The Savannah morning news., 1902-08-31

When the President of the United
States, during the course of his New
England trip, visits his Secretary oil
the Treasury in the latter's summer
home in Vermont, he will, perforce
be a guest on the Poor Farm of the
town of Charlotte, Vermont. Mr.. Shaw
himself is one, and another illustrious
resident is David J. Brewer, associate
justice of the United States Supreme
Court.
The justice pays the town so a year
for the privilege Of squatting on the
Poor Farm. The Secretary of the
Treasury, who is at present living in
another mans cottage, has his site
selected and expects to enter into an
arrangement for the same extravagant
rental.
Just where Theodore Roosevelt will
be lodged is a problem that is stirring
the most profound minds in the place;
for the Secretary's cottage has more
sturdy democratic simplicity than
room; the Justices cottage is fulI Oh
grandchildren, who demand ample
y
games that would, no doubt, charm the
President, but possibly would interfere
with his peace as a guest; and the only
hotel in the place is characterized by
hospitality that is in inverse ratio to
its abilities in the line of lodging a
President of the United States.
When the President enters the quiet
precincts of the Charlotte Poor Farm
there is one thing that he will be
forced to leave behind That is his
strenuous life. The woods, thick and
amounts nowadays. although old
Squire Atkins. who sits on the
pier all day long, has some epics
that he will pour into the presiden-
tial ear regarding certain passages of
daring and danger that once trans
pired between himself and sundry pan
theirs and bears, when Mr.. Atkins had
not reached the age of So and
when he used to prowl on the noun
tains full of ambition and amfnuni-
ton.
The fiercest creature in the lake is
the pike perch. which reaches enor-
nous size, as all fish do everywhere.
but which, even in the memory of the
Oldest inhabitant, has not been known
to attack man.
In the hotel the President can in
dulge in the vices of buying chewing
gum and cigars out of a time hon
ored case in a tiny office.
On Sunday afternoon there is
church service on the tavern porch.
Sometimes a stray clergyman offici-
ates. If the community cannot catch
a clergyman, some grace member of
the congTega ton makes an impromptu
address. Secretary Shaw has been
set down for one. Perhaps the Presi-
dent will have to officiate himself at
a service.
In addition to these designations. the
President can take walks along the
banks of. the lake. He can even hire
horse and wagon belonging to the
poor farm.
When all these joys have been tast-
ed to the dregs. he can visit the one
and only inmate of the farm, being
the single solitary lone pauper of
Charlotte He is an ancient man,
much given to abstract thinking, and
passing his days in idyllic wise by
watching the money rolling in from
the rental paid by the squatters and
campers, while the score of Poor Farm
cows busily fatten themselves, nature
and man thus combining unselfishly
TO support him along.
A Spot of Rare Beauty.
This remarkable place for a Presi-
dents visit is known as Thompson's
Point. 1t juts out into a most beau
tiful part of Lake Champlain,
and has the combined charms
of lake and mountain scenery
to make it lovely. For about
three quarters of a mile the Point
is composed of rocks and woods, with
Just enough soil to nourish the trees.
Being quite useless for agriculture, the
town conceived the idea of laying it
out in half acre lots for campers, who
can rent a plot for $40 a year, with a
lease for fifteen.
There are thirty-two camps and cot
tages scattered among the trees now,
but there is so much wilderness that
they barely serve to do more than to
accentuate the primitive nature of the
land.
Secretary Shaw has become an en-
thusiast. and if the President should
attempt to talk high finance with him,
the chances are that the conversation
will insist on turning to the place that
Mr.. Shaw has selected for his home.
AT present he and his family occupy
the Roberts cottage. 1t is owned by
Connecticut minister.
The boss of the country's minis lives
as simply as any farmer on his visits
there. He gets up every morning at
6 o'clock and rambles around the
place as if there were no such thing
as a dollar in the world. Almost ev-
cry morning he takes a long walk
through the woods. Sometimes he
goes fishing. Mr. Shaw is a religious
man, however, and it is quite impossi-
BILE to lure him into committing him
self as to the weights of those that he
catches or the bigger ones that got
away.
Wherever he goes, except when he