Fergus County argus., 1903-11-18
Some interesting History Of the Mer
Who Have Occupied the Chief
Executive Chair.
HOW THEY LIVED AND DIED
Five Ex.Presidents Were Alive Dur
ing the Civil War-None Buried
In Washington City.

the mansion. which has been in con-
tinuous u.s. as an executive mansion
ever since, with the exception Of the
few years when II was abandoned by
Madison and the interior destroyed
by the British. During that period
Madison and his charming wife, Dolly
Madison, lived in what is now called
the Octagun House until the White
House was again made tenable.
Only four of the presidents died in
the city Of Washington, three while in
office, Harrison, Taylor and Lincoln,
and one, John Quincy Adams, while
a member of the house of Tepresen.
tatives, nineteen years after his term
as president had expired. Garfield
was shot in Washington, hut died in
New Jersey, and Mckinley died in
Buffalo
OF those presidents who have died
in office, none of them survived long
his oath as chief executive. Taylor
lived little more than a year after
his Inauguration. Harrison lived one
month to day as President Lincoln
lived one month and eleven days of
his second term. Garfield lived as
president but six months. a little ov.
er two months after he was shot,
while Mckinley survived his second
Inauguration only six months.
While all of our presidents save
one, have lived in Washington, none
of them has been buried in that city
All who have died in Office have lain
in state either in the White House
or the national capital. and were then
taken to their place of residence al
the time OF their election. The re
mains of General Taylor lie buried in
Kentucky, and those of General Grant
in New York, and these were the only
two presidents who were not buried
in the states from which they were
elected.
Washington Jackson, William Hen
ny Harrison, Tyler and Grant were
rendered the Office of president by the
people as a display of their apprecia
tion for their wonderful military
achievements. The only full generals
| who. arose ~ be president were
Washington and Grant, and Grant wa:
the only West Pointer who ever held
that dignified office. 1t is a coinci
dence, however. that il fell to the lo
of "a West Pointer TO become president
OF the Confederate states of America
in the parsonage of Jefferson Davis
who was graduated from the military
academy fifteen years before Grant.
John Adams had a son who became
president, and William Henry Harri
son grandson.
Only one president ever held al
elective office after leaving the White
House. John Quincy Adams.
II is the general impression thai
General Washington died as private
citizen. This is a mistake. for the
records show that at the time of his
death, Dec. IA, 1893, he was "lieuten
ant general and commander OF the U
S. army, July 3, 1898, to the day Of hi.
death" and drew his pay as such
tHeitman's Historical Register Cont
mental Army, 1775-17SG).
The slrangest of all happenings in
the histories of American presidents
occurred on the 4th OF July, 1926
when Jefferson and John Adams pass
ed away simultaneously; Jefferson
the craftsman, and Adams. the great
expOunder OF the Declaration of In
dependence; Adams at the ripe old
age of 80. Jefferson only II years his
Junior
| James Buchanan was the only bach
elor president. Grover Cleveland was
a bachelor when elected, but he fur
nished another bit of history in being
the only president married in the
White House.
Two OF our presidents started In
life as tailors. They were Millard
| Fillmore and Andrew Johnson. The
young men of the country who are tai
lors' apprentices should make note
of this
The only speaker of the house OF
Representatives to become president
was James X. Polk. The position OF
speaker is generally thought to be a
beautiful vantage ground for the
presidential goal, but Blaine was
speaker and so was Clay, and their
hopes of the presidency were never
realized.
No vice president succeeding to the
presidency as a result of the death OF
the president has ever been elected
president, although all have had ambi'
tions in that direction, Johnson striy.
ing the hardest. But the Grant han.
dicap could not be overcome.
Van Buren, and Roosevelt are the
only two presidents of Dutch descent,
and Thomas jefferson stands alone as
having Welsh antecedents.
Five cX-presidents were alive dur
ing the civil war. They were Van Bu'
ren, Tyler. Fillmore. Pierce and Buch'
anan. No record has been found to
indicate that either was ever called IN
consultation with the powers at Wash
ington and even gratuitous commune
cations from them are not found.
James Munroe died in New York
City and was buried there, and 1t was
many years before his remains were
taken to his native state and inferred
at Richmond.
Foley's Honey and Tar always stops
the cough and heals the lungs. Refuse
substitutes. Sold by L. +. McKechnle