The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-02-08

l always found him ready to make
amends wbenin the wrong-if not direct
y! by apology, yet by some exceedingly
KIND act which more than atoned for
his hasty words. He confirmed this im-
Presslon when about to take final leave
OF tue War Department by saying 10
me that the only regret he felt in sever
Ing official relations with the officers
who, under his administration Of the
War Department, had SO faithfully and
lntelligently served the country, was
that sometimes when racked in body
and mindhe had not been able to control
himself, and had addressed language
to them which he afterwards regretted.
Indeed, he had often reminded me of
the man who had had a hard time in bis
domestic circle. where he was forced %
restrain himself, but, finding some one
tying his shoe.string on the doorstep, he
vented his pent.up passion by knocking
him over, saying, You are always tving
your shoe.' This thought often enabled
me to refrain from u sharp answer,
when it would have done NOR. harm
than good Yet I did not always
take an unmesited rebuke
quietly. He sent down for
me one day to 20 to his room in the de-
partment. ! found him alone. pacing
tho floor. HIS asked me rather sternly
why had done a certain thing that had
inst come to his knowledge. gave him
my reasons. Said lie: you were
wrong; you ought not to have done pnv
such thing AS / differed from him /
made no sort oi reply. Then he asked
me why | had not done something else
instead. told him why, briefly ex-
y,llIf,,ut- <i,., $40, ,.,.t,,,n H. ,;1 =,
a under tone, that he did not agree
with me. To thus mpde no reply. Then
nc asked, Don't yon think you were
wrong" ! SAID, very deliberately and
positively: No, Mr.. Secretary, 1 donot
think L was wrong, and moreover, l
may rs we'll add, ones Tor all, that my
best judgment aud ability were uni
tormly eEerted to foresee what may re-
qu,re to be done, and to do it as
well as possible. If l fail, it is
not from want of e~ndeavor;
and when you find fault. as you some
times 80, it cannot quicken me to great
er cara ard exertion, but only makes
me indil erent whether l PLEASE you or
not He said quietly, Il rebuke whom
l please 'Yes SIR eaid I. Having wait
ed some time, and finding he said moth
ing more, but continued walking up ard
down liz deep thought: ! asked him if
he wished anything further. He said:
No. and l withdrew. Half an hour af:
ter the messenger summoned me to his
room again. l thought it quite probable
lie would do dis ho did with a former
chief ola bureau who got angry at the
way MIR. Stanton spoke to him. and re-
seitad it by saying lie you'd not allow
any man 10 address y him such Ian
guage. 1t was at the beginning of his ad-
ministration, and the Secretary asserted
his authority by ordering the refractory
chief 10 a remote city and never
afterward allowing him
to return to duty. But | had taken my
stand deliberately and meant to main
tam 1t. The secretary WAS sill alone
and standing by hi' high table. Beck
onlng to me with his finger il a pleasant
way, he put his arm around my .houl-
der and drew my head close to his, when
he whispered to me a very important
secret, which it WAS not at all necessary
| sh uld know. He had weighed all /
Ind said, found was right and took
this method of showing Inc extraorai-
nary confidence by way of aclinowledg.
ment. This course which the secretary
pursued more than once, fully accom-
rllshed his generous purpose without
subjecting him TO 81 direct confession
of wrong, which he thought
might weaken his influence. He knew
that | well understood so. In moments
of leisure he would often send for me,
aud in the most pleasant mannerinquire
about my business, to inform himself of
what was going on, and then converse
generally on topics requiring c%onsidera.
ton. In this way he maintained a sufli-
Gent knowledge Of things lie might have
to act upon, and broke in Upon the
headiong current of events which
seemed to cause everything to be done
i'll a hurry. ae
"The absurd and malicious tale that
StaEton took his own Lille was forever
refuted by the letter of Surgeon Gen.
Barnes and atfidavits of VIVA. S. -Dupee
was and David Jones. Ifanything more
wanting to confirm me in the persuasion
of the ialsity of such a story, mvgown
knowledge would suffice. l watched by
the body of Edward NJ. Stanton the en-.
tire night alter his death, and could no,
huye tailed to know if there was my
thing wrong about it. Moreover / could
never be brought to believe that n man
who so often gave utterauces to relig-
lous convictions as he did in friendly
CONVEX ations with me could have posi-
bly, perverted his mind so as to commit
such a deed. Only some three or four
years preceding his decease, he invited
General Barnes and Meigs and myself
to be present at his baptism. The GER
emory was performed in his chamber
by the Rev. DR.. Sparrow, his old time
professor at Kenyon College, none 9TH
erS, except his family, being present.