Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-05-03
AFTER HIS BATH.
Senator Conking at Mammoth Hot
Springs in 1888.
Continuation of Professor Henderson IS
Sketch of the Visit of the Dis
tinguished New Yorker
to the National
Park.

stately head and entered the old log post
office, which was also occupied by me as
my Office as Assistant Superintendent of
the Yellowstone National Park, and max
ing me one of his most graceful bows, with
hat in hand, as if 1 were woman revered
or monarch crowned, said:
doctor, (for l must call you so,) when
you left me in my bath in that delightful
languor that succeeds great pain suddenly
subdued, was in a semi comatOse state,
and neither thanked you nor even asked
your name, and having learned the latter
through Mr.. Hobart, have come in per-
son to thank you and to reward you for
your prompt attention and marvellous
treatment in this Park, where everything
is marvellous"
Setting his hat upon the counter, and
with a graceful and most courteous recog-
milton of my daughter, Jennie Henderson,
who advanced from behind her letter boxes
and seemed as much astonished as 1
was at this remarkable speech as
at the lordly and deliberate manner
in which it was uttered, he drew out his
pocket book and seemed to await my
cal attendant.
an amateur that / have never yet charged
a fee, and if relieved you of pain by the
application of so simple remedy, that is
reward enough. But if you think you owe
me anything you will balance our account
by giving me your autograph in our visit
or's record, and the names also of the la
dies and gentlemen who accompany you in
this your first visit to Wonderland"
well, professor, you got me out of
trouble caused by my own stupidity or the
laches of some one else, and now you pro-
pose to let me off much easier than the
medical fraternity, fellowship with whom
YOU repudiate, usually do. Let me have
that record and l shall most cheerfully
enter name that is more widely known
than honored, fear"
laid the r0onrd- on the cnnnter
and set chair for our distinguished visi-
tor inside, and 1 advanced and occupied
the place where he had stood on entering,
to witness the manner of his doing it.
For / confess that 1 was profoundly in
terested in every word, look and move
ment of this remarkable man, whose elo-
quence once swayed and dominated the
greatest political party during one of the
greatest historical epOchs of modern times,
and whose eccentricities or pride had
made him an object of psychological
interest to every student of sociology. L
was soon to witness one of these wind
blown strains that not only indicate the
direction of tide but show the causes
that lead to the rise and fall alike of men
and empires.
The pen with which the senator at
tempted to write his name was either too
new or too old. At all events, the ink
would not flow fast enough to suit his no.
tion of what good pen ought, and, with
a petulance as astonishing as the cause
was trivial, he raised his right hand and
partly addressing the pen and his two au-
ditors said: II can't write with that pen
and shan't write it, And dashed the
pen to the further end of the counter
whereit ignominiously fell to the floor,
as many of his own hopes and ambitions
had fallen. Strange to say, his mental
perturbation was contagious, and / at once
fired up with an anger and petulence equal
to his own and exclaimed, with one hand
on the door knob ready to make my exit
when / had properly given vent to my
pent up Utica:
"All right, Senator! If man of your
years and experience cannot rise above the
fetichism that vents its venom on piece
of cold steel, I-don't- t-want-yOur-sig-
nature, and-I shant-have itw
The Senator half rose, and with COM
plex and indescribable movement he with
his left hand arrested Jennie in the act of
lifting up that small instrument that is
said to be mightier than the sword, and
with the right hand arrested my attempt
to leave the room, and with voice half
command, half persuasion, said:
Henderson, stop! Miss Henderson, /
will pick up that pen, and l apologize for
my rudeness. Your reproof, MIR. Hender-
son, was timely, temperate and just, and
I-ac-cept-itw
He walked to where the pen had fallen
and picking it up, sat down, and with the
utmost deliberation dipped his pen, the
ink flowed admirably, and he wrote in
plain, bold hand July 80, 1888, Governor
Geo. Boutwell,, Boston, Mass; Roscoe
Conkling, New York: Mrs. Conkline,
Utica, N. Y; Miss Gertrude Herkimer
Coke, Kinderhook, N. Y; Geo. G. Gorham,
editor Rep'n, Washington, d. c.; Judge
Alfred Conkling Cox, Utica, N. Y"
This record and these signatures are now
of historic value and becomes part OF the
history of the Yellowstone Park.
He held out his hand and grasped mine
with q vigor that admonished me how
fortunate was that it was that of q friend
and not an enemy. 1t made me think OF
the advice of POlonius to Laertes.
.0The friends thou hast. once their adoption tried
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops OF STEEL"
That sterling, honest grasp made me his
friend forever. In one moment forgot
all and forgave all his petulance
and spleen. He made me feel
that I had been honored in having served
him. and that he was right royal and i'm
nerial leader of men. He could neither
fawn nor fatter, so that words of COM
mendation from his lips were worth cent
ner cent. and meant all they conveyed, and
more than most men could express in SO
faw words. He closed that interview with
words that are all the more precious
To men now that the lips that uttered them
are sealed in eternal silence.
"Professor, am told by one who knows,
that YOU are the acknowledged student
and Interpreter of these grand terraces,
caves boiling lakes, living, dead and dying
ooro. ond that vou have given all these