, 1858-06-11
OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON TERRITORY FRIDAY JUNE II, 1858

silver quarters of a dollar, and asked the
crowd if those three pieces" did not
make one dollar. with this currency, -"
said the Senator, "the President will sus-
tain the Administration"
GREAT COMPLICATION.
The disastrous fire that consumed Col
Benton's dwelling house at Washington,
with his papers, private memorandums, and
the labors of many years, is well known.
On the morning of that day he had made
one of his characteristic speeches which
was to have been printed the next day in
the Globe Tho speech was written and
lay on his table ready for the printer. He
was out for a walk in the afternoon-he
heard the alarm of fre-he was soon met
by q friend who told him that his house
was in flames, and that his library, books
and papers in his private room were already
consumed. When he learned that his pa
pers and the memorials Of the days past,
that that room contained, were gone, he
ceased to care for the part not consumed,
but said" let the house 60 then" Many
uOOAo RNAN ODNuOu " ullut lOl NOls DGukOu
has u warm heart and is greatly beloved
by all vino have social intercourse with
he was soon domcled with some
friends. Many called upon him that night
He was found calm and collected, engaged
in writing ont that speech that on that
morning be had delivered, and which had
been consumed by the flames of that day
1t was to appear the next day, and Col
Benton remarked that his "brain was not
burnt" 1t was near midnight when he
was found at bis task and the speech was
written that night and was printed the next
day.
HIS LOVE FOR HIS FAMILY
For long time before her death, Mrs.
Benton had been an invalid. BY the soft
ening Of her brain her mind was greatly
enfeebled. But from the time Of her sick
ness to the hour Of her death, her husband
tended her with oil the care Of mother
towards on only child She sat by his side
while he wrote and at times the old
smile would come back to her palled cheek
Never did Mr.. Benton appear greater than
on the day his house was consumed. He
saw unmOVed the work Of thirty years des-
troyed But when he knew that with his
property, and his valuable papers, other
things had vanished more valuable than
lo|d, the fountains Of his feelings were br5-
ken up aud bitter tears howed.
SOlne Of bis friends, anxious to know
how the conAagration had affected hi
property, made some inquiries about ths
pecuniary damage be had suffered HI
said little Of his loss Of goods, but with
deep feeling alluded TO those treasures
which could never be recalled or replaced.
He opened the secret chambers Of his
heart He spoke Of bis wife in Heaven
Of their mutual struggles in early days in
the West. How she had sickened and
suffered, and how dear she had been to him
in all her feebleness-how she died and
left him alone, and more alone, that she
had so long needed his constant personal
attenlions-how, in the chamber occupied
by him, and now consumed, be had hung
all the little remembrahees Of other and
happy days-the tokens Of her life and
loVe-hoW all these had been consumed
and he should see them no more. He
could replace bis house-he could repro
duce his WOrks-but the precious relics oil
his dead companion were gone forever
No labor, no insurance, no tears, could
bring one Of them back.