The sun., 1916-10-01
LEYELANDUNUSUAL
FISHING PRESIDENT
Enjoyed Angling for Species
That Would Not
Bite.
YARNS TOLD BY FRIENDS
~ ALEXANDER Med. sTODDART.

Grover Cleveland. the twenty-second
and twenty-fourth President Of the Cni-
ted States. was probably the greatest
fisherman OF the twenty-seven Presi-
dents. fourteen OF whom were fishermen.
II has been said that Mr.. Cleveland
enjoyed angling for the fish that would
not bite as fully as he did for those
that would.
When the late George II. Moore.
librarian OF tho old Lencx LII
brary. wrote n monograph In 1881.
washington as an Angler. with EN-
tracts From His Diaries. 17s7-l7S9."
he dedicated the book to Mr.. CLEVELAND
II was In this dedication that Mr..
Moore made the statement that mo good
fisherman was ever II bad man. and his
tory will bear out the assertion that the
best Presidents have been the best fish
ermen.'
Mr.. Moore stated no one Of the many
biographies OF tho FIRST President If the
United states has done justice To the
character OF WASHINGTON In this impor-
tant feature OF his life. That was why
Mr.. Moore. himself an angler. made an
exhaustive search to pay a tribute TO the
first President u his fame as a man
I among men. a fisherman among fisher
men. and addressing Mr.. Cleveland he
wrote. "ln which It will be no dispar-
agement tfor you) TO share"
In Mr.. Moore's book. in which were OK
tracts from Washington's diary. WASH
inyton gave no details OF his fishing
trips merely that he spent the day
fishing and mentioned his companions.
This lei Cleveland TO remark to Mr.
Moore that he WAS "a little curious to
know whether tine absence Of details az
10 the resul; of his fishing Is owing to
bad luck. - lack Of liberation of fish
slories at that time among anglers or
to the Fact that. oven as 10 the number
Of fish lie caught. the Father of His
Country coull not toll a lie
CIeveIand'a "Restaurant' Fly.
Jus, what kind OF an angler Mr.
Cleveland was Ia seen by n letter sem
by "a fishing companion written to Cal
win Dill Wilson. author OF the Contur,
Maea:in.'s PAPER entitled our prcsl
dents. Out OF Doors"
The writer said Mr.. Cleveland "coul'
sit longer waiting for a bite than almos'
any other fisherman. and he hal studie'
thoroughly the habits Of the iish ar6
their traits. C"ce when he was tishir'
In n lake on Cape Cod his companions
lost patience and sat down on a bank Il
talk. but Mr.. Cleveland kept IN chang
ing his position. bait AMI method unit
at last he caught a tine bass.
His friends went over to look At i
as ne proudly held IL up. lie showed
them the ty by which he had succeede
and said i call this my restaurant fy
when asked why he replied. Be
cause the iish can get anything he likes
on -
Sure enough. 1t was a wonderful col
'ection oi feathers, ~, Of all color and
shapes"
C~.eve.und's con; panion5 we're Joseph
Jefferson. Charles Jefferson. Prof. John
Fri Lloyd. lie Roy Brooks. L. c. Bene-
dict. .Judsou Harmon. Charles Foster
Rear Admiral Eobley Il. Evans. Admiral
h. Il. Lamb%r,on. Jcthro Mitchell and
: Ldward r Dwight.
Here is an inciden. related by Mr.,
Lloyd that took place at Middle Bass
Island. Lake Erie.
AS II fisherman says Mr.. Lloyd.
NJ Cleveland enjoyed n reputation
earned by reason both Of his eypertness
as an angler and Of his patient methods
. where other men became discouraged
:. In one case that I have in mind. after
all Others had given up after a f~ruitless
, mornings efforts and were resting III
the cabin Of the steamer Mr.. Cleveland
persisted for a full hour IN sitting IN
his rowboat searching the bottom Of tho
: lake for n bass that neglected 70 return
, the compliment even by a nibblc.
TT seems 10 me that study or Mr.
Cleveland az II fisherman indicates hts
nature as Il man, and counts for LIS
record as a successful citizen, lie was
ever an example of persistent dct-rmila-
ton to yield 10 no ENCOURAGEMENT. Re-
gardless OF temporary nou-sncccss. III
, seemed to enjoy angling for the FISH that
would not bite fully as muca rs or more
even than for those tina. would bite too
freely