The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-07

Grover Cleveland, the most distin, Seished ps1vatc citizen In the worid."- to use the fseicstous phrase Of. ex-sena- tor fhornne II. Carter of Montana. for rnerly Chairman of the Republican, Ma tonai Committee, in introducing the ex- President at the dedication of the St. Louis Worlds Fair buildings ( few weeks eEo. is as great . lover of his village home ao his predecessor. Thomas Jeffer- son. was of Mentcello.
 There are in the United States thous- ands of sa.gcr and more luxurious homes taan west!and. co the ex-Presi6ent calls h.s Princeton house. There are few 3o6- family hamlcts that do not contain It's eGual; and many an Ohio farmer is bet te: lodged and more sunhptuousiy accom-. modnted than Mir. Cleveland.
 Blu. every one who has had the privi- lcsen of studying the quiet home life of "the Clcvelands." as the Princeton folk call them. knows that its spirit of comfort and contentment could scarcely be Any greater than it is.
 "No place could be more healthful than this and we are happy here" said the ex-President recently; and if the other five members of the family were asked for their opinion it would no doubt be the same.
 When the Cleveland family moved to Princeton six years ago their action stirred up considerable comment. True. there is a university at Princeton. but there ts nothing else. except the Della ware and Raritan canal. A single block in the overcrowded section of New York contains more people than the hamlet of Princeton.
 a ] Provincial Transit, Surely.
 Princeton Junction, Change here for Princeton" shouts the conductor. after s,, ha~ ~.,A from New York for about an hour and a quarter You aiight and find a tiny depot and a frame boarding house. Noth- ing else is in sight except green fields clumps of trees and the railroad that straightens itself out Of sight on the way to Philadelphia.
 A singie-track railroad branches out on the north and winds through the fields, following the line of least resist ance. A locomotive. with a baggage car and dingy passenger coach. stands ready You climb on board and the train rattles along for a mile and half and stops at crossroads to let a farmer reach his home by short cut across the fields Another mile and a half and the white limestone buildings of Princeton Univer- sity appear. cncircling the little depot in a large half moon.
 Half dozen negro hackmen await you Their horses are old and knock -kneed with strong prejudices against rapid tram et, and the hacks have seen better days But as the fare is 'only IS cents to any house in town you select one Of them and feel thankful that you have a book in your pocket to beguile the time away.
 The ex-President's house is within twelve minutes distance if you ride and ten minutes distance if you walk It stands about 400 yards beyond the main street" of the town. with it's score or more of little stores and ofiees. The road is unpaued and shaded by tall elm trees that meet in Gothic fashion above your head.
 There is nothing exclusive about thy Cleveland home No gate confronts you as you leave the road to enter the five acres that surround the house No dog Or watchnnan warns you of There Is a rneek-looking hound that greets visitors sometimes. If he is not asleep. with a hospitable wag of his tail. But generally there is no one in sight except the chill dren who had usurped the broad piazza as their favorite playground
 A Plain, Simple, Inviting Home. ] The house is one of the old Colonial kind. with square portico. The only thing that 1t is notable for is its extreme plainness and simplicity. Tall beaches, naples and pines. with a few short ever greens. almost obscure it from the road and give plenty of pleasant shade fin hot weather. Usually a flock of blaekbirds have possession of one of the highest trees and seem to be holding a noisy consultation about some matter of i'm portance.
 After a ring at the bell the broad door is opened by Carl. the man-of-all- work He wears no livery; sometimes he does not even wear coat. But you can ale ways depend upon his being suave and polite Now and then. if Carl is very busy, the door will be opened by one of the maids. The laws of etiquette are not enforced so strictly as those of hos pitality and comfort in the little com 1nonwealth of Westland.
 The door opens into a broad hall. with q stairway to the left. at the further end of it. Half a dozen or more childrens hats are hanging up. and a mighty gray Fedora that can plainly belong to no one but the ex-President himself.
 He is at home. of course. He Is seldom anywhere else, say the Princeton folk, except when he is out of town on hunt ing or fishing trip. In few minutes he appears, in a loose-ftting gray sack suit. turn-down collar. black tie and easy shoes.
 Although he was 66 on the 18th of March, Mir. Cleveland bears none of the usual marks of advancing years. His hair is as dark as ever. His step Is firm and his hand steady Moreover. he Is many pounds lighter than he was at the conclusion of hls last Presidential term, and his outdoor recreations have tanned him as brown as a lumberman.
 He shakes hands with all callers and ereets them in homely. hearty fashion. If your business is important you are shown into the parlor on the sright-hand side of the hall-a room furnished with much simplicity and taste. If your mis- sion is of more consequence you are in- vited into a large sitting room on the left hand side. which contains Mir. Cleve- lands desk and papers For those who are especially welcome there Is a small study of the dining room, containing an other desk and apparently a number of his favorite books.
 Daily Routine of Work and Play.
 MT. Cleveland's daily program is gen erslly as follows: He rises at !. has breakfast at s and then retires to his desk and disposes of the forty or fifty letters that await him and glances over the great bundle of newspapers. pamph-