St. Paul daily globe., 1888-06-30
OF Turning up Just When His
Services Are Badly
Needed.
Speculation Rife as to His
Recent Visit to This
State.
ALI the Indications Point,
However, to a Boom for
Scheffer.
The Fifth District Congress-
mans Trip in a Baggage
Car.

Politics in Minnesota must be at fever
heat, judging from circumstance that
has just leaked Out, t,and which was moth
ing more nor less than a flying trip of
Hon. Knute Nelson from the capital to
Alexandria to look after certain fences
that need repairing. Even the Chicago
convention had no attractions for the
representative of the Fifth district, for
he hurried through the Garden City Fri
day and would not stop minute, hence
he was not molested by delegations of
admirers. Sunday and Monday were
spent in the seclusion of his home at
Alexandria, and only few trusted lieu
tenants, who were apprised of his
whereabouts, were admitted to his sane
tum. Among politicians who were ques-
toned on the matter yesterday by
representative of the GLOBE there
was manifest reluctance to
talk except in the most guarded terms.
One thing is certain, however, that
the Scheffer men were fully informed
as to Mr.. Nelson's movements, and upon
his return trip to the East Tuesday
night one of the Scheffer managers ac-
cOmpanled him as far as Milwaukee.
At all the conferences with his friends
Mr.. Nelson reiterated his determination
to leave politics alone, and would not
make any pledges as to his course in
the future. When the question of
successor to Senator Sabin was broached,
however, the willy leader rather naively
remarked that he had not paid much
attention to that subject, but the infer
ence was drawn that he would not re-
fuse the gift If it was rendered on sill
yer platten. Strenuous efforts were
made to induce Mr.. Nelson to commit
himself to the cause of Hon. Albert
Scheffer, and in return he was to receive
the support OF that gentlemen's friends
for the Senatorship, but the tempting
bait was waved aside in disdainful
manner with an / am going to
keep my hands off in this
campaign throughout Minnesota.
1t was only among the tried and true
Republicans of the state that Mr.. Nell
sons presence in Minnesota was dis
covered, and then with bated breath,
but there was small leak somewhere
and the Democratic leaders were quickly
put upon his trail. When the east
bound train rolled into the union depot
Tuesday evening Mr.. Nelson was
among the passengers, although not in
any of the regular coaches, but suugly
enscOnced in the baggage car, with G.
A. Gilman. of st. Cloud, for a COM
panion. With that gentleman, who
had joined him at Osakis, he talked
over matters very freely, but, of course,
their tenor remains locked in the
breasts of the two gentlemen. Mr..
Nelson would not go to any of the
hotels or the Minnesota club for sup
per, but with the agility which charac-
terlzes all his movements, he mounted
one OF the stools in front of the depot
bar and ate a hearty supper amidst
hosts of new arrivals from the old
country striking out for the West.
After finishing his supper Mr.. Nelson
bade his companion goodbye, uttering.
as he did so, these prophetic words:
Charley, don't try to run for GOV
ernor;;'. and a few minutes later he
was being whirled towards Washington
to participate in the tariff debate. But
he was not to remain undiSturbed, for
ubiquitous Albert Scheffer campaigner
was aboard the train. and after the
parting scene with Mr.. Gilman, Mr..
Nelson was kept in sight. and eventu-
ally joined when far enough away from
prylng eyes. Under no circumstances
will Mr.. Nelson permit his name to be
used in connection with the guberna-
with his first lieutenant, Mr.. Gilman.
has been caught up by politicians as a
straw in the direction of the Scheffer
boom. But it must have been matters
of urgent Importance, and fraught with
future benefits, that could per
suade Mr.. Nelson to make his
visit at this time, especially
amid such mysterious surroundings.
Denials will of course be in order as to
the significance of this trip but the facts
are substantially as detailed and the
Merriam and McGilI men will have to
keep their weather eyes open if they
want to maintain the pace with the
Scheffer contingent in the North Star
state. One result of the visit of Repre-
sentative Nelson was shown yesterday
in the confident tone assumed by the
Scheffer men, and they were very
anxious to wager that the next governor
of Minnesota would be Albert Scheffer.
Of all the members of his party, MIR.
Gilman seemed to be the only one taken
into the confidence of his chief, and he
alone knows what the future has in
store for several ambitious political as
pirantS.