The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-04-19

the past in the forties. Once in
while you would see very elderly mel
wearing the old hat and breaches
But those in public life were quite
modish. The black silk bell shaped
tile or beaver was everywhere on the
heads of men of Importance. 1 ina.
CINE a national convention was a sea
of men wearing the Prince Albert Oh
cut-away black coats and a man who
didn't carry a stick was no man al
all, as far as prominence was con-
cerned. What / started to say was
that the president had all his clothes,
even his shoes, made to measure.
"Shirt Off His Back"
Zone day he called me into the big
house. / was 16 years old then and
a big boy.
do you think he said, that
shirt would fit your
without trying it on / allowed it
would.
well, here's six of them and he
handed me the box of a half a dozen.
They had just arrived from New
York.
The neck bands were all too small
and as the president was troubled
with asthma, from which it is record
ed he died, the tight neck band caus-
ed him untold misery. He had not
tried the other five. They we're a bit
large for me, but for the next three
years / wore the shirts of the presi-
dent of the United States with M. ".
B. d~elicately monogrammed thereon.
"Of his great love of nature and
n ,;,oo L. 7 ~1ao1I I7on D,~1nsc fo-orf%o
dog, his favorite horse, and his affec-
ton for them was great.
"One day while going fishing a
great swapping turtle waddled across
the road. The president poked him
with his fish pole just to see the big
fellow get angry and snap. Finally
the turtle snapped the end of the
presidents fish pole and held on like
a bulldog. Nothing could induce the
creature to let go.
"'What are we going to do?' said
the president.
II got out my jack knife.
"'Cut his head off, said 1.
Really, really.' said the presi-
dent. we couldn't do that, it would
be cruel. In fact, that turtle was
minding his own business when we
started to annoy him.
Finally he cut the end off the fish
pole, a fine pole bought in Albany
and very expensive.
THE turtle went away carrying
the piece of bamboo in his mouth like
a cigar.
II was 16 years old when / last saw
Van Buren,. If 1 ever go east
would like to go to Undertook and
look at his modest grave there. My
father left him to take a position
with James Frost, nurseryman, flor
list and scotsman of Rochester, N. Y.
The country was growing fast aud
there was a great demand for seeds.
This grew into an enormous fortune
business, as well as n
Of the greatest mail order businesses
in the nation. When I grew older
I worked for Frost, Peter Henderson
and d. M. Ferry, the anne of the
latter two you will see on seed sold
in packages. Their descendants still
retain the firm names of their fa-
theirs. I knew all the pioneers in the
seed business personally.
my only profession is that of a
with its kindred branches.
That entails a study of botany and
earning the Latin equivalent of the
of all flowers and plants. Lin
is the great authority and ]
still have three volumes of his given
ne by my father.
An Aristocrat
From Martin Van Buren, l learn
"A - ovA Df rntr,rn He cnnnf hn11ro /.
n his gardens which were quite a !
how place in that section. He loved 3
rees, dogs, birds, flowers, and he
vas personally concerned and deeply
Interested in the humblest of his
leighbors for miles around his coun-
At heart he was an aristo- |
rat. At that time it was not con- 7
idered a crime for a public charac- :
to have an ~aristocrtic taste. He !,
vas the last of that pronounced type. ,
he people, I would not say how wise :
y, began to turn to men who could :
est be described by the title of com 2
1oner.' Some historians have seen =
it to term Van Buren's administra- !
ion as one of failure. l think, how '
YER, that time put a different light :
his later political defeat. The ma !
ion was growing, expanding and de- '
clipping; SO abnormal was the !
that the currency was not :
lastic enough to accommodate it. AS r
result the financial panic of 1887 :
nsued and the ills of his time were :
lid at his door. 1t was exclusively ?
financial panic. Everybody had :
lenty to eat and wear, but there
ere many business failures.
"After his first four years, in his
scond campaign, Harrison's popular 3
ote was ~1,275,016 to Van Buren's :,
which / do not consider in :
le light of AN overwhelming defeat Z
) some historians do, who apparent :,
failed to look up statistics refer :,
ng to it. I know defeat did not en- 2
him nor did he cease his in =
rest in politics to the time of his =.
cath; up to the time of his death .
} was a big man in political coun- :,
i. |"
Pioneer of Abolition Ri
"In 1848 when neither Zachary Fl
iylor, the whig nominee, nor Lewis n.