The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-06-13
SAMUEL J. TILDEN.
Watterson's Interview With Him.

SAMUEL j. TILDEN.
watterson's Interview With Him
New York, June III hav'
been spending few days ct Greyston'
with Governor Tilden, and not mere
IL because his old friends in the wes1
and south have an ave present per
sOnal interest in him, but because hi
name il at this moment uu0n the lip
of politicians of every class all owe
the country, I propose to give tn
readers of the COMrier-JOMrndl some
particular account Of him. When ]
parted from him q year ago I did moi
expect to gee him again. Indeed, ]
also was SO skeptical of stories con-
corning his restoration to health, a
to feel 3 delicacy about intruding or
his privacy. He was good enough to
send for me, and I went over tc
Grammercy Park in a somewhat s0r-
rowful and sympathetic state Of
mind. My surprise almost exceed.
ed my qualification. The o Id house
is undergoing reconstruction and
enlargement on q magnificent scale,
but the old library is still in the same
room, being held from the hand of
despoilIng splendor for the last. 1
take it a. = tribute of affectionate re-
membrance of old times, old friends
and old books. -
There I found the Governor. If
an apparition had stood before me l
could not have been more astonished.
The days of rs, '76 and ~ seemed to
have come back; his low voice was
found again; his eyes were bright
and his cheeks rosy; his intellect as
sinewy and clear, and his wit as in
cisive as they were when he made
nothing of riding Blackstone to Har-
lem and back, Or driving Kentucky
Boy from Grammercy Park to Grey
! stone. He took me all over tho new
| house, pointing out the change,
explaining his general design, and
discussing architecture and archi-
tects with characteristic intelligence.
He quite tired me Out-a favorite and
malevolent way he has of Furnishing
his friends, climbing long stairs,
meandering through a labyrinth of
decorative art, and threading tapes
tried and frsscoed mazes of corridor
and chamber.
On current affairs he talked with
his usual pungency and candor.
When endurance had ceased to be a
virtue, L said "Governor, don't you
think we have had enough of this?"
He smiled, and in his dry, half
plying, half.sarcastic way replied:
IF you are tired we will 60 down
stairs"
At Greystone his life is of the SIM
plest and busiest nature. He has a
farm hard by and nc end of pigs,
poultry and blo0ded stock. Of course
I had to be dragged owe his farm,
and the devices which the old gen.
tleman put slyIy forth to do some
unguarded treason to the butter and
eggs of my blue grass country were
many and ingenious. I stood my
ground like a hero, but it must be
owned that the Governors farming
is like everything that he undertakes
thoroughly well done. I asked
him whether he tried to make any
money cut of it.
ooh, no." he said, SIT is easier
made some other way, While l was
a. Grty>t ne,not so much as the ehad |
ow or the ghost Of q politician ever
crossed the threshold or appeared up
on the grounds"
Surrounded by his neices and his
books, the old statesman and philoso-
phel was as unreserved in his con-
versation as he was, and always is,
and cordial in his hospitality.
One of the young ladies told me that
the little household had got through
over two hundred volumes last
winter.
The Governor is q voracious and
versatile reader, no less than an at
tentive and wise observer of affairs,
and We talked of everything from
Thomas A. Kempis to Thomas A.
He playful)y observed
that the chief objection he had heard
to the election Of Mr.. Carlisle to the
speakership was that in some recent
volumes publishedby one Mr.. Froude
there was "a suspicion that he had
his wife. Here I must
stop. I know that the public is most
curious to learn what are Mr.. Til
len's views of political affairs cur
rent and prospective. I have little
doubt that if I had the right to speak
could by faithfully reporting him
make myself entertaining and in
'tructive, but the opinions of every
nan are his own and his house is
1 lever knew a man more
entirely frank in his intercourse with
lis friends than this sage of Grey
tone, but l am not his mouthpeice,
md it is not for me to come all thu
way from Kentucky to New York to
10 that which he is so much better
Ible to do for himself. I can say,
however, for myself, that nothing
passed which leads me to modify the
I have 50 often expressed
hat no power on earth could induce
linn to accept the presidency. =