Description:

Gover Cleveland
various, April 17, 1886 to November 26, 1903
Grover Cleveland Group of 4 Letters, One Referencing "What's the use?"
Archive
A collection of four letters signed by Grover Cleveland, dating from 1886-1903. All are signed "Grover Cleveland" and are addressed to Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Wilson as well as Frank M. Thorn, Esq. The letters were written at the tail end of Cleveland's first presidency and in the years following his second non-consecutive term. Content includes declining a dinner invitation, selling horses and real estate, and commentary on public opinion. Each letter is accompanied by its original transmittal envelope, hand-addressed by Cleveland. The letters and covers each have a Letter of Authenticity from PSA/DNA. Flattened mail folds and light toning to the letters. All boldly signed. Expected wear and soiling to the covers.

Includes:
1. April 17, 1886; Washington, D.C., addressed to Mrs. A. A. Wilson. Written on Executive Mansion stationery. In part: "…Col. Lamont is away today but I expect him back tomorrow. So you see we cannot accept your kind invitation for that day. I am so awfully crowded with business which I have no opportunity to attend to except in this evening…But when Col. Lamont returns I will talk with him about it and send you word whether or not we can accept your invitation for Monday evening…"

Daniel Scott Lamont (1851-1905) served as U.S. Secretary of War during Grover Cleveland's second term. Prior to that, he was assigned to then-New York Governor Cleveland's staff as a political prompter and was given the honorary rank of colonel.

2. May 10, 1889; New York, addressed to Hon. A. A. Wilson. Written on law firm stationery. In part: "…I hasten to thank you for all you have done for us…and to express my entire satisfaction with your course. I cannot think that the horses brough what they were worth but am satisfied that the best thing was done in disposing of them and am glad that they fell into good careful hands. I will conclude as speedily as I can upon my course with reference to the remaining carriages and if you get as good an offer again as you once had for the buggy I hope that you will sell it. I hear that Washington [illegible] looked more beautiful than here and that Oak View is not b-hind. Thanking you again for your attention to my interests in Washington…"

Oak View was a farmhouse which the Cleveland's secretly purchased in 1886, located in the rural upland of D.C. The property was used as a summer house where the family could escape the smells and heat of Washington, D.C. during the stifling summer months.

3. May 31, 1901; Princeton, addressed to A. A. Wilson. In part: "I enclose check for $8.10 in full of the tax you have paid for me on my Cleveland Heights lots. I note with satisfaction what you say about the prospect of a profitable sale…I am in no good hurry as I am paying no interest and taxes…still I am prepared to accept the advantages of any future boom. Our little girl is steadily improving and we hope for her speedy recovery, though we are still secluded from the entire world…"

Cleveland's Oak View property was later renamed Cleveland Heights. At the time of writing, Cleveland's daughter, Esther, had contracted diphtheria and the former president had returned early from a fishing trip to be with her. Esther eventually beat the illness, but three years later it claimed the life of her older sister, Ruth, who was only 12 years old at the time.

4. November 26, 1903; Princeton, addressed to Frank M. Thorn Esq. In part: "I have received the copies of 'What's the use?' which you sent me, and have read the Haworth article with indignant amazement, and your reply, (not altogether correct in some small details), with grateful satisfaction. Somehow I have never been able to suppose that anyone believed that I was dishonest or self-serving in the discharge of the duties pertaining to the great office of President; and it has never seemed to me that any decently inclined man needed any assurance from me on that subject. I have often wished that any word spoken and every act done in the transactions upon which scandalous charges against me are dirtily based, could have been heard and seen by every American citizen. In this condition of mind I have not been able to bring myself to the humiliation and degradation of pleading my honesty. Through some tribulation I have been able there for [sic] to keep my faith in the American people as 'the best people in the world.'…"

After years of campaigning for local fellow attorney-turned-President Grover Cleveland, Frank Thorn was appointed chief clerk of the Internal Revenue Bureau, a position he held through Cleveland's first administration. Returning to his home in New York at the end of the 1880s, Thorn remained a dedicated supporter, combining his friendship, political interest, and writing ambitions into frequent publications defending Cleveland's reputation. "What's the use?" became one of Cleveland's most famous quotes regarding the presidency.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

    Provenance:
  • PSA/DNA Letters of Authenticity for letters and covers
    No. AO00264, December 12, 2023
    No. AO00263, December 12, 2023
    No. AO00262, December 12, 2023
    No. AO00261, December 12, 2023
    No. AO00258, December 12, 2023
    No. AO00257, December 12, 2023
    No. AO00254, December 12, 2023
    No. AO00253, December 12, 2023
  • Dimensions:
  • 5" x 8
  • Artist Name:
  • Gover Cleveland
  • Medium:
  • Archive

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

September 18, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to [bp]% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions