The Portland daily press., 1883-03-20
Alexander H. Stephens.
Some Interesting "Reminiscences of Re-
markable Man.
wash. Corr. Boston Traveller.l

Wash. Corr. Boston Traveller.l
The remarkable age, said Mr.. Crawford,
of this city, attained by Alexander n. Ste
phens lseventy-four years., merely illus
trates the length of life, accidents excepted,
that man can reach by taking extreme
care of himself. Stephens has been an in
valid since he was nineteen years old. Dur
ing his last term of Office here as member
of Congress, he used to hold, regularly,
reception every evening in the National Ho
tel, from six to nine o'clock. His dinner
was served in his sitting room, where he.
was waited upon hy lis two colored body
servants, who were nearly always with him.
When he had finished his dinner he would
draw on pair of brown silk gloves, SLOUGH
black soft hat over bis black sparkling eyes,
and have his invalid chair drawn up in front
of the fire, where he superintendent the put
| ting on Of more coal
| he was never satisfied if the temperature
| fell at all below eighty-fye This invalid
chair in which he sat and with which he
could easily propel himself about the room,
was the result of many painful experiments
upon the part of numerous inventors.
When Mr.. Stephens first came back here he
| had it advertised to the world that he was
| seeking an easy invalid chair, and the result
| was he was overrun with inventors and
| their models.
| was in Mr.. Stephens room one morning
| when a red-faced man came in, and he said
| he had chair which he knew would suit
Mr.. Stephens. The latter bowed with great
courtesy, and asked him to bring in the
chair. Mr.. Stephens looked as pleased as a
| vaupo child who 10 ahnuf IN hn hopdad q
new toy. The chair was wheeled in, his
two servants lifted him into it and then its
trial began. Mr.. Stephens whirled to the
| right with it, and then as suddenly to the
left. In doing this he gave his frail body a
wrench. The pain threw him into fright
full rage. His high piping tones were per
feet squeal as he shrieked: .sTake me out OF
the - - thing and smash it over the
head of the -- man that brought ii
here" Swearing and grooming he was lift
ed from the chair. While Mr.. Stephens was
in the arms of his negro servants be sud
denly stopped swearing. He thought for
the first time of the poor inventor who was
still in the room. Turning toward him Mr..
Stephens said, with gracious wave of the
hand: 81 crave your pardon, kind sir, fol
the childish petulance of q miserable inva-
lid. Ithank you sincerely for your kind
ness in coming here with this chair, and re-
At his evening receptions he liked to have
crowd around him. He rarely, if ever
would permit anyone TO go until nine o'clock.
When the hour of nine was struck every one
was dismissed. Mr.. Stevens attributed
much of his success in the many csmplica-
tons of disease to his unyielding rule of re.
firing at precisely nine. During these even,
ing receptions he would wheel himself uI
and down the room, soliloquizing, asking
questions, drawing out everyone. No one
was ever neglected. He had a most re-
markable memory for faces and names.
| He could remember the face and name Of
almost every one he had met in his public
career. His talk was net that of a partisan
but more like that of philosopher. He
was above the ordinary considerations which
influence men. Indeed he did not seem
| like a man at all, but more like spirit, q
| ghost of some great man speaking through
| the frail instrumentality of most insignif
1 cant and deformed body.
Much of his talk was devoted to political
"reminiscences, and the wealth of anecdotes
flowed from memory's storehouse. A grea
many public men came to his rooms, and he
was constantly being consulted about public
matters. BE was devoted to whist, and j
was an open secret that he priced a compli
ment on his playing the game more than any
fattering allusion to his distinguished pub
| lie services. He lived, when in Washing
| ton, at the National Hotel, in the room il
which Henry Clay died, and one of his ia
| vorite topics was rehearsing the tremendous
| struggles of those mental giants-Webster
| Clay, Calhoun and others.