River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-07-29
HORACE GREELEY.
4 Touching Incident OF His Presi-
Dental Campaign Anna Dfckin
sons Last Visit 10 Him.

Cincinnati Commercial.
My first visit to Sanduslxy was in the
famous Greeley crow eating contest in
1872. | came over as one of the hired
men of the Cleveland Ledder to meet
Horace Greeley, who was slowly swing
ing around the circle and jouneying
with a weary mind and heavy heart
to his grave on the banks of the Hud-
son. This district never saw such
struggle as the one of that year, in
which Rush II. Sloane, now MAYOR of
the city, attempted to defeat Charley
Foster The town was crowded with
people, and at night thousands gathered
around the West house to hear the
great editor of the Tribune After the
meeting he left Immediately for Cleve-
land. CHANGED to be in the special
ear devoted t., Mr. Greeley's use, and
while passing through the lower part of
the city, near the fish houses, on the
lake shore, some brutal wretch hurled a
limestone, that would weigh about
pound through the car window, near
Mr.. Greeley. He seemed to be deeply
affected by this heartless act and began
to realize how deep-seated and bitter
was the prejudice that existed against
him among some classes. At Elvira
crowd Of republicans gathered, out of
curiosity, and as the train stopped, he
responded to the cries for Greeley"
aud appeared upon the platform, bare
headed, with his gray locks floating i'll
the wind. | got out Of the car, and
took stand on the edge of the crowd
to see what effect his speech would
have, and to study his manner.
The crowd was rough one,
and being in the midst of the
canvass, they were crazy and blind
with partisan malice and excitement.
As his venerable form appeared on the
platform, the old man was greeted
with volley of brutal remarks, and as
he began speaking he was silenced by
three cheers for Grant. He paused II
moment, as if to take III the situation,
and then in n musical voice, full of
melancholy, he said: Eyes, my fellow
citizens, hurrah for Gen. Grant? join
with you most heartily in praising the
man whose. sword has achieved so
much for man" And in this strain he
spoke for five minutes. The audience
seemed abashed and ashamed by the
old mans magnanimity. They were
awed to silence. and out of respect
many hats came off, and touched by
the sweet and simple eloquence of the
man they hated without cause. Tears
dimmed many eyes that but n mo-
ment before flashed with political rage,
and us the train moved off, three hearty
cheers went up for old Horace.
During the recent Cincinnati cOnven-
ton, in conversation with Anna Dick
inson, she related the last visit she paid
Horace Greeley, at the Tribune Office,
just after the election, and just before
his death She found Whitelaw Reid
in the room adjoining Greeley's. He
told her that the old man was sunk in
detection, and asked her to go i'll and
converse with him, and attempt to
cheer him. She says II walked soft
", resolved to say something funny and
cheerful, and think ] succeeded; but
he sat there with his head bowed down
and one hand holding the other.
paused a moment, and no response
came. / laid my hand gently upon
his shoulder, and he slowly lifted his
face to mine, and with look and voice
shall never forget he said: Anna
YOU see before you broken-hearted
old man, who has suffered death at the
hands of people he lovesl A week
later Horace Greeley was at rest under
the oaks, sheltered from the malice of
his fellow-men, having left to his coun-
try fame that will brighten with the
ages, and grow dearer to each succeed
ing generation"