The Republican journal., 1903-12-17
MSS CLEVELAND TRIES FARMING.

Sister of Ex-President Comfortably Enjoy
ing Life off the Coast of Maine. Miss
Cleveland and Miss Ames Have Gone into
Scheme. Friends of the Two Ladies' are
Investing in Property ON this Island and
the Prospect for Settling it up with Con-
genial Spirits is Flattering.
Jacksonville, Florida, Metropolis.
Now and then the question is asked,
what has become of Miss Rose Cleve-
land, who during her brothers first term
as President, was, perhaps, the most
talked-of woman in the United States,
when she was FIRST lady of the land, y
and who was a frequent visitor to Flor
ida in the winter, where she owned
property.
The following will be of interest:
Miss Cleveland has farm on wild
and beautiful observation-disclosures is
land, in Penobscot Sound, off the coast
of Maine.
During the season just passed she
| harvested ten acres of oats and several
acres of buckwheat and corn. Another
portion of her farm, which consists of
about two hundred acres, was devoted
to the cultivation of hay. She has two
! draft horses, yoke OF oxen, two COWS
and pony. Her partner in the enter
prise is Miss Evelyn Ames, eldest
daughter of the late Ex-Gov. Ames OF
| Massachusetts,, who is one OF the most
prominent and gifted women in Boston
society.
To a visitor at the farm last week
Miss Cleveland said:
| 1--WE wanted summer home ana
preferred spot where we would have
seclusion. When our friends found
how delightful the island was they
| wanted to come, too, SO 1t was neces-
sarv to make some Improvements and
secure further property.
| 1--WE plan to grow only enough gar.
den stuff to supply our own tables and
enough grain to feed the stock:
There has been a great deal to do to
make things comfortable and con:
venient, but it is delightful work and
we are proud of our island. We have
looked after the work ourselves, be-
cause it is the only thing to do if one
wanted everything to be right.
Miss Cleveland, as she goes about
the farm, looks eminently business-like.
She dresses in rainy day skirt and
plain little jacket, throwing golf cape
about her shoulders in the sharp morn
ing air. Miss Ames also dresses IN the
simple fashion suitable for out-of-door
| work.
Though Miss Cleveland and Miss
| Ames declare they are working merely
| for the pleasure of doing and Tor the
building of a united colony OF summer
homes, and not with the idea OF making
money they have undertaken some
thing that might be capital business
enterprise, and in one sense 1t is al
ready, for it is true that exceptional
business and executive ability has re-
claimed the island and developed it in
to one of the beauty spots of the Maine
| coast.
Miss Cleveland and Miss Ames togeth-
or own at present about a sixth Of the
island. Others, friends of theirs, own
about a third more. The scheme OF
Improvement, of which Miss Cleve-
| land is the chief promoter, includes
the entire half, and the plan is to Sc
cure bv degrees the other half and con
vert the island into a simple planta
ton. to be owned 10y little group OF
intimate friends BY this means there
will be gathered together an exclusive
colony, which will be practically secure
against invasion by the pleasure
hunting public.
The name of this interesting bit OF
land is Seven Hundred-Acr Island,
but residents shorten that to Acre Is
land" Dark Harbor, on lslesboro Is
land, about three-quarters OF mile
away. is fashionable and exclusive
summer resort.
Acre Island is three miles long anC
two miles across at its widest point
Like all the Maine coast, its shore line
is irregular. The land is cut into by
many small bays and inlets, furnishing
harborage for the fleet of small boats
that is a necessity of existence on the
island. Miss Cleveland owns hand
some sloop of about ten tons, and hel
commodore. James Perry, has another
of the same size.
About two hundred acres OF the is
land have been cleared. Some OF this
work was done many years ago, whel
the island was first settled by small
farmers, but Miss Cleveland has also
done a great deal, and much more is
planned
Miss Ames and Miss Cleveland have
been the closest friends for severa
years. They were the guests together
of President and Mrs. Mckinley il
1900.