| scent on their fathers side. These
| were Washington. the two Adams,
Madison. the two Harrisons. Tyler.
Taylor, Fillmore. Pierce. Lincoln.
Johnson. Garfield and Cleveland.
| Five came from scotchIrish stock,
namely. Jackson. Polk, Buchanan, Ar
thur, and Mckinley, and three Scotch
Monroe. Grant and Hayes. JEFF
ferson's paternal ancestors were
Welsh. and Van Buren's. like Roose
welt, were Holland Dutch.
| Twenty OF the presidents. including
Roosevelt. have been lawyers. Two
Washington and Harrison were farm
ers, but their elevation was due main
| ly to their achievements in war On
ly two professional soldiers. how
ly two professional soldiers. however
ever, have ever filled the presidential
chair. These were Taylor and Grant
Johnson was tailor before he be-
| came Il statesman.
| Sixteen presidents were college
graduates. Washington. Jackson
Van Bnren, Taylor. Fillmore. Lincoln
Johnson. Cleveland and Mckinley did
not have the advantages of college
| training, but some of these graduated
at law.
All the presidents but one. Buch-
anan. have been married mon. Wash
ingtOn, Madison. Jackson anG Polk
had no children. while some of the
early presidents had large families
| The only little folks at the White
house during the first seventy years
| of the government We're grand-chil-
| dren, or other relatives farther re-
moved than children. and these inter
ruputed the quiet of the old mansion
at rare intervals The elder Harri
son was the father of ten and Tyler of
| fourteen children, but Harrison's case
those who survived were grown when
he became president. The same is
true of Tyler's children by his first
wife. who died while he was in office.
The seven children by his second wife
were born after his retirement. Lin
coin took three boys to the White
house. the youngest of whom was 8.
Grant and Garfield had little ones.
and so did Cleveland in his second
term. but President Roosevelt breaks