The Indianapolis journal., 1886-04-11
EX-SENATOR CoNKLING.
His Peculiar Style of Dress and His Remark
able Mernorv


able Memory.
Conkling is veritable curiosity, so far az his
personal appearance goes. His style of dress in
happily, unique He comes into court with what
the susceptible women correspondents of Wash
ington used to call his magnificent torso en-
veloped in pea jacket, which serves as an over
coat in all weathers, and the thickness of which
does not seem to incommode him as he sits hour
after hour plying witness with questions
his trousers-at least the pair he
wore on Saturday-are what is vuigarly
called loud, light in color and very large in
check; and the partiality OF the ex-senator for
this sort of personal adornment is emphasized
by the use of the same striking cloth for the
CATERS over his boots. The contrast between
the heavy Gark-blue stuff of the pea jacket and
the lightgray, checker board trousers Is very
DECIDED, and the combination Goes not permit
one to class the wearer as man of the highest
and most refined taste in such matters. Mr..
Conklings hair is white, rather long and
curly, and his Van Dyke beard, so closely
cropped on the sides that the ruddy skin is
plainly visible, is of the same color. He sits at
the side of the table with his legs crossed and
half sheet of paper In his hand, to which he
makes only occasional references. His memory
is remarkable. One often hears Of instances in
which public men have displayed wonderful
power of memory. but not infrequently
with the truth in the recital. On
one occasion. however, that came under
my personal observation Mr.. Conkling performed
an astonishing feat It was in the campaign OF
1880, when Colkllng, then a Senator. was ad-
vertised to speak the political issues of the
day in the Academy of Music. There was great
interest felt in what he was going to say in sup
port of the ticket, Garfield and Arthur, in view
of the prolonged fight that the famous t306r del
egates, under his leadership, had made in favor
of Grant for a third term. Until it was learned
that Conkling had his speech written out, there
was no little anxiety in some of the newspaper
Offices 1t was put in type, however, before the
meeting, in the Tribune Office, and stenograph-
er was sent to the meeting with copy of the
speech In type in order to make any additions or
corrections that might be necessary. There
was only one change necessary-the insertion
of a question from some one in the audience,
when are you going to say anything about
Garfeld~ If | recollect Alright and Conkling,s
quiet rejoinder, ''We1l come to that presently"
The address filed eight and three quarters col
umns of the Tribune of the next day-about
10000 words-and with the exception of less
than a column of statistics in relation to the
commerce of the Southern States ETC.. scattered
through his remarks, Conkling repeated from
memory every word of the speech exactly as it
appeared in the proof-slps. The tables Of fg-
ures he read.
By those who were familiar with the facts this
was regarded at the time as a remarkable feat
and the present inquiry shows that Mr. Coax.
ling's memory remainsas strong as ever and en-
ables him to keep in his mental grasp the multi
tudinous threads Of evidence which have been
developed.