The Indianapolis journal., 1884-06-24

A private letter from Rev. J. G, Fletcher
11ndar data nf .Narlas luna z savs.
ag1,aph.

A private letter from Rev. J. G. Fletcher,
under date of Naples, June Z, says:
IT had just finished my letter of this date
when bought one of our Neapolitan dailies and
found the following two lines and half in Ital-
ian amidst column of kilograms from Vienna,
Suakim. Cairo, London and Paris: Chi
cago, 6.-La convenzioDe nomino Blaine
quale candidate republican, ALA pre-
sidenza degh Stati Until" 1t is the
smallest in space of all the news that has
been flashed over the wires and published to-day
in this largest city of Italy, but none of them
so large in interest to most Americans abroad.
How my memory ran back twenty-six years to
the first time that | saw Mr.. Blaine. The sum
mer of 1857 either spent. upon an island
in Portland harbor, or in visiting va
rious parts of Maine in the in
terests of the American Seamen's
Friend Society. My leisure time was employed
in writing for the New York Journal of Com
merce Whose correspondent had been in South
America), and for the Boston Journal at that
time the widest circulated daily of New England.
In this way l became acquainted with
many down casters" who frequently spoke to
me of the bright young editor of the Portland
Advertiser, named Blaine l did not make the
acquaintance of Mr.. Blaine that year. In Sep
tember 1858, had letter from the Hon. Mr..
Wood, of Portland, who was the proprietor of
the Advertiser asking me to accompany an edi-
torial excursion which was going to the Aroos-
took region, as he wished me to write an account
of it for the Portland Advertiser. l did not know
Mr.. Wood personally until after | had accepted
his invitation and offer, and 1 never more thor
oughly enjoyed an excursion. Mr.. Blaine had
then resigned his position on the Advertiser. and
had moved to Augusta Me-, but Mr.. Wood in
formed me that he had sought me at the recon-
mendation of Mr. Blaine. A month after the
Aroostook expedition over, / was travel
ing in the cars between Boston aud Port
land and was introduced by Conductor
Ackerman to Mr.. Blaine He had
not then gray hair, looked remarkably young,
and presume that formed wrong opinion of
his age i. e., l thought him younger than he
was But left him after three or four hours con-
versation with the idea that for information and
the Oldest head on young shoulders that l
ever saw He said much that was in
teresting in political point of view but that
which struck me most was what he said in
gard to the bearing of physical geography on the
prosperity of certain States and cities of our
country. / knew Intimately the late Prof.
Agassiz, and Prof. Guyot (the latter, after Carl
Ritter, was the greatest physical geographer of
the latter half of this century,, and 1 can assure
you that Mr.. Blaine's conversation and original
observation on physical facts bearing on our
country was as interesting and wide in scope as
anything 1 ever heard from the two physicists
mentioned above.
81 sometimes have heard of men that never for
got their fellows That is one of Mr. Blaines fortes.
In 1869 l was in Washington. had not seen Mr..
Blaine for eight years. He had changed and
had changed, and | thought 81 will test his
memory, for a slight personal acquaintance at
best must have been effaced during the stirring
events of the rebellion and the arduous duties
now devolving upon him as Speaker of the House
of Representatives" l approached him and
do not know me- eyes do" was his quick
reply, "you are the Brazil Fletcher" Amongst
other eminent qualities, good memory and
magnetic attraction distinguish Mr.. Blaine"