The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-11-26
ELIHU b. WAsHBURNE OF ILLINOIS. THE
PROBABLE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR.


| u1i0I; I|Vu oeillcu large, ana yet thin man.
| mind, while you admit his anknpss Yon
saJ to yourself, inwardly, when he has cone
The model is Yankee, but the cargo is west
| cru. The man was meant to he latby. anil
| longitude 'chucked' a good deal OF corn and
pork INTO him. His age is beyond fity. saw
for an impression, fifty-iOur His hair IS gray
ne dresses plainly, he has a very impuisiye
manner, accompanied with look almost of
i9hatielsm out OF large, lightish-sray eyes,
| ie wears nc beard; the expreSsion oi his
| lace ia repose is rendered almost transIataLlo
oy MS intense industry, which, being of a
nervous SORT, keeps him screwed up to a head
| long gait, all the while. Ee never listens tn
hear his own brother speak more than to,s,
| minutes, being biimtult OF things 10 do and
| say, and the lines across his forehead deenan
and thicken as he scratches away with a
| pen, tears the wrappers off newspapers, wbis-
ues ,or page, ieans over backward to talk
/ quick ana nefvously, iuT@ns un To object oy
| lnterlect remarks, and now and then he sfons
| Wneh al work TO blow off like steam en-
elne, with his hands behind bis head. clasped.
| Directly he IS up yonder in the diplomatic
| gallery, talking 10 lady; again down in
DownlnSs restaurant, taking provender. A
horse and buggy comes with him 10 Congress
| every day; his house is up near Gen. Grants.
ana close by st. Aloysius' church. in tEe nau'
with his family and his rich brother, Cadwall-
ader Washbuine who is also gray and fully IN
10 the water-mark OF fifty. He is a heavier,
graver, more composed and less ierky man
than Z. b. Washburnc. There are New Eng
land lines in his face, and also some German
marks. lie has been a successful business
man, is man OF force, admires his brother
put does not always agree with him, and vet
has many of of the same stubborn. nresis-
tent, positive characteristics.
f. B. WashbUrne is an independent man.
but not very rich one, Cadwallader having
the longest purse. The former went West
Wnlle still young man, ana met at Galena
young girl OF French extractolI-creole. I
believe, is the word-the exceedingly piauant.
pretty and petite daughter OF former chief
engineer OF the United States navy, Gen,
the name escapes me. She had been tender
ly reared and educated, and had been. all
along, the social equal of his career, as indeed
she is equal to any iank to which he NAV as
cend. They have had six children, and one
of them is at West Point, in the same class
with Grants son, the two young Galenaites
being thick as the two old ones. Mrs. Wash
burne is now in Washington city, temporari-
ly sick. When Gen. Grant came here, the
other day, be and his family made the earliest
call upon Mrs. Washburne Gen. Grant has
presented Mr.. Washburne with a fine horse,
or rather allowed him to use it for ninety-nine
years, CD condition uf treating it like an Arab
the Arabs, as you know, being kinder TO
their horses than their wives-and the Gem
eral and Mr.. Washburne often 90 riding to-
gether, behind a pair of Grants horses, once
going as far as Baltimore, which is a DAYS
drive.
Elihu B. Washburne is remarkable for all
the best New England traits. lie does not
drink drop of liquor; he never smokes. He
has an affection OF the kidneys, which some
times gives him exceeding pain, and is proba-
bly, the cause OF some of his testy exhibitions
OF temper / do not mention the last as a
New England trait Bis love of his birth
place and his honor of his father and mother
are unostentatious and profound. He and
all the boys go home to Livemore, in Maine,
every year, sacredly, to see the old gentle
man, whose hair is white as snow, but who
looks like the father of generations to be.
His is a fine face well featured, with each fac
ulty expressing its acutepess in the dieniied
totality. The old gentleman has been pho
tographed, with his remarkable brood of bows
around hinl--a regular old PrIam in the
nidst OF his household OF Trojans. OF these
boys, the Ex-Governor Of Maine has been said
to be the ablest the young ones are coming
along vigorously. They love and strengthen
each other up, though each is independent as
a wood-sawyer.
These boys got little or no start from home
except prayers and good advice, and Judging
by the old geEtleman's picture, 81 expect he
switched them often in the bud, Tor they.
probably, wanted their own way frequently
They have paid him back by building him a
strong, roomy, comfortable mansion for his
Old age, wherein every boy has room re-
served Tor himself, and lott fixed up fer the
children in common. l never climed up
there to count the children. If any man
wants an Office, and thinks can belp him
get it by making the count, | will have the
roll of the children called.
Elihu Washburne is the Oldest continuous
member OF Congress, il | am not mistaken.
| He is sent back here by a wise constituency
| every year, though / dare say he has enemies
| up there in the Joe Davies district. While
| not the most scholarly Congressman, he is
| an educated, independent, and scrupulousIy
homes. man, Watchdog indeed, over the
| public money, and a man of moral courage
used to saying mo" with two o's to it. He
is opposed TO giving away any more land to
the Pacific railways, believing them 20 be
corrupt from scalp to bowels. He is opposed
to giving away land any way, except
| on the homestead principle. He is perfectly
| ly reckless OF the effect of any economy
| upon the fortunes OF his party, and would
/ have seen General Grant defeated without
| remorse rather than to have voted for anv
popular corruption. He has not one friend
in this city amongst the peculators, ring
| makers and place-seekers, and these consti-
tute the bulk OF the town. All of these
would be so glad to see him 90 away that
they would labor with the corrupt Senators
to get him confirmed for any executive ap-
polntment.
The terrible episode OF the Donnelly con-
| troversy was directed maniiestly towards dis
turbing the relations bet Teen Grant and
Washburne, but Grant seemed TO be NO village
| l.xr 49, ls.:..
| away everybody so far that they never found
out what the cause was. though they are
aware OF the matter. All the enemies of
| Grant, an honest administration, and of
| Washburne. are labOring to awaken the little
ness OF Gen. Grants nature, ii he has any,
so as to make him put away his friend. They
ale saying that Washburne will rule, Wash
burne is boss, sc. This they are printing,
from Brick Pomeroy down to the distant rU-
raj Sewer which appears once a week, and
lives on the annual smile OF a corrupt Con-
gresham, whom Washburne has measured
from finger nails to the wrist. A generous
and sagacious nature, as you conceive Grant
to be, will be more indignant at these insults
to its friendship than he whom they are
meant to scar.
| Gen. Grant and Mr.. Washburne met at the
beginning of the war. Washburne was up
raising men, and took them as they came
|
of his tar to discover destiny, handed him
over to the United States, and shook hands
with him, thinking, probably you're little
fellow, but / guess you will do your BEST
Some time aiterward this little fellow work
ed along, so that Washburne was glad he had
discovered hIpn. Then Shiloh came, with
Grant almost disgraced, the papers and his
rivals bowling The pen lowering in the air
to retire his commission. Mr.. Washburne
went to work for constituent like wheel
horse, and saved a President to the United
States. II Grant were anybody but Grant
or il he were more Of politician, l should
think that he might want 10 be nd of So good
a trend. Being Grant, and soldier, and a
great man, think he would rather lose a leg
than dismiss his friend to the wolves that
camor for the blood OF Washburne when
they want to make the meal off Grant.
What does Washburne want? l don't be-
lieve that Gen. Grant knows; | don't believe
that Washbune has made up his mind.
don't know that he wants anything. His
friends are Dawes of Massachusetts and Ali
son of Iowa, and only one or two MORE
Among the citizens here he has made few ac
quaintances. He is very plain man, with :
comfortable bone, up to the eyes in pnonc
business, and he has no desire to be driven
awaJ from Gen. Grant, whom he hkes :, anu ~
admires. His family, have hearu wish ~. u. ~