The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-07-25

One thing helped him in his work. Politicians had ceased to annoy him. He receives, as he always did, a stream of letters from applicants for office, but al- most all of these arc from people who know ot him only by hearSay, and of whom he knows nothing. He answers these communications with grim patience and courtesy in his sitting room at an hour when So per cent. of the people of New York are in their beds He repeats his stereotyped formula that he IS no po- sition to ask favors It is this principle that originally assisted in swelling the wave of the ex-sena,or's unpopulaTity-a wave that eventually swamped him
 " It IS not known" said a man yester- day, who has been a friend of Mir Conk- ling for thirty years, "that Conkling only asked but one political favor ID his lite It occurred in 1876. alter the Mohawk disaster. Schuyle- Crosby, who lad been on General Sheridan's staff, was aboard the yacht when she went over. and acted with characteristic bravery. The ex peri ment was too horrible, however, evea for his nerves, and he applied to Senator Conkling tor assistance to procure the va cant consulship at Florence. The sena tor wrote formal letter to General Grant, and Crosby received his appointment. This is the only instance where Senator Conkling ever lent his name or personal influence to an appli ant for office"
 The ex.senator has little time and less inclination to talk politics nowadays. Once in great while, ho ~ever, when hIs mind is more than usually taxed with tunrE kA mental Vmt to his past life, and the old fire burns with all its ancient lustre. The ex-sena- tor has never yet expressed regret for the step he took in May, 1881 On the con trary he has said frequently that had he not then shaken loose from office his commission as senator would have out lived him.
 When not in court he is to be found at his office in Fort SherIh aR, the massive pile at Broadway and Wall street. A small reception room separates MT Conk- ling's private room which Is Tn the rear, from the library, which, with its two large windows, commands pictures que view of the hills of S;ateu Island and Ne v
 rsey, the bay, with the ships clustered around Bedloes Island, and a collection of house.tops, chimeys ana wires ln the foreground. The prospect from Mir. Conkling's private office Is not so diversl- fled or so beautiful, for a neigh boring wall belonging to the Astor estate has been run up within touching distance ot the ex-senator's windows, deoATrIng light, sunshine and fresh air. The offices Are handsomely but plainly furnished, the occupant dividing his tune between his substantial rolling-top desk and a stand ing desk between the windows IL Is here that Mir Conk ing prepares for hts nights campaigo. His papers and briets are arranged system matlcaily, an are len despatched to his rooms by a messenger In the prepar Ation of Iiai no det 4ii es- capes him. His powers ot application and concentration are put to their high est pressure and are seen at their best. The manner in which he wades through sea of testimony, expert or technical, his phenomenally retentlve memory gath ering in the salient points, which nis VIZ orous mind thoroughly digests, often sur prises those who are f,mliar with hts methods of york. His faculty of remem bering authorities, even to the exact page of the report, after lapse ohenumes ot years, is no less striking than his ex- haustless vocabulary. It has not been An intrequent thing for him to be retained 10 ca,e in the afternoon and appear in court the following day ready to go on.
 Mir. Conkling went abroad ID 1876. af- ter the inauguration of Hayes. He has had but one vacation since then, aud that was in 1883 when he and Mrs Conkling, with feS friends, visited the Yellowstone N Carlsbad. He will return by Scotland.