National Republican., 1882-11-13
THuRLoW WEED,
ue Tells of n Pheasant Plan 20 Strengthen
Memory

Thurlow Weed felt well enough the other day TO
be propped up on pillows In bed, where he dictated
several pages Of his autobiography His memory
seemed unimpaired and he recalls with great
facility and accuracy long lists of names Of men
who were politicians In the various counties when
Monroe ran for president-sixty years ago.
"Eou seem TO remember as well as ever" said
to him one day.
"Better than 1 did once, hope" ho answered.
with smile. "If had not cultivated my MEM
o-y / should have been dismal failure"
did you make systematic effort 10 improve 1t,
or did 1t improve in the regular course of afiaits
had 10 adopt regular method, he SAID
tell you about IL for the benefit of other young
men. got married in 1875 when was working
in Albany as journeyman printer In few
months went into business, establishing news.
paper for myself, and some OF my friends thought
was cut out for politician that is, probably
impressed my views strongly on those about me.
But saw at once n fatal weakness. My memory
was seive. / could remember nothing. Daies
names, appointments, fnees-eyerythng escaped
make a successful politician, for cannot remem.
Der, and that is prime necessity OF politicians
A politician who sees man once should remem-
"I recalled what had been said of Henry Clay;
that he could go around q room ana De intro
duced TO fifty persons, and then, on mingling with
the company, call every man by his right name
And thought also of the colorcd fellow who ofli-
cates at the grand hatrack in the vestibuie OF the
hundreds OF guests flock out of The dining room,
hands to each one inst ,nty the hat, shawl, para
sol, fan, or whatever has been deposited there an
hour or two befTe.
MY wife told me-" continued Mr. Weed, that
l must trnin my memoiy. So when came home
that night, sat down alone and spent hiteeu
minutes trying silently to recall the events of the
day. could remember little ut first now re.
member that could not then remember what l
hyd for breakfast. Finally found could recall
more. Events came back to me more miuutely
and more accurately. After a fortnight or so OF
this Catherine said, why don't you tell 1t to Inc?
1t would be interesting, aud my interest In 1t
would stimulate you. Then began a habit OF
otal confession, as 1t were, which followed for
almost fifty years. Every night, the last thing
before retiring, told my vile everything that |
could recall that had happened to me or about
me during the day. generally recalled the very
dishes had had for breakfast dinner, and tea /;
the people had seem aud what they said; the
editorials had written, and an abstract OF them; {;
the letters had sent and received, and the very
language used as near as possible; when l had
walked or ridden-overythlng, in short, that had
come within my knowledge. l found could say
my lesson better and better every year, and iu-
stead of growing irksome, it got to be pleasure
10 run the events of the day in review. am IN
debted to this discipline for memory OF some
what unusual tenacity, and recommend the
practice TO all who expect to have much 10 do
with influencing men" Correspondence Of 81.
Paul Pioneer Press.