Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1888-12-26
J. E. DANIELSON.
ATLANTIC AVENUE, SOUTH.
MORRIS, MIMI.
Blaine and General Taylor's
Daughter.

New York Sun: In the North Amer
lean Review, Gen. Sherman tells an
interesting story about the way in
which he secured a pension for Gen.
Zachary Taylor's daughter, the wild
ow of Assistant-Surgeon Wood of the
United States army. At least three
men of national reputation appear in
this narrative, all of them in very
characteristic attitudes.
During Grants second term, when
Mr.. Blaine was speaker of the house,
Mrs. Wood went to Washington desti-
tute and applied to Gen. Sherman for
a loan of ST. 900 to enable her to reach
sick daughter in Austria. II had not
the money!" says Gen. Sherman. After
a few moments thought, he said:
"Mrs. Wood, we must get special
pension bill putting your name on the
same list with that of Mrs. Gen. Worth,
Mrs. Gen. Summer and others, and
have this special bill date back from
your husbands death. What member
of congress do you knows" Mrs. Wood
replied that she did not know single
member. Don't you knowMr. Blaine"
demanded Gen. Sherman. 'He is the
speaker of the house, a fellow of inf
mite wit and boundless generosity. !"
Mrs. Wood did not know Mr.. Blaine.
and Gen. Sherman took her to the cap
itol and called the speaker from the
chair.
ssNo courtier since the days of Chars
lemagne, continued Gen. Sherman,
sever approached lady with more
delicacy and grace than did Mr.. Speak
er Blaine the afflicted daughter of
Gen. Zachary Taylor" After a few
words of inquiry as to the case, Mr..
Blaine exclaimed: "Great God! has it
come to this that the daughter of
Zachary Taylor should be knocking at
the doors of congress for the pitiful
pension of $50 month! / will do all
man can do in this complicated gov.
eminent. Twill make your case my
own.p
Finding that he had s'touclied the
proper chord of Mr.. Blaine's generous
nature" the worthy general of the
army left the case in the speaker S
| hands. Mr.. Blaine walked straight
| to Mr.. Holman. the universal object
or, and said TO him: Holman, have
a little matter of great interest which
/ want to rush through; please dom
object" "What is it," asked Hol
man. "a special pension for the
widow of Surgeon Wood, the daugh
ter of Gen. Zachary Taylor lis il
all right" demanded the great objec
or. "Of cousre it is all right, and ey
cry American should blush that thii
thing could be- ..Well," said Hol
man, Ego ahead; I'll be out of tn,
way. in the cloak room. =
The pension was then put through
without difficulty, and Mrs. Wood
necessities were relieved at the ex
pense of the national government
The narrative of Gen. Sherman close
with q delightfully."- naiveremark. lei,
says nething about his own charitable
| act In steering the applicant to TIN
| speaker. He says nothing about Hol
man, who eharitably secluded hilnsel
| in the cloak room. He says nothin,
| about the United States treasury; bu
Gen. Sherman does remark that Bro
ther Blaine made zone Of his mos
eloquent and beautiful speeches In be
halt Of the bill, and that he. th
| general, considers 1t as duty ito res
cue from Oblivion the memory Of tli
pure act OF unrecorded benevolence.