Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-12-02

ffh~ ~. HdShbWHe 81 HRHoS, me Pr0od6fe
Secretary Of the Interior
GRAPHIC PERSONAL SKETCH ny GEORGE ALFRED
TowSsND.
Washington Correspondence Of the Cincinnati Com
mercial
Here is Il. b. Washburne A broad-shoul-
dered, good-belied, large, and yet thin
man. He leaves Il plump impression upon
your mind, while you admit his lankness
You say to yourself, inwardy, when he has
gone, " The model is Yankee, but the cargo
is western. The man was meant to be lathy,
and longitude chucked' good deal of corn
and pork into him." His age is beyond fifty,
say, for an impression, ffty-four His hair
is gray, he dresses plainly, he has very i'm
pusiye manner, accompanied with a look al
most Of flnaticism out of large, lightish-gray
eyes He wears no beard the expression Of
his face in repose is rendered almost translate
able by his intense industry, which being of
a nervous sort, keeps him screwed up to a
headlong gait, all the while lie never lis
tens to hear his own brother speak more than
a few minutes, being briniul of things to do
and say, and the lines across his forehead
deepen and thicken as he scratches away with
pen, tears the wrappers off newspapers,
whistles for a page, leans over backward to
talk quick and neryously, jumps up to object
or interjeet remarks, and now and then he
stops when at work to blow off like a steam
engine, with his hands behind his head, clasp.
ed. Directly he is up yonder in the diplo-
matte gallery, talking to a lady again down
in Downing's restaurant taking provender
A horse and buggy comes with him to Con.
gress every day; his house is up near Gen
Grants, and close by St. Aloysius' church, il
the new suburban part of the city, and there
he lives with his family and his rich brother
Cadwallader Washburne, the general, of Wis.
consn. Gen. Washburne is also gray and
fully up TO the water-mark of fifty. He is q
heavier, graver, more composed, and les,
jerky man than Il. b. Washburne. Their,
are New England lines in his face and alsC
some German marks He has been success
his brother, but does not always agree witt
him, and yet has many of the same stubborn
persistent, positive characteristics
Il. b. Washburne is an independent man
but not very rich one, Cadwalader having
the longest purse. The former went Yves
while still young man, and met at Galena
young girl Of French extraction--ereole,
believe, is the word--tbe exceedingly piquant
pretty and petite daughter of a former chic
engineer Of the United States navy, Genera
-, the name escapes me. She had beer
tenderly reared and educated, and has been
all along, the social equal of his career a
indeed she is equal to any rank to which h
may ascend. They have had six children
l.,,I &c e. II
same class with Grants son, the two youuI
Galenaites being thick as tho two old ones
Mrs. Washburne is now in Washington city
temporarily sick. When Gen. Grant cam
here, the other day, he and his family mad
the earliest call upon Mrs. Washburne. Gen
Grant has presented Mr.. Washburne with
fine horse, or rather allowed him to use il 70
ninety-nne years, on condition of treating
Z like an Arab-the Arabs, as you know, bein
kinder to their horses than their wiyes.-an
the General and Mr. Washburne often 90 rid
ing together, behind pair of Grants horses
once going as far as Baltimore, which is
days drive.
Eihu b. Washburne is remarkable for al
the best New England traits. He does no
drink drop of liquor he never smoke,
lie has an affection Of the kidneys, whic
sometimes gives him exceeding pain, and
probably the cause of some Of his testy exhi
billions of temper. do not mention the las
as New England trait. His love of hi
birth place. aud his honor Of his father an
mother are transformations aud profound. ii
and all the boys 60 home to Liyermore, i
Maine, every year, sacredly, TO see the oil
gentleman, whose hair is white as snow, bu
who looks like the father of generations to b,
His is fine face, well featured, with eac
faculty expressing its acuteness in the digni
fled totality, Tho old gentleman hos bee
photographed, with his remarkable brood Q
boys around him-a regular old Priam in tn