Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1908-06-25
HANDICAPPED IN YOUTH BY NE.
cEssITY OF SUPPORTING HIS
MOTHER HE ovERcAME GREAT
OBSTACLES
FIRST OFFICE WAS
THAT OF SHERIFF
1T WAS WHILE GOVERNOR OF
NEW. YORK THAT HE MADE
RECORD THAT MADE HIM SUB.
sEQUENTLY PARTY LEADER

Grover Cleveland, twenty-second
president of the United States and the
only Democratic occupant of the
White House since the Civil War, was
born In Caldwell. Essex county, New
Jersey, March 18, 1887. On the pattern
al side he was of English origin.
Moses Cleveland emigrated from Ips-
Wich county of Suffolk, England, In
1875, and settled at Woburn, Mass,
where he died in 1701. His grandson
was Aaron, whose son, Aaron, was
Observation-Disclosures of Grover.
Grover Cleveland's father was Pres
byter1an clergyman, who, in 1929, mar
ried Anne Neal, daughter of a Balti-
more merchant of IRISH birth.
When Grover was four years old
his father accepted call to Fayette-
VILE, near Syracuse, N. Y, where the
son had an academy schooling, and
afterWard was clerk in country
store. The removal Of the family to
Clinton, Oneida county, gave Grover
additional educational advantages in
the academy there. In his seventeenth
year he became a clerk and assistant
teacher In the New York institution
for the blind in New York city. in
which his elder brother, William, was
then teacher. In 1856 Grover left
New York to go to the west in search
of employment. On his way he stop
ped at Black Rock, now part OF Buff
falo, and called on his uncle, Lewis +.
Allen, who induced him to remain and
aid him in the compilation Of vol
ume Of the American Herd-Book. /"
He afterwards assisted In the prepara-
tion of several other volumes of this
work. In August, 1855, he secured a
place as clerk and copyist for the law
firm Of Rogers, Bowen and Rogers, in
Buffalo, began to read Blackstone, al
In the autumn Of that year was receiv-
ing four dollars week for his work.
He was admitted to the bar In 1859,
but for three years longer he remained
with the firm that first employed him,
acting as managing clerk at salary
of $1,000. part Of which he devoted
to the support of his widowed mother,
who died in 1882.
Sheriff His First Office.
He was appointed assistant district
attorney of Erie county in 1863, and
held the Office for three years. At
.iAAo ehiio otlOhOu5 SllOI u WST6 UGlUR
made to bring the Civil War to close.
Two Of Cleveland's brothers were in
the army, and his mother and sister
were dependent largely upon him for
support. Unable to enlist, he borrowed
money to send substitute, and it
was not until long after the war that
he was able to repay the loan. III.
1865, at the age of twenty-eight, he
was the Democratic candidate for
district attorney, but was defeated by
the Republican candidate, his intimate
friend, Lyman X. Bass. He then be-
came a law partner Of Isaac v. Van.
derpool. and in 1869 became q member
of the firm of Lanning, Cleveland and
Folsom. He continued a successful
practice until 1870, when he was elect
ed sheriff Of Erie county. At the ex
piration Of his three-years' term he
formed law partnership with his
| personal friend and political antago
mist, Lyman K. Bass, the firm being
Bass, Cleveland and Bissell, and, aftel
the forced retirement from failine
health of Mr.. Bass, the firm name was
changed to Cleveland and Bissell. The
firm was prosperous, and Cleveland at
tained high rank as lawyer, noted fol
the simplicity and directness Of his
logic and expression and thorough
| mastery of his cases.
Was Nominated for President
| In the autumn of 1881 he was nomi
| mated as the Democratic candidate FOL
mayor of Buffalo, and was elected by
majority of $3.50, the largest evel
given to candidate in that city. Ii
| the same election Republican state
| ticket was carried In Buffalo by al
average majority of over 1000; bu
Cleveland had a partial Republican in
/ Continued on page 81