The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-19
SONG Iaterest,nc "Reminiscences.

CHICAGO, April Is The Washington corre-
spondent of the News telegraphs his paper sew
eral columns of "reminiscences Of Roscoe Conk-
ling. Speaking of his wonderful memory he says:
He could repeat many verses from memory,
not fraGmentary lines or brief stanzas. but
whole epies, page by page. The odes of Horace
in the original were familiar to him the
Psalm of Life; he could recite the first book of
cred the best, almost without error, and
portion of the third book. which he frequently
quoted from and said reminded him of the tramp
of marching army. His favorite poems were
almost invariably carried book of poems in his
pocket, and read from it during the debates in
the senate. his Teaolng was varied ana ex-
tensive. Although not a religious
man, he deeply interested in
theological topics, and read every new work of
i1nportance. remember once calling at his
rom and finding him lying lounge, with
wet cloth over his eyes, for he had good deal
of trouble with them. listening to the reading of
Remains Life of Jesus by his private secretary.
The reading ceased when ! entered. and Mr..
Conkling began to talk. He liked to solloQuize,
and on this occasion, as upon many others, he
spoke religion as eequenty as il he had
been addressing audience of thousands of
people instead of only two hearers, his private
secretary and myself He was believer in the
the Episcopal Church, but he had theory that
most of the teachings of Jesus were drawn from
the oriental pundits. The Sermon on the Mount.
he often said, q codifcatiou of the teach
ings of Confucus.
''Mr Conkling never revised reports of the
speeches he delivered in the Senate, most
members of that body do. He held that the
Congressional Record should be an actual tran
script of what said and done in the chamber,
and insisted that his remarks should always ap-
pear exactly he had uttered them. But at
she convention of 1880 he departed from his rule
and prepared for publication a speech which
differed In many essential respects from that
which he delivered in presenting Gen Grants
name to the convention. One Of the speeches
was intended go down to history an ideal
of oratory. and the other meant to
influence votes in the convention. But
his plan rniscarried, and it made
the convention he sent for and said that he
had been selected to present the name of Gen.
Grant. Contrary to his usual custom. he had
written his speech, ana desired it TO appear
ed TO the ordinary mistakes that must occur in
transmission by telegraph. To accomplish this
he desired my assistance. / took the manu-
script had it put into type. and furnished him
proofs for correction. Several hundred slips
were then printed aud placed in the hands OF
the Associated Press 10 be furnished to the
newspapers when the speech should be deliv-
cred. But 1t was not the same speech, as have
said. The Introductory quatrain:
'If you ask where he halls from,
My sole reply shall be,
That he came from Appomattox,
And the famous apple tree,
was not the original prepared for publication.
nor was there any reference to the other candi-
dates, or to Blaines private telegraph wire.
Without the knowledge of Mr. Conkliug, the
Associated Press stenographers sat with the
proof-sip of the original address before them and
corrected it as he spoke. the changes being tel
egraphed to all the newspapers In the morning.
when he saw the speech that he delivered in
stead of the one he wrote for the newspap pers,
he very indignant and sending for me,
raised terrible row about it