The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-04-18
EASY TO SAVE
AS PRESIDENT.

hiohiiihE l'i fptfJdiHilA iidAilNbU HiIttt
ed by Mr.. Mckinley, came 20 an ends
the half-masted flags on all government
buildings are now hoisted 20 their norma
position. The nation. while sorrowlng fol
the death OF great and good man, de.
rived some consolation from the fact tina
he left behind him an ample fortune
reckoned az $4,000, the bulk OF which
goes TO his widow, who. IN addition, viii
receive from Uncle Sam an annuity ol
5000 for the rest or her life.
The wife OF an ex-president OF the
United States is always entitled 20 this
amount annually -naasian,- and an
equal sum IN drawn from the treasury
by Mrs. Garfield and by Mrs Grant.
Most or our presidents have died rich
men. Mr.. Harrison, when he accepted the
Office. was probably not worth more than
SIS. 900, but the tenant Of the White House
receives n salary large enough 10 enable
him To save a good deal OF money I'm four
years.
The man who recently died at Indian
apolis was economical. his total expendi-
ture not exceeding $4,000 a year I'm all
probability. In fact. that Is an outside es-
innate, and 1t may he supposed that he
had AT least sl2S09 put away when he
left Washington.
An ex-president. however, usually
finds IL very easy 10 make money after
his retirement to private life. IL he is a
lawyer. as was the case with Harrison
and Cleveland, corporations, for the
sake of the prestige OF his name, are
eager To pay him huge fees for his SER
vices, while anything he may choose 10
do in the literary way is sure TO COM
mand surprising figures.
Before he went into the White House,
Mr. Harrison had not achieved any ex-
traordinary success in the legal profess
sion, so far as cash returns went. but
after he had served his term as chief
executive, he could easily command sl0,-
W0 for acting as advocate IN a single
case
The government paid him 100000 I'm a
lump for one piece OF work which ne
would have been glad to undertake for y
10Th part OF that amount a few years
earlier, aud a Well known ladies' maga-
zine is said 10 have given him $1,000 a
page for q series of articles.
MCKINLEY WAS POOR.
Mr.. Mckinley. when he entered the
presidency, was not only poor, but much
I'm debt. AT the conclusion OF his second
term he will be fairly well off probably.
lie has no extravagances, maintains no
summer home or other private establish
ment except the modest heuse at Can
ton. and II is likely that his expenses fall
within $4,000 a year.
Indeed. man might live at the White
House comfortably for much less than
that amount, being relieved by the ma
tion OF most or the ordinary drains upon
a citizens purse, were IL not for the for
NAL dinners. which are an official obli-
CATION and cost, including wines, $500
apiece and upward.
Cleveland was poor man when he be-
came president the first time He is
worth today. IL is believed, nearly 81. .ea0.-
100. the nucleus of his fortune having
been gained through real estate invest
ments in the neighborhood of Washing
ton.
The money he saved out OF his salary
he used TO buy Oak View, which he oo-
rupied for a while as a summer home.
md other suburban property. Then came
A boom in land values and he sold at an
profit. Indeed. his purchases
gave fashionable Importance TO the local
ties where they were made, and this
'suse alone made prices run up. When
'hicago gas was cheap Cleveland bought
l good deal Of the stock. under the adj
rice OF his friend, r. e. Benedict. and in
his way large addition was made 10
lis fortune.
Chester A. Arthur was worth 500 Ooo |
when he died. that amount being divided |
between his son and daughter but IL is
probable that he was worth about as |
much when he entered the White House. /
lie was the most lavish OF our presidents i
n his expenditures, not hesitating 10
pend from $1,000 to s5O0o on a single din |
Ter, and IL is not likely that he saved /
much during his term.
His predecessor. Garfield. died poor. /
ut his widow was magnihcently proyid- l
d for by the nation. $500 600 being raised 4
or her. while her pension of 5000 "a year /
made it a certainty that she should never
,ant.
HAYES ttTE ED CHEAPI.Y
Hayes was accused or parsimony dur-
~ his term OF office because he offer |
no wine 10 his guests at state dinners: |
ut the charge was wholly unjust inas- |
luch as he was libersl beyond all other
residents I'm entertaining He gave one |
spread at reception that cost him
900
Nowadays, as is well known, nothing
hateVer 10 eat or drink is provided at
fhite House receptions. not so much as |
cup OF tea or a sandwich being furnish
l. The plan, while &c seems inhospitable |
as the advantage OF giving no encour-
cement TO dead beats and other abieu- |
enable persons.
Mr. Hayes, who spent the last wears Of
IS life in what he called delightful re-
left his family well on.
pTdnl uuflnE MS nrst term got only !
5000 year. but at the beginning of |
X second term the pay or the president |
as raised to N0,s0. and he had some |
lance TO save little out of his salary. |
obody seems 10 know how much he was |
orth when he left the White House. |
~ he could hardly have been rich.
He was a man whose personal REQUIRE
ents for happiness were few, ana he |
ould doubtless have spent the rest OF |
: life In comfortable circumstances, |
anks partly to the efforts of disiuter- |
ted friends. had IL not been for the |
sastrous failure Of the Wall street firm
which he h.-s> been persuaded 20 lend
: honored name.
That collapse involved the melancholy
ceSsity OF pawning his swords. medals.
ID other precious memorabilia for
- 90. which was lent to him on this se-
rity by W. IA. Vanderbilt. Bnt the ma i
IN was not ungrateful 20 fts greateSt
neral, and his widow lses today i'm |
Sury. n not affiuence, IN Washington.
ANDREW Johnson left modest fortune. | ,
vested chiefly In "a farm. a mill AMI
untry store I'm KnoxvilIa st,ld i6;reeh-
lc TenH4-tph pheft h- dieH " VIII be re- | I
smbered. he was senator OF the Unit ,
states. having been eietted 90 that | ,
dy half dozen years after his retire {
mt fom the presidency.
lincoln was a poor man when he Joined I