Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-09-19
Whole Number 1850.

a man with such eccentric notions.
"It was eleven years later when I
saw him again to speak to him. I
had been writing editorials on the
Tribune a month, when Mr.. Young.
managing editor, who had employed
me, told me that Mr.. Greeley wanted
to see me. l went to his dark little
den, where he was scratching away
for dear life on a desk nearly level
with his chin, the paper on which he
was writing within an inch or two of
his nose, and his feet drawn up un-
his chair and resting on his toes.
He didn't look up. At last I spoke
to him and told him 1 had come in
response to his summons. Did YOU
write that article?' he asked, put
ting his finger on a proof of an edi-
torial on 'The Means of Resump-
tion.' 1 said yes. 1T won't do at
all, he said, 'p am disgusted with
this talk about means! Meansl We
don't want means; we want to re-
sumo! Suppose a Methodist minister
should call on sinners not to repent,
but to look up the means for repent
ance! They'd think him an idiot.
And think right. The way to re-
sumep
81 said, I don't see how the gov
ernment is going to pay off six hun
dred millions in greenbacks with
sixty millions in gold, and if you
can tell me how to pay ten dollars
with one, 1 will go and write such
an article
"Don't want it paid!' he insisted.
IF the Treasury Department re-
sumes, people won't want gold 1
went through the panic of '37, and
it was Just so then"
81 said, But then both the people
and the banks had assets. Now the
assets are used up. That panic was
caused by bank speculation; this
general poverty was caused by a
long war and by the actual exhaus-
tion of the national resources" 1
failed to convince him, of course"
And this story of Professor Den
slows reminds me of the method by
which Seilheimer got on the Tribune
ten years ago. 81 brought a letter
from my uncle, Thad Stevens" said
Seilheimer, "and up to Greeley's
cubby-hole 1 went. There he sat
with his chair tilted forward, writ
ing away rapidly, with the paper
close to his nose. The boy thrust
my card between his nose and the
paper, but he knocked it a away and
wrote on without looking up. I
waited and waited until 1 had been
there an hour. Greeley never look
ed at anybody, and rarely spoke.
When Young wanted him to sign
anything he brought it and thrust it
unceremoniOusly between his nose
and the manuscript, and held it
there till Greeley signed it. At last
l thought I would try Stevens letter
to him, which lay on the desk un-
opened. 1 opened it, and slowly
slid it along the desk from the right,
and signature uppermost. He took
no notice. 1 cautiously pushed it a
little further. Scratch, scratch,
scratch-he was oblivious. 1 timid-
ly advanced the document till the
edge overlapped his writing, but
when he came across the paper the
next time he pushed it away an inch
or two with his pen and kept on,
now, l waited a mo-
ment; then, when he reached for
ink, 1 deliberately pushed the letter
till it covered up his manuscript.
He look down, saw the signature,
and gently pushed it off again,
merely saying in a high shrill voice,
'How's Thad?' l told him, and that
l had brought him letter for him
to read, but he was again absorbed,
and l could not induce him to again
permit his voice to fall on the audi
tory nerve or my image on his reti-
na. After waiting another half
hour, 1 withdrew.
"Young gave me a place and 1
went to work. Mr.. Greeley never
came to the office on Saturdays, and
chopped at Chappaqua. One Sat
urday I was surprised to see him
come in and go to work. Presently
he came out and looked around sur
prised. where's Young?' he asked.
Where's Winter? Where's Sam?
(Wilkinson.) I saw that the old
man was puzzled and had mistaken
the day. They do not come Satur-
day. IS this Saturday. he asked
with start. 1 think it is, answer
ed, as if doubtful The revelation
irritated Mr.. Greley, for he thunder
ed out,as nearly as his curious voice
could be said to initiate thunder,
'Oh! you think it is do you? you
think it is? And who the-are
you2"
have omitted the theological
term which Mr.. Greeley introduced
to render his exact meaning plain.