Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-29

One OF the most promine nt figures in the
Senate is Edmunds, Of Vermont. He took
a seat in that body as sue cessor OF Solomon
Foot twenty years ago, and has occupied it
continuously ever since. He had been in
public life at home for twelve years before
be rame to the Senate, but has never been
in the Lower House of Congress. He is
now IS and looks as though he might
round out the time in the Senate only
served by Benton in the first century OF
our National existence. From the pub
lished pictures OF him his figure is almost as
| well known as that Of Wa shington himself,
yet none of them do him Justice or present
the strong features OF his well marked face
accurately. He IS fully six feet in height,
and, though standing stra light. carries his
head straight FROM habit, and not from
any physical deiormity o. st -op. He is
not in rugged health, and d resses with great
care to guard against the I'LL effect ofchang. g
OF weather. The solcs OF hi boots are fully
an inch thick, and he INDUCES carefully III
wraps when coming to and returning from
the Capitol in the winter. He wears a full
beard kept cut short, and ID almost entirely
bald. Heis broad shoulderdd hut not fleshy.
His autograph is tho on ly thing funny
al out him, and each one n eeds as much in
tcrpre,ipg as any specimen hyerOgIyphics.
He has few intimate, and apparently no
confidents. The Damon al md Pythias.like
friendship that existed betw cen him and Sen
ator Thurmanis the only strong one l have
known Edmunds to entertain. He seldom
talks over his propositions with any one,
and never DISCUSSES matters outside OF the
chamber and committee room. He is called
morose and icy. A better explanation OF
the traits which have giyenIthis impression
OF him, is that he finds it demanded by his
own com ort and temper to abstain from
discussion that would serve no good end,
except where duty demands such. That he
has temper enough to make him uncom-
Portable if it was not carefully held in check
restrain it. He is methodical in everything
Every dime of expense must be vouched by
a receipted bill, and the mechanic or dealer
who forgets this is liable to be reminded OF
it for the first offence, and to lose his pat
ronage for the second. His New England
habit OF cautious expenditl ire shows itself
continually. He does not keep a carriage
and never hires one without an agreement
as to price. When the Senat tie adjourrs fm
the day he walks out to the fsont and OF
the first hackman who accosts him he asks
his price for carrying him home. II the
price FAMED is more than fifty cents, he
shakes his head and stalks $ ira light over to
the street car, saying he can ride home in
that f~orfour cents. His harits in the Senate
chamber are not surrounded with that ex-
treme dignity some might Expect. He sci
dom sits bolt upright in his chair. When
thinking or listening he gets himself down
in a heap, or bends his head sideways rest
ing it on his hands, often closing his eyes.
as apparently better for meditation. In
addressing the Senate he ID clear and me
thodical, carrying his habits OF addressing |
a court into the Senate chan her. He takes
certain attitudes which are so peculiar to
himself that no one has ever essayed to
initiate them. His voice is seldom raised
above the tone he would use in court. and
is not then as smooth as when he speaks in
common conversation. He never ~revises |
his speeches, and never writes out what ne
intends to saw. He is very accurate in his |
statements o. facts, but when taken anal
wares in debate without sufficient prepare.
ton, he shows that his memory is not an
absolute storehouse OF facts Lawyer-like
he is not competent to discus s a case with.
out having the papers in his possession
He is a leader rather by the power OF his
mental organization than by any OF those
traits that we group under the generic
name OF personal magnetism