The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-07-24
A HISTORIC CHEESE.
THE MONSTER THAT CHESHIRE SENT
TO PRESIDENT JEFFERSON.
Nearly Every One In Town Contrib
uted Curd, and Etder John Leland
Bossed the ,rob-Tbe Formal Pres
entntIon mt the white House.

uted Curd, and Esder John Leland
| Dossed the .rob-Tbe Formal Pres
entation mt the white House.
The story OF the great cheese made ut
| Cheshire in 1901 and sent the following
winter 10 President Jefferson as
| New Yenr's present has been many
times told in prose and verse, but IL
worthy OF repetition as an interesting
| bit OF local history, showing. as IL does.
the patriotic spirit by 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 10 the Democratic
| party and Elder John Leland an able,
eccentric and witty Baptist divine,
whose fame Is 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 un-
bounded. II was finally decided that
II would be proper TO give to their es-
TEEN tangible expression In the form
of mammoth cheese, which should
show 10 the president the quality OF
their material resourccs,and something
of the extent OF their admiration for
| him.
The announcement Of this plan was
unnIp hy Eldar Ial frofu hig ntlDIt
one Sunday morning and was received
with pleasure by the people. July 20,
1901, was the date set for the making
Of the cheese and the plan was 10 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 II To n central place for pressing.
or course there was no cheese press
large enough for the pressing Of such "A
cheese as was proposed. and Elisha
Browns cider press was consequently
selected for the work.
When the day came for making the
cheese the people gathered from all
parts OF the town. Those who had curd
TO contribute brought II with them,
some In large quantities and some In
small, but all extremely proud to con
| tribute TO the monster cheese that was
10 be sent To the president. Besides be
ing n busy day II was also. gala day
for the inhabitants Of Cheshire. The
| farmers and their wives nnd families
| turned out on masse 10 wi1ness the con-
| structiOn of what proved to be the
| most famous cheese I'm all history, for,
| though still larger cheese was made
| I'm the town at later date this was
| the presidents cheese. and the great
Elder Leland, who In the estimation OF
| the people OF Cheshire was second In
| importance only to President jefferson
| himself, was leading and directing the
| enterprise. Most OF those present were
| nrraycd In their Sunday best, though
| the women who supcrintcnded the mix
| Ing of the curd were obliged To wear
| protecting aprons.
The hoop In which the cheese was
| pressed was made for the occasion. 1t
was four feet I'm diameter and eighteen
| inches deep and was secured with
| strong bands Of iron To enable II To
| stand the pressure. When all OF the
| curd had been mlxcd' and sailed II was
| placed In this hoop, n follower which
| had also been made. especially for the
| purpose was placed upon Il. and the
| pondcrous wooden screws Of the old
| cider mill were turned down on the
most precious body they had ever com
| pressed. After all was done n hymn
| lined Off by Elder Leland was sung by
the asscmblngc, and the people sepa-
rated for their homes, highly satisfied
with and very proud OF their days
| work. Some days after II was made
| the cheese was taken 10 Captain Dan
| lei Browns cheese house To be cured.
| Its weight one month from the time II
was pressed was 1895 pounds. The
moving OF the cheese from the cider
press to Captain Browns was made n
great occasion. The people turned ont
| again, and the cheese was followed by
Il big procession. Moses Wolcott, who
| kept the tavern" gave n feast 20 all
| present and thereby linked his name 10
| this part OF the towns history.
The following December the great
| cheese was sent 10 Washington in
| charge OF Elder Leland and Darius
| Brown, There were no railroads in
| those days and II was drawn on II sled
| 10 hudson n. Y, and shipped from
| there 10y water. The presentation OF
| the cheese To the president was mn
event Of moment In Washington, The
| presentation was made nj the White
House in the presence of the cabinet.
foreign diplomats and other notables,
Elder Leland serving as spokesman
and assuring the president In suitable
| terms of the great esteem In which he
was held 10y the people from whom the
gift had come.-Springhcld Republican.
The Center OF Observations.
Say, paw. was you ever the cynosurc