The Indianapolis journal., 1883-06-19
GOVERNOR HENDRICKS.
The Extent of His Physical Endurance - A
Greater Athlete than the Sage
of Greystone.

| When parted from Governor Hendricks a
year ago he was in splendid physical condi-
ton, but after all the reports which l read
about him when he had sore toe 1 never ex-
| pected to see him again. Indeed, l was so
skeptical of the stories concerning the mar
velous cure of his toe as to feel a delicacy
about asking him to show it to me. Judge of
my surprise, then. when OH Monday re-
ceived the following note:
81 am going for a days fishing from Broad
| Ripple down the river, and will leave home at
d in the morning. Would be pleased to have
you with me, and if you go, viii drive by your
| house and take you up. L start early, as we
| will have a walk of about thirteen miles If we
fish fish all the way down to rhe National road
and will provide lunch, minnow-buckets and
tackle for two, T.AH."
| "P. 81 have nc fishing boots larger than
No, T."
My surprise ut the reception of thi. note
almost exceeded my qualification. but when
at 4:l5 sharp he drove up to my house with
his spanking team attached TO a light spring
wagon, 1 could not have been more aston
ished if an appariton had stood before mi
l climed up beside him, and he laid the whip
gentle over the horses, and we fairly flew
over the smoth turnpike to Broad Ripple,
which is seven miles north of the city.
AS it grew lighter / looked up at
him, and the days of rs and '76 seemed to
|
again as he was then when he made that
splendid canvass which swept down Morton
and Grant and elected Tilden to the presi-
dency. His voice was full and strong his
eyes were bright and his cheeks rosy; his in
| tellect sinewy and clear. and his wit as in
cisive as whe in other days he travelled over
a circuit of ten or fifteen counties to practice
law.
On current affairs he talked with his usual
pungency and candor. The Governor is a
voracious and versatile reader and we talked
of everything, from Samuel /. to Samuel the
mule-dealer. He playfully observed that he
| had been much amused and interested in
Peck's eulogy on the mule and was inclined
to think that the mule ought to be substi-
| tuted for the eagle But here | must STOP
know the great public curiosity to learn his
views of the political affairs current and pros
pective, including "a tarifffor revenue only"
but the opinions of every man are his own
and his fishing wagon is sacred. And, be-
side, started to write of HIM, and not to re-
| port his opinions. He can give them better
than l can and he is entitled to the ''usu-
| fruct' of an interview which would be reli-
| able
| We reached the fishing place at half-past
| five, and after leaving the team with a
farmer, who was to return 1t to the city, we
started with the buckets and net to catch the
minnows. AS / had forgotten my rubber
boots, the most of this work fell upon the
| Governor, and he performed it satisfactorily.
! By half-past six we had two buckets we'll
| filled with mnnows, and after securing
them, we returned 70 the farmhouse, which
was mile and q half distant, for breakfast
l used to be regarded as a good walker, but
| am growing fat and every little while had
to beg the Governor not to drive me into a
| foot-race, and then he would slacken his
| pace for few minutes until the exhiarating
morning air and his buoyant health and
spirits would start him off again. By half
! past seven we were back at the fishing place.
| having driven seven miles and walked four
and half miles since o'clock. l finally
said: --
Governor, don't you think we have had
| enough of this?''
He smiled, and in his dry, half plying
| half sarcastic way said
''If you are tired you can lay down on the
bank, and will fish for you"
| / had stood my ground like a hero, but
could not pit my endurance against that of a
| physical athlete, and l sat down exhausted
beside large tree.
In little while heard the whizz of the
| Governors reel. and l knew he had hooked
bass l ran down to the waters edge and
found that the line was all out and the fish
still game, going rapidly toward the dam.
| In minute more the Governor followed be-
yond the depth of his boots, which filled
with water but he was SO absorbed with
| fishing that he did not notice it, for it must
| be owned that the Governors fishing is, like
everything he undertakes, thoroughly well
done. In few minutes he had landed his
fish, and, after stringing it, took off his
| boots and stockings to dry them as much as
possible. And then did an indelicate
thing, because knew his old friends in the
East and South have an ever-present person
al interest in him; | could not help it,
| looked at the toe which had been sore and
which had caused Mr.. Tilden and his friends
so many anxious hours. To my utter aston
ishment not so much as scar remained.
thought surely it must have been the other
| foot but when that boot came off the foot
was as free from scars as the other. l could
| endure it no longer, and l said
| Governor, which one of your feet was the
| sore oneP'
"Why. the right one, I believe; no, bless
| me, it was the left. / remember now, for
| the doctor told me that he always had more
trouble in removing ingrowing nails from
the left than from the right foot"
| But little more needs 10 be said. How
| followed the Governor through the weary
to this city, l hardly know. 1t was dark
when l staggered into my home, so exhausted
that my family were alarmed, and as
could not explain why / was in that condi-
ton my wife telephoned to know if the Gov
ernor had returned, saying that | seemed to
be in dangerous condition. Late as it was
the Governor walked at once TO my house, a
mile distant, TO see that had all needed at
tention. This mark of interested friendship
shows his generous disposition. To-day /
am just able to dictate this dispatch from
my bed. / hear that the Governor is ar
! guing an important case in one OF the courts.
|
A Case as to Which There Is No Dispute.
Cincinnati News journal (Dem.)