Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-01-25

as chairman, and that he resign, and
move the appointment of Mr.. Blaine
in his place.
VERY well,' replied Conkling. &
viii do so if the Senator from Maine
will accept
And Conkling asked Senator
Howe to invite Mr.. Blaine to act as
Chairman in his place. Howe de-
livered the message, but Blaine de-
clined, SAYING that he intended to
90 to Arkansas for his health, and
feared he would not return in time
to act. But Mr.. Blaine appreciated
the courtesy, and through him the
matter got into the newspapers.
There had been a handsome con-
cession on either side, and the next
day, Saturday last, when Conkling,
was standing in front of the Secre-
tary's desk in the Senate, Blaine ap-
preached him and offered his hand.
Mr.. Conklibg accepted it with great
cordiality, and Mr.. Blaine thanked
him for bis courtesy. There was no
mention of the long feud, there was
no making up but merely an ac-
ceptance, not spoken, but implied, of
the olive branch of peace.
Now that Morton is dead, the
strength of the Republican party
must be led by these two men. The
most serious weakness that existed
in its ranks consisted in their per
sonal enmity; but that is healed, and
both viii take care that there shall
not be another rupture.
Since Morton died, Conkling is the
hardest working man in the Senate.
Since the session of Congress began
he has given eighteen hours out of
every twenty-four to labor. His cor
respondence is more voluminous than
that of any public man except the
President alone, and besides the hun
dreds of letters that he answers with
his own hands every week, he en-
ployes two private secretaries, who
are both continually busy. At his
seat in the Senate, Conkling is almost
uninterruptedly engaged in answer
ing letters. He generally comes in
to the chamber with his hands full,
and, while business is progressing, he
reads them one by one, and as each
is finished makes a memorandum on
the back for the use of his secretaries
in framing the reply. When the
senate adjourns he gets into his
buggy, generally alone, and enjoys
short but rapid drive after his horse
Douglas, large black gelding with
a coat like mirror, and of this ami
NAL Mr.. Conkling is very fond. He
returns to his rooms, dimes about 6
O'Clock, and works till long after
midnight.
He lives this winter in a couple of
rooms in house (adjoining Worm
ley's HotsD which he formerly own
ed. His quarters are neither spa
cious nor sumptuous, and merely
come under the term comfortable.
Here he spends his evenings, dictat-
ing to short hand writers, writing
himself, and entertaining company.
He is quite exclusive, and so busy
a man must be, and it is difficult to
see him, but an hour in his society
is pleasure that a great many peo-
pie envy. As a conversationalist.
Mr.. Conklin has no equal. His re-
cent visit to England made him
famous there, and the London pa
pers were full of his brilliant bon
naots and repartee. In his habits he
is as temperate as a monk, making
tea his only stimulant, and eating
only tho plainest food. He uses to-
bacco only in the form of what is
known as a dry smoke-that is
chewing the end OF an unlighted ci-
gar-a habit Gen. Butler is also
noted for. During the midst of his
writing at night he often stops to
swing pair of thirty pound dumb
bells for few moments, and will
put on pair of boxing gloves
whenever he can find an antagonist
willing to stand up with him. At
Utica, his home, he is a frequenter
of gymnasium, and has a great
reputation as an athlete. If Gordon
had challenged him, and if Conkling
had accepted the challenge, the
choice of wepons would have been
his, and he would have chosen
small swords, with which he is an
expert.
Conkling makes no attempt to con-
ceal his dislike of Evarts, but is nev-
er heard to say a word of contempt
for President Hayes, He criticises
him of course, but always in respect
full language, but he never speaks
of Evarts or Schurz in a respectful
manner. When he wants to be par
ticularly severe on the Secretary of
State, he calls him the Presidents
head clerk and pronounces his
name with strong emphasis on the
frst-Ee-varts. Sehurz he alIudes
to as "a political tramp and speaks
of the oddities of our Teutonie Sec
retary.'
Blaine is rapidly growing old.
The last two years have worn upon
him seriously, and his hair has en-.
tirely changed its color within two
years. He hiss gone to the Hot
Springs, Ark, to try the effects Of
the baths upon his system, which
he thinks is fnll of malarial poison
He is not exactly i'll, but enervated
and, as the phrase goes, has lost hil
grip But there is stuff enough
left in him yet to make forty great
men, and if the Hot Spring waters
affect him as they have other people
l know, he will return a month
hence as good as ever.
The Democrats of the Represent