The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-04-06
Appearance, Habits and Vigor ofthe Pine
Tree Statesman.


Appearance, Habits and VigOr ofthe Pine
Tree Statesman.
Hannibal Hamlin, who is nearly 50
years OF age, looks as if he might live to
be 100. He has the hard, tough look of
a man with frame Of steel springs COW
cred with sole leather. There is an in
tensity Of igor about the old man that
is truly wonderful. He has not the first
sign of the weakness of advancing age,
As he stood I'm the senate the other day
he looked about as he did when he was in
Washington as Lincoln's first vice-prcsi-
dent. He Is nearly six feet in height,
bat ia quite rOuad- shouldered. HIS
gray hair is thin and comhed over the
top Of his head, partially cOncealng mis-
badness. His forehead is broad and
seelaed with wrinkl :. His eyes are an
intense dark velyety black. They
are bright with the light
OF a most vigorous vitality. Sit
ting in the gallery at the opposite side
OF the chamber the other day / could
see the glow in the veterans eyes even
at that distance. His nose is cross be-
tween the Roman and the Grocian. His
mouth is large and stern in its lines.
His firm, vigorous jaws are smooth
shaven down To a line level with the
Adams apple In his throat. Here thin
line of whiskers reaches around from
ear to ear. When he lett the senate
chamber recently and walked over to
the house, | noticed that he walked
with his hands behind him and stepped
a little slower than he used to. This
was, perhaps, the lelsurely gait OF citi
zen who had nothing TO hurry his
movements. His step was SO lirm that
it would not do TO attribute his lelsurely
movement TO his growing old. lie wore
his hat in the statesman's fashion, clear
over on the back part of his head. In
his case IL was worn so far back that It's
rim rested upon the broad curve OF his
bowed shoulders.
1t would be interesting for people who
are preparing Sunday school BOOKS ana
articles on longevity TO get from Hannl-
bal Hamlin the secret OF his iron health
and immunity from the weakness s
common 70 advancing sge. lie never
wears an overcoat. ! never saw him
with pair OF gloves On in my life. II
Is only within few years past that he
has ever worn tiannels. Tie Is oil such q
brown color that IL has been suggested
that early IN lite he must have been
dipped in some brown liquid which has
left upon his skin coat which renders
MN lmporNlOuS % neat or cola. IDS
veteran went all through the last Maine
campaign and spoke atterward At
a number of meetings In Ohio.
He sits up late al night. Ho Is fond Of
parties. He can hold his own with
any one az dinners and can keep pace
with the three-hottle man. He smokes
the blackest aud rsnkest of strong ci-
gars. He Ia such n smoker that he can
get up in the morning aud smoke one
or two OF these black cigars before
breakfast, According to all the rules,
he ought 10 have been dead long ago.
But he is 10 day In the very prime Of the
most vigorous health lie fully believes
that he will live TO be 100 years old. |
saw him In Cleveland last fall and sat
by his side In one OF the theaters there
during one Of the first evenings OF his
stay there. asked him then why he
had never written the memoirs OF his
most varied political career. He said
no fully intended 10, but there was no
need OF any hurry about IT, There was
plenty Of time for that yet. Think OF a
man Of ~ imagining that he has all the
um0 that IL necessary TO write an elab-
crate review of his political experience.
Washington Correspondence.