The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-11-20

BOSSed the .Ioh-Tnc Formal i'res"
entation at the White House.
! The story of the great cheese made at
Cheshire in 1891 aud sent the following
winter to President jefferson as a
New Years present has been many
times told in prose and verse. but is
worthy of repetition rs an interesting
bit of local history. showing. ~ ii does.
the patriotic spirit 10y which the good
people of Cheshire were moved and the
novel manner they chose for its eX-
preston.
In those days Cheshire was famous
for three thingS-itS exceptionally fine
dairying interests and products, the
well nigh universal adhesion of the
voting population to the Democratic
party and Elder John Leland, an able,
eccentric and witty Baptist divine,
whose fame is Il part of the history of
cheshire. Elder Leland and most of
the other people of the town were ar
dent admirers of Thomas jefferson,
and when he was elected president of
the United States their joy was I'M
bounded. 1t was finally decided that
1t would be proper to give to their cs-
teen a tangible expression in the form
of Il mammoth cheese, which should
show to the president the quality of
their material resources and something
OF the extent of their admiration for
him.
The announcement Of this plan was
made by Elder Leland from his pulpit
one Sunday morning ana was received
with pleasure by the people. July %.
1901, was tho date set for The making
Of the cheese, and the plan was To have
all the owners Of cows in the town,
with the exception of the few federal
lists there Were, to make their curd and
carry it TO Il central place for pressing.
OF course there was no rhccS" press
large enough for the pressing of such
cheese as was proposed, and Elisha
Browns cider press was consequently
selected for the work.
I When the day came for making the
cheese the people gathered from I'LL
parts of the town. Those who had curd
to contribute brought it with them.
Some in large quantities and some in
small, but all extremely proud to con
tribute to the monster cheese that WAS
to be sent to the president. Besides be-
Ing busy day it was also !; gala day
for the inhabitants of Cheshire. The
farmers and their wives and families
turned out Ell masse to witness the CON
struction of what proved to be the
most famous cheese in all history. for,
though a still larger cheese was made
in the town at Il later date. this was
the presidents cheese, and tn" great
Elder Leland. who in the estimation of
the people of Cheshire was second in
Importance only to President jefferson
himself. was leading ana directing lie
enterprise. Most of those present were
arrayed in their Sunday best, though
the women who superintendent The mix
ing of the curd were obliged To wear
protecting aprons.
The hoop in which tile cheese WAS
pressed was made for the OCCASION It
WAS four feet in diameter and eighteen
inches deep and was secured with
stand the pressure. When all of the
curu had been mixed and sailed il WAS
placed in this hoop, Il follower which
had also been made especially for tn"
purpose was placed upon it, and the
ponderous wooden screws of the old
cider mill We're turned down Oh the
most precious body they had ever COM
pressed. After all was done Il hymn
lined off by Elder Leland was sung by
the aSsemhlage, and the people scpa-
rated for their homes. highly satisfied
with and very proud of their days
work. Some days after it Was made
the cheese was taken TO Captain Dan
lei Browns cheese house to be cured.
Its weight one month from the time il
was pressed WAS 1,235 pounds. The
moving Of tile cheese from the cider.
press To Captain Browns WAS made Il
great OCCASION The people turned cat
again, and the cheese Wus followed ly
Il big procession. Moses Woltott. who
Kept tn" "taNcrn,' gave feus, 10 all
present and thereby linked his name 10
this part Of the towns history.
The following December the great
cheese WAS sent to WASHINGTON in
charge of Elder Leland ANA Darius
Brown. There We're no railroads in
those days, and it WAS drawn on sIad
to Hudson, \, Y, and shipped from
there by water. Tho presentation of
the cheese To the president was an
event of moment in Wa~hIA.tan ThN
presentation was maid at the White
House in the presence a.. t.r cabinet.
low -. l..
Elder Leland serving ~ spokesman
and assuring the pro~idmul in suitable
terms of the great esteem In which he
was held 10y the people from whom the
gift had eome.-Sprin%ticld Republican.
The Center OF Observation.