The Washington herald., 1913-10-19
Son Of ex-President Cleve-
land, Student at Phillips
Exeter Acade-y, Is En-
thusiastic Over the Game.

Modest Dick Cleveland, honor pupil
at Phillips Exeter Academy, amateur
actor, hero of many track meet and
hockey game, and last, but not least
the son of a former President of the
United States, has decided that he wants
to be a football star.
Up at Exeter they say that Dick Is
"a chip of the old block and is likely
to achieve the distinction he has set his
mind on.
But if the name Cleveland appears in
the lineup that faces Andover later in
the fall or even a year hence, it may
be taken for granted that it is not be-
cause he is the son of a former Presi-
dent, for in that famous New Hamp-
shire prep school they don't pick a
man for the football squad unless he mas
won his spurs on his own merits.
Nor does the son of former President
ask any favors.
reporter found Dick in the dress
tng-roorn at the rear of the big athletic
field.
Honest. you don't want to interview
me" he tried to convince the reporter
as he buckIed his leo pounds into loot
ball ,togs preparatory to a try-out on
the gridiron.
I'm only fifteen years old, and how
can a boy of fifteen be of interest? But
i tell you what I'll do, so long as you
have come way out here from Boston
I'll take you around to some of my
chums, who are mighty clever and who
could furnish a much better story
than L.
But" the reporter persisted, its you
that we are interested in You know II
isn't every prep school or college that
boasts of a former Presidents son..
Wants to stand on Merits.
The smile that had made the boys
face pleasant to look upon changed
Immediately into frown.
''Oh. bother that Presidents son busi-
ness. Forget it. am SO different than
anyone else up here. Sometimes / wish
l wasn't the son of an ex-PresidenI
Then. as if he had made bad break
young Cleveland looked up and with
pleading voice SD:
please don't say that last without
exclamation at any rate. 1t might not
look right | don't want anyone to
get the mistaken idea that m not
proud to be Grover Cleveland's son. But
/ wish people would forget it for
while"
As the interview progressed it was
plain to the reporter why Dick was
named Modest Dick" for during the
fifteen minutes that he submitted to
the process he shifted nervously from
one foot TO the other and diplomatically
avoided any reference to his achieve
ments at Exeter.
Seated on the railing that runs
around the dressing quarters he dan
gled one foot over the other, and fort
unateIy for him Mark Gerstle of San
Francisco happened along, and while
the blond son of the ex-President in
terspersed the praise bestowed upon him
by. Gerstile with frequent objeC-
tions. some new light was thrown on
the real life of the boy who has helped
make Phillips Exeter famous.
He won't tell you anything" Mark
ventured as soon as he learned the er-
rand of the stranger. TOO blamed
modest.
Prominent in school life.
Hes been prominent every day since
he stepped off the train at Exeter
three years ago, but he wouldn't ad-
NIT it.
Say, did he tell you how he hap
pened to get the idea he wanted to
play football?"
well. he won't tell us the details,
either, but 1 think I've made mighty
good guess.
Last year he won his numerals in
hockey and starred in a track meet, but
he could't quite see where he had got
complete satisfaction without having a !
big e adorning the front of his jersey. !
'One night think he had a wonderful |
dream. 1t was after Andover beat |
Exeter last fall, to 0. 1t was plain |
that a few huskies were needed to stop
that line plunging of the Andover boys |
Dick, could hear the shouts of the crowd |
in the stand and he couldn't bear the |
Humiliation that Exeter suffered.
1T was that night, 1 am sure, that he |
decided to take up football, and you d |