The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-11-24
FAREWELL TO LIBERTY HALL.
The Home Alexander HI. stephens
Left for the Georgia Governors
Mansion
The AtIanta Ga Constitution.

estate, passed the church in the corner, the
lawn OF Bermuda grass, the old-fashioned spa
cious piazza, into the parlor of perhaps the
most interesting statesman of the last thirty
years. 1t was plain parlor, plainly furnished,
but suggestive of ease and comfort On the wall
WAS the best picture of Gen. Toombs l ever
saw, taken at his prime, and looking, as a
bystander said, as that king of men looked
when he demanded of the north, in the name
of the south, indemnity for the past and
security for the future" A fine portrait of
Linton Stephens hung vis-a-vis to an equally
fine portrait of his first wife portrait of
Gen. Lee hung over the mantel, 1anked by
portrait of Howell Cobb, and fronted by the
well-known print of @WSbster Addressing the
Senate" The spaces between these pictures
was pretty well filed with smaller portraits,
testimonials, bas-reliefs many of them very
old. There were but two portraits of ladies,
besides the one we mentioned. and one of
these was fine picture of Mrs. ". H FELTON,.
On the table, among other books, was an
album bearing on the first page the autographs
of Rutherford B. Hayes, Lucy W. Hayes, and
James A Garfield.
While we were examining these Mr.. Stephens
rolled into the room, managing his chair with
singular grace and ease. Capt. Henry Jack
son, the chairman of the state Democratic ex-
ecutive committee, made a short and happy
talk, and introduced the committee Mr.
Stephens replied in a few appreciative words
and after the usual handshaking the party
adjourned to breakfast in the dining-room
more characteristic room than this it would
be hard to find. Roomy, spacious, without
display, it breathed the very air of hospitality,
and was homelike in every sense Two tables
were set. Mr.. Stephens, rolling his char to
the head of one of them. lifted his hat, and
with bowed head reverently asked the blessing
of God on his home and guests. The break
last was a bountiful one of fried chicken,
steak, scrambled eggs, biscuit rolls, home
made butter, syrup, etc. No less than eight
servants clustered about the table and helped
the guests, while major-domo of unyielding
dignity directed their movements and three
picaninnies stood by the open fireplace and
watched the proceedings with undisguised in
terest A family of five kittens tumbled about
the floor, while two dogs, occupying the rounds
of a staircase that led from the dining room
into the second story, overlooked the scene
Nh. Stephens presided with charming cor
dlallty and grace. Every guest was made to
feel at nome, and merrler or more EN- Oy-
able breakfast was never known. My visa
Wis at the table said: Il think Mr. Stephens
has entertained more guests in this room than
any American has ever entertained in one
room. For forty years, lacking only two, he
has presided in this very place, and every day
this table has been free to all who came. Gov.
Howell Cobb entertained perhaps. more Law
ishly than any Georgian in public life, but Mr..
Stephens has lived so much longer. No man
ever welcomed so many guests in one room as
Mr.. Stephens has welcomed in this"
Il bought this house." said Mr., Stephens,
"in 1912, from Mr.. Bird-and to-day, for the
first time, it is to be closed up. We are pack
ing up everything, and the house will be
closed to-day, except for Mr.. O'NeiIl, an old
friend of mine, who is now approaching his
ninetieth year, and who will continue to live
here"
"This is my library" said Mr.. Stephens, gin
which have spent many day and night of
work, and which leave with great reluctance"
1t was not pretentious room but we'll filed
An immense basket of seed for distribution sat
on the floor In corner was pile Of sweet
potatoes. The entire wall-space was covered
| with books. These were mostly ON topics re-
|
Every conceivable history of the war and every
treatise on government ever published, it APP
peared, were here, and the most of them well
thumbed
"You will notice, said Mr. Stephens, chat
have my house lighted with gas. 1t is a Curl
GUS fact, but my gas costs me less than my
matches" "You must have unskillful
scratchers then?" "No. But a great many OF
my visitors smoke pipes, as I do, and it takes
four OF five matches to light pipe, especially
in the hands of those who are used to GOALS
1t costs me so cents week for matches and
only $40 year for gas. There is no invest
ment country gentleman can make that pays
so well as to have his own gas machine.
"This room," said Mr. Stephens, whirling
into bedroom adjoining the library, "was oc-
cupied the night it was finished by Smith
| OBrien, the last of the line of the Irish kings
| OF Munster. He spent week with me and
was the grandest man IN some respects ever
knew. His book on representative govern
ment is the profeundost work ever read, ex-
cept Mr. Calhouns, and is much more elabor-
ate. de was the foremost of the Irish patriots
in dignity and power. / had Toombs here
to meet him frequently, and it was interesting
to see them together. Mr., Toombs was then
very extreme-it was in 1859, and had re-
signed in view of the coming storm-and was
fond of painting to O,Brien what magnificent
republic we could make of the south if we were
only cut off from the body of DEATH as he
called the north. In his quiet but positive
way O'Brien would insist that the perpetuity
of the American union was the only hope for
true representative government ON the earth.
l never entertained q greater man than this
brave and saddened Irishman"
1t is we'll known that Mr.. Stephens is poor
He spends his income on charity and in enter
tanning and has always done so. While he is
scrupulously exact in his own personal ex-
penses, he has little thought of money spent
on others. 1t is his boast that he has never
turned any one away from his door. His in
come on his books amounts to but little. He
says: 4 sold the copyright of my War Be-
tween the States in 1872 I was sick then
out altogether. 1t is paying the publisher
very handsomely. I understand $4,000 copies
have been sold recentlyn
"How is your school history doing?" "It
pays me about $500 year, andhas bean doing
so steadily. The state of California paid
Swinton $50, 600 for his school history of the
United States. That shows what the north
pays for work for its schools, while mine
shows what the south does not pay. get
only cents copy royalty on my book but
the sales are increasing
slave you no other copyright but this?"
Il have the copyright on my Reviewers Re-
viewed and, of course upon nv new book.
the first copy of which l received to-day"
'sThis is your new history" eyes, and
think my chief d'@uvre. 1t is comprehensive
history of the United States, from the first
| settlement to the killing of Garfield It has
LOO pages, and is handsomely printed. 1t
will be sold by subscription, and will be sold
largely, think. I control the copyright of
this, of course. Had it not been for the hopes
| had for this book, I should never have
thought of accepting the governorship. I
could not begin to live on the salary the state
allows, and have no income except what I
have mentioned"
doesn't your farm pay you?" "Not much"
smiling Il have seven tenants, some of
whom pay me and some who do not My
farm of 900 acres pays me $3.50 year above
taxes. have no stock or bonds whatever"
Mr. Stephens was Enthusiastically sad at leav.
ing home The people were much sadder to
see him leave For two hours before the
cars left it was filed with whites and blacks
bidding him good-by When he left the house
old MI. O'Neill, who has been with him for thirty
years and is now 90 years old, said as he shook
hands with him: snake a good governor of
yourself;" then he retired to his room An
old negro of 76, who is one month younger
than MIR. Stephens, and has been with him rs
years, said: &Why he's better to dogs than
most rolks Is to folks. He feeds every dog
as comes to him, and when he dies he don't
just let him dry up; he buries him" "Buries
the dogs?" "Yes, sir, just like folks; he's got a
regular dog graveyard in his garden. I buried
Frank there two weeks ago, and Rio was bur
led there, and there's heap O dogs buried