Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-03-14
anrerd ana Kearney,

Occasionally one whose duty it is
to write for the press comes across
an incident in the handling Of
which he is repaid for much of the
arid journalistic ground which he
is obliged to traverse. 1t is sort of
oasis in the desert of every day
life. Such is the interview which
Dennis Kearney lately had with
Gov. Stanford. Slightly travesty-
ing the language of Commodore
Perry and applying it to Kearney,
he "met the enemy (Stanford) and
was his'n.n The Ex-Governor un-
.ioahtsaiv mated the great agi.
taser aa3 he latter left the rail-
wag aaiB's presence with the
belief, Iuliy impressed on heart
and memory, that Stanford was
very good sort Of a
man. OF this fact we
have no doubt. The Ex-Governor,
In the limestone country of the
Mohawk valley, New York, where
he was born, took on the giant
frame, robust physique and accom-
panying mental stamina and soft
ness Of heart which have enabled
him to rule as lord of Mob Hill and
to win the confidence Of Kearney.
In his ingenious confession ofthe
effects of that interview, Dennis
Kearney admits that Stanford is a
smarter man than he took him to
be. Now if Dennis ever doubted
the California Railway Kings
emartness, he fell into an error
which wc have never committed.
A man who can get himself recog.
nized as the owner of bank ac'
count of twenty millions or SO, who
can build transcontinental railways
and tell the United States govern
ment to call Off its dogs when
hunting up such a vulgar and pro-
sale incident as overdue and accu'
mulated interest, whatever else he
may lack, is smart. In fact, the
American word is not the proper
one; he is not only smart but
clever, in the full significance ol
the English phrase. Dennis Kear'
ney, in making this announcement
to the concourse assembled on the
Sand lots in San Francisco, is tell
ing not only twice told but 6
twenty times told tale.
Dennis Kearney was told hy
Stanford he is q working man,
And that reminds US of an ole
Massachusetts, story. One of th'
early English Governors of thu
Colony Of Massachusetts Bay onc'
set O lot of indians to work on 6
public improvement. They worked
faithfully for o time, including
their chief. But, finally, the latter
observed that, while the English
Governor occasionally "bossed F"
the job, he was very chary about
catching hold Of a pick or shovel
The incident made deep impres
sion on the chief. One day he ap'
preached the English dignitary
and said, with the primeval sim
plicity of the forest, " You nc
work. "Oh,n said the Governor
tapping his forehead significantly
II work head work." With an in
telligence which did him honor
the chief Immediately applied
himself to consuming an indefinite
amount of firs-water. He got
royalty drunk every day. The de-
moralizing effects of this procedure
were soon apparent, and the Col
onial Governor thought it we'll te
take the aboriginal chief to task
The latter met the reproof with be
coming dignity. Remembering thu
melodramatic gesture of his lectur
er on the previous occasion, he tap
ped his forehead with the dignity
of an Indian Chief, and replied
me work head work, too" In
that one sense Gov. Stanford is un'
donbtedly q working man.
But there is something Arcadian
in the breezy and delicious frank.
ness with which the Ex-Governor
met the Agitator. When Kearney
reproached Stanford for employing
Chinese laborers, he was assured
by the Railway King that he had
to spend so much money in bribine
Legislators at Sacramento not te
ruin him that he was compelled
to make up the deh'
cheney by cheap Chinese labor
With the honest workingmen In
stalled as Legislators at Sacramento,
he added, no money would have to
be paid out this way, and he would
then be able to yield to the instincts
of his great labor-loving heart.
Then none but Caucssians would be
employed in running and extend
ing railways. 'But the legislative
thieves and villains of the Demo-
cratic and Republican Iarties,"
said the Governor, dropping easily
and naturally into the language
,iear to the heart of Dennis Kear.
ney, chad now to be attended to.
oh for the day when l shall have
only TO deal with the stalwart sons
of toil-tle men who earn their
bread i'm fha sUaat nf thair brnxra