Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-05-04
\ HISTORIAN.
Sketch Ct His Quiet, Pleasant Life st New
port and in Washington.
\ WELCOME GUEST AT A DINNEE
TABLE.

George Bancroft is eighty-two He
has been writing history for years.
1t has heightened his days. Perhaps,
that's the reason why Blaine con
templates history of political events
IN the United States between the
Lincoln and Garfield aIministra
tlons. l wonder whether the other
shelved statesmen who propose to
settle ;own in their Washington pal
acc lrpose writing history. Ferry
might tell us all about silver mines:
Window could enlighten the world
on stock operations; Saunders Of
Nebraska could give us points on
agriculture as a species of political
capital. What a history Of the navies
Of the world Robeson could write,
and how entertaining voluntary con
trihution Hubbelrs essay on political
assessments, past and present. would
be. At any rate. Mr. Bancroft lives
life that any of them NIGH. envy.
He has everything that heart could
desire fame in his life time, houses
and friends, horses and roses. books
and bouquets. He lives we'll at New
port IN summer, and he lives better
in Washington in winter. He said
the other day that that was his idea
of sensible life-s months of the
country in summer and six months
of the city in winter, with plenty of
flowers and friends and books and
horses in both. He is fond OF roses
he has some of the finest in the
world. both here and at Newport
and of books and of paintings and of
sculptures and Cf fine horses. SO are
a great many other people, but un
like majority of them, he is able to
have what he wants. One thing that
he enjoys very much is horseback
riding on the smooth roads north OF
Washington. When he can get Il
companion or two he is almost happy.
When several pedestrians or eques
trians have bowed to him he is quite
happy. He is. like most successful
men. profoundly self respectful He
likes to have people how to him
whether he knows them or not. An
other thing he is fond of is dining
out He is welcome guest at any
dinner table in Washington, from
the President down. He has great
conversational powers and an abund-
ant fund of anecdotes and recollec
tions. He is entirely adequate to the
entertainment of one end of any din
ner table He tells story about
man who has been dead fifty years as
though he had been with us but yes
terday In the course of his long life
he has held such positions at home
and abroad as brought him in con-
tact with the best as we'll as the most
prominent men in the world. His
memory is simply marvellous 1t is
full of well arranged facts, faces and
fancies, the accumulation of busy,
brilliant lifetime. He told at a din
ner, not long ago, with great neatness
and grace, the story of near sighted
old Governor Lincoln of Massachu-
setts, who, crossing Boston Common
sixty or seventy or eighty years ago,
bowed gravely and courteously to
flock of geese then advancing toward
him, with a Thank you. my children;
very polite of you to bow, I'm sure"
No one could have initiated the an
cient Governors manner and voice
more perfectly than did the bright
eyed, white-haired octogenarian
across the table, and the laughter
that followed was as deserved as it
was hearty. Mr.. Bancroft has
warm side for all Massachusetts, peo
Pile He takes enough time every
day out of his busy life to stop at the
hotels where the Boston people usu-
ally stop. ANY Boston people here?"
he asks, and if the clerk says Yes"
he adds: Here are some cards: put
them in their boxes. Good day"
And then he is off again to his drive
Or bic hook