Morning journal and courier., 1883-04-19
Alexandef Hamilton Stenbeps
Few Anecdotes Told In the City of His
 Nativity.
From the Atlanta Constitution.

l lFrom the Atlanta Constitution] i Governor Stephens had an especial fondness l for children, and he was particularly fair to reporters who dealt fairly with him One
 thing that he always insisted on was that he 1 alone should supply the news of the execu tive office. Soon after he went into office the Constitutions young man noticed things
 remarkably dry about the executive office, and after few queries learned that the Gov 1 ernor had ordered that no news be given to l the press That night the Constitution s young man was in the office at the mansion The young manwas feeling alittle blue because an important source of news had been taken away, and in a voice that showed his anxiety remarked
 Governor, believe you have instructed l the secretaries and clerks in your office to tell me nothing ?"
 "I have" was the reply. s.Mv first ordar IS that no person connected with the office shall mention anything that is said or done here" But, Governor" asked the reporter,
 'how am to get the department nsws?'' Turning around to the young man, the face Of the Governor lighted up with smile as he answered almost in 8 shout:
 ''Come to me Pm boss"
 He was as good as his word. After supper the reporters would drop around and the Governor always kept them we'll ID with the news. Sometimes he would throw in a good story for their amusement as o'clock was his leisure hour. One night three of the ''boys'' were there. They were scattered around the room; one young fellow leaned on the mantelpiece, another rocked in an easy chair, and third sat over by the sec retary's desk. The Governor told them the news of the day, and as they fingered he be- gan to talk of the times that were before the reporters knew of this land and cline Said MT. Stephens:
 Il shall never forget my first trip away from home, nor the impression it made mn. on me l wss quite young man, and some business fell into my hands that carried me north. had never been as far as Washinp- ton before, and of course wanted to see what there was to be seen. I went into the Senate gallery and took nv seat. I conId easily pick out the prominent men bv tbe pictures that had seen of them. Pretty soon question came up and the president of the Senate announced that Mr. Webster was entltied to the floor. Of course was very much gratlhed that was to hear him. He arose and began to speak in an ordinary con. Versatlonai way. think he took his snuff occasionally. He never made a gesture from the time he opened until he closed. I thought it was all souud doctrine. but I was convinced that knew a dozen college boys who could have beaten him speaking Tee next morning picked up paper. There was his speech. headed. MT. Websters Great Speech on the Finan. ces.' Pshaw, thought, they don't call that a great speech. do they ,? I saw another paper; there it was again headed MT. Web ster's great speech on the finances. reach ed Philadelphia and everybody was talking about MT. Webster's great speech on finan- ces. I got to New York There everybody was in ferment over Mir Webster's great speech on the finances It was the same way In Boston. l concluded that it must indeed be great speech. It put me to thinking, and made up my mind that it was not the way man said anything. but what he said, that made him an orator.''
 It was with such stories as the above that the governor entertained the reporters when khAv had ko r,xopa5