The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-30
A REPORTORIAL "REMINISCENCES,

Personal Recollections of the Vice-President
by journal Interviewer.
The mention, in the interview with William
Wesley Woollen published in yesterdays Jour.
nal, of the speech Of Geo. w. Julian at the Park
Theater, during the last presidential canvass,
recalls to mind the little speech made by Mr..
Hendricks on that occasion. It drew the smart
of Mr. Julian's excoriating invectve. 1t was
cream upon burn. AS he came to the edge of
the platform, in response to the peremptory calls
of that large gathering of his political clansmen,
he smiingly remarked that, while he was not
prepared with speech, he always felt perfectly
at his ease in addressing an Indianapolis
audience. They were his old friends and neigh
bors, and always indulgent. AS he spoke,
his every action expressed the char
acter in which he stood before them
simply an old neighbor and friend
and he talked with the same ease and
genial confidence he used in his own parlor.
The by-plav, seemingly unstudied, that accom-
panied this talk was charming. He had his hat
in hand as though he had intended to say but
few words. and as he spoke turned the hat and
stroked it, each movement adding grace to
the character and giving increased point and
classic, and I remember the thought came to me
then, as it had before, that it had much the
same lines and contour as that Of John McCul-
Tough when the actor appeared as the noble Ro-
man. do not know that any one else remarked
this by play should not have done so had
been mere listener I was there as q cold
blooded reporter.
remember meeting at Masonic Hail. called
to express sympathy with the Irish in Ireland.
Mr. Hendricks was not the programme to
make an address, but as he sat upon the stage
he was called upon, near the close of the meet
ing, for speech. He sat there with a light
overcoat upon his arm, and as he came forward
to speak he did not lay it aside He did not talk
long, and the coat, like the hat, not only added
grace to his gesture and ease to his movements,
but was actually an important adjunct to his re-
marks
One day in the year 1870, think, was in the
court house during divorce suit which at that
time received considerable attention. The COM
planning witness was a beautiful, high minded
woman, the daughter Of former Assistant Post
m aster general, and long figure in Washington
society. Her husband was an engineer in
the United States navy. The lady, the husband
being OF long cruise. had. by his advice. taken
apartments with her infant daughter in suburb
of the great city of Paris, quiet place at
modest rental. The husband at the end of this
cruise writes to her that he Is coming to join
them. Instead of hastening, he stops in England,
and for three or four weeks looks leisurely and
critically at bridges, buildings and other archi-
tectural and mechanical novelties. While thus
diverting himself the expectant wife is writing
to him every day or two-wifely, loving letters,
detailing the prattle o. the child and urging him
to come. Mr.. Hendricks was this lady's adyo.
cate. He had these letters before him upon
table as he made his speech, and as he re-
ferred to them he would read extracts
to the jury. AS he contrasted these
loving letters with the cold replies of the loter-
ing husband (who was in court fighting the easel,
there would be at times roar of Indignation which
the court found it difficult to suppress. AS he read
the letters his voice would thicken, and he would
replace them on the table, seemingly unable to
proceed. Again he would take them up. and
again, after reading few sentences, overcome
with emotion, he would lay them down. never
before or since saw dramatic scene so strong,