Norfolk Landmark, November 29, 1892
CLEVELAND'S OUTING.
Tourists and sportsmen -- Field sports - LodgesInfrastructure -- Public - Government : Life-saving serviceTransportation -- Water - WrecksMoral -- Alcohol
BAD WEATHER KEEPS HIM WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE CLUB HOUSE.
He Listens With Interest to a Story of Shipwreck by the Resident Minister -- An Amusing Incident of the Confusion of an Employee of the Club in the President's Presence.
By Telegraph to The Landmark.
EXMORE, Va., November 28 -- President elect Cleveland put in a day around the Broadwater Club House reading, and, in general, whiling away the time as would any gentleman seeking recreation in a quiet out-of-the-way place, who found the weather out doors not to his taste. He did no shooting to day. Mr. Cleveland seems to be enjoying his stay greatly and the quiet and the rest are just what he wanted. He is almost completely cut off from the outside world, his only knowledge of events being derived from the mails and dispatches, which once a day a small sail boat brings over from the mainland.
The steamer Sunshine is tied up at the wharf on Hog Island and has not been to the mainland for several days. Mr. Cleveland's physical comfort is looked after almost as well as if he were at his home in New York. Hog Island and its vicinity abounds in the finest game and oysters. A competent chef is employed at the club house and the Philadelphia markets are drawn on for any needed supplies. It rained last night and the weather to-day was damp and disagreeable. Isolated largely from the life and bustle of the world, many of the people here have strongly marked traits, and Mr. Cleveland to day listened with pleasure to several of the interesting characters of the island.
Among his callers this morning was the Rev. Joseph R. Sturgis, pastor of the church on the island. The President elect seemed specially interested in him and engaged his attention for some time. Mr. Sturgis is called an all around minister by the islanders. He can preach a good sermon, write an article for the papers, take charge of a surf boat if any unfortunates need assistance, or man a sailboat. He talks well and Mr. Cleveland listened attentively to his description of the wreck of the Spanish steamer San Albano, which stranded on the shores of Hog Island last Winter. The life savers did good work on that occasion and show with pride the medals awarded them by both the Government of the United States and the Spanish Government for their bravery in rescuing the survivors of the wreck. The story told with life, zest and local coloring impressed the President and he expressed a desire to see the medals, which request will be complied with very willingly by the owners of the medals.
Such a thing as entertaining a President of the United States was a thing that until now no dweller on Hog Island ever expected would fall to his lot and the presence of Mr. Cleveland at any unexpected time so flustrates the natives that their attempts to keep unconcernedly at work while he is around is often times comical.
To-day the President-elect came upon Ned Bird, one of Mr. Ferrell's men, while he was attempting to gather a lot of feathers he had spilled. Mr. Cleveland's presence was too much for Bird, and in his confusion he threw the feathers to the windward. They blew back on him, and his struggles with them were amusing.
Nothing is talked about on the island save Mr. Cleveland, and everything he says or does is treasured up with delight to be retold many times during the long days and nights of Winter and Spring.
"Well," say they, "I never expected to see old Hog Island honored by a President's visit."
His gunning is watched by them, and George Doughty and "Tom," two veteran guides, go so far as to declare that in all their lives they have never seen better shooting than Mr. Cleveland does.
Over on the mainland the people are as ready to praise everything with the Cleveland brand as are the islanders. One party which visited the island a few days brought back a little whiskey from a groggery on the island. It was poor stuff which the groggery retails for 30 cents a pint. It was passed around "as Cleveland whiskey" and those persons who tasted it, many of whom consider themselves good judges of liquor, pronounced it the best they had ever tasted, fully believing that it was really such whiskey as Mr. Cleveland uses.