Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-07-16
PRESIDENTS,
RICH AND POOR
Some Saved Money in OFFICE md Some
Lost.

A Washington correspondent of tho
Brooklyn Eagle writes as follows:
II Is said that Grover Cleveland died
compa ratively poor man. like most of
our presidents. He was q poor man when
he became president the first time. He
made some money through real estate
investments In tho neghborhood OF
Washington. With tho savings from his
salary he bought Oak View, which he
occupied for a while as a summer home.
and other suburban property. Then
came q boom in land values. and ne solo
out at considerable profit. His purchases
gave fashionable Importance TO tho
localities where they were made, and
this alone made prices run up.
Mr.. Taft Is admittedly n poor man. He
has absolutely nothing more than his
salary. But for the aid of his half
brother Charles p. he would have been
unable To make the canvass for the
nomination. Mr.. Bryan was a poor
young lawyer at the time he made his
famous speech In Chicago In 1896. which
won for him n presidential nomination.
Since then no has been making money
fast. and is now credited with being
worth $4,000 From the Commoner and
his lectures he Is reputed to receive IN
the neghborhood of 100000 a year His
| ca ndidacies for the presidency have been
very profitable to him, probably more
SO than even his election would be.
Mr.. Roosevelt will leave the White
House In comma ratvely easy circum-
stances and will add to the money he
now has by magazine contributions and
the writing of books. Just what he is
worth Is not known. but It Is believed
to be between sl0O,cro and s2'OcA.
William Mckinley left On estate worth
between 100000 and s5N.~0. BY careful
ma nacement under the direction Of
George II. Cortclvou. its value was ma
terialv increased so that Mrs, McKil
| ley was more than we'll off In worldly
goods.
benjamin Harrison saved money while
In the White House. but was not n
| wealthy man at the time of his death.
When elected to the presidency he was
worth probably not more than 5000
He lived simply while in the White
House and saved more than 10000 dur
ing his !our-years occupancy.
| Chester A. Arthur was worth $500 on
when he died, that amount being divided
between his son and daughter: but 1t
| is probable that he was worth about as
much when he entered tho White House.
| He was the most lavish of our presidents
| In his expenditures, not hesltating to
spend from $1,000 TO 500 on single
dinner and It IL not likely that he saved
much during his term. His predecessor.
Garfield died poor. Mrs. Garfield, how
ever, was magnincently provided for by
| the nation, $500 000 being raised FOR her
while her pension OF $500 year made
| 1t a certainty that she should never
| want
Hayes was accused of parsmony dur
! Ing his term OF office, because he offered
| no wine to his guests at state dinners ,
| but the charge WAS wholly unjust. In
asmuch as he was as liberal as other
presidents IN entertaining, He gave ono
| spread" Mt a reception that cost him
| 50. 900. Nowadays. as is we'll known. moth
| Ing whatever to eat or drink Is provided
at White House receptions. not so
much as n cup of tea or a sandwich
Icing furnished The plan, while It
seems inhospitable. has the advantage
| OF giving no encouragement to dead
| beats and other Objectionable persons,
who would otherwise present themselves
| merely for the purpose Of filling them
selves with edibles and dltnkables free
| VI fldlHe. MT. lidNtS, VINO spent tIlt
last years Of his life In what he called
delightful retirement" left his family
| well off.
| Grant, during his first term, got only
$4,000 a year. but at the beginning OF
his second term the pay of the president
was raised to $4,000. and he had some
chance to save n little out OF HIS salary.
Nobody seems to know how much he
| WAS worth when ha left the Vhite
| House.
Andrew Johnson left n modest fortune
| invested chiefly In a farm a mill and a
country store IN Knoxville and Green
vile, Tenn. when he died II will be
remembered, he was n senator OF the
United States, having been elected to
that body half dozen years after his
retirement from the presidency.