Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-07-05
GENERAL BEN HARRISON
A Glimpse Il Daily and Home Life
of the Republican Candidate
His Position on the Chinese Question
Opposed to the immigration Of
Chinese Labcrers.
Harrison's Daily Life.

To know his daily life as he lives at
home, IN his office, at the bar, to see his
personal character as his neighbors view
it, to understand his tastes, his likes, his
his dislikes, his methods of work
his favorite relaxation-all that is
TO have, in some more vivid de-
gree an idea of the person as his every
day intimates know him.
Though commonly known among the
people here as "Ben" Harrison, the ex-sen-
ator is not given to rude familiarity. He
is intensely popular, yet he has about
him a manly dignity that inspires res
pect, while it does not repel liking. do
not think it is possible to find man
In indianapolis who does not know him,
at least by sight, and yet the general was
never known to enter a saloon In the city.
His public prominence has no back pas
sages leading to it that start In the Sums
and wind through the devious ways of
ward politics.
AS his personal character has been of
singularly even growth, the result of an
upright nature full of generous traits,
governed by an even temperament and
subjected to an iron will, SO his popu-
larity and his influence over men are the
natural result of clear, simple, com
X
His manner is frank and cordial; his
greeting warm; his whole bearing at
tractive. He has singular faculty of
making friends. He has all the courtesy
of good will to others. Not only are his
friends legion, but they have the warmest
attachment to him as he has to them.
He is a somewhat reticent man as to his
own affairs, and does not impart Utmost
confidence to a stranger. His long legal
training has made him deliberate aud
cautious in that respect, and he is not
ELUSIVE. But he is friendly, sooiable,
unassuming American gentleman.
How "THE PRESS" MAN FOUND HIM.
He is as approachable as any man in
the world. From the sidewalk of Market
street a short flight of IRON steps leads to
the hallway of brick building, and on
a tin sign on ths wall, with the black sand
half rubbed off, and battered enough TO
testify to many years of usefulness, the
visitor may read the simple inscription,
"B. Harrison" This is all, but it is the
plain business announcement of the
greatest lawyer in Indiana to-day. Walk
on up the stairs, turn to the right, and a
few steps will bring you to his Office door.
1t opens into che middle one of three
rooms. In the front room, overlooking
the street, there stands a plain walnut
desk, and sitting in front of it, in a
leather. cushioned chair, bent over brief,
or reading a reference, General Harrison
will almost certainly be found. Idle
moments in business hours are unknown
to him. 1t is a characteristic of the man
that whatever he does he does it with all
his might. He puts all his mind and
energy upon his toll, and when that is
over he drops it as completed as though
1t had no existence.
The visitor to this lawyer does not
reach him through the medium of an
office-boy, after aa interval of hell-cool-
ing in an ante-room. He is received at
once with a kindly grasp of the hand and
proffered seat.
BuG it is when the burdens of profess
sional cases are thrown aside that one
sees General Harrison in the most at
tractiye and kindly light. He is an early
riser, and spends short time before
breakfast in the open air, looking over
his grapevines and his strawberry bed in
the rear OF his house. After family
prayers and breakfast, he walks to his
office, which is perhaps half a mile
or more from his home. At
noon he drops his work, chances over a
newspaper, and then rides home to lunch,
usually in a street car. Sometimes he
rides up with his partner, Mr.. Miller,
whose carriage always comes to the office
for him at noon, a very convenient ar
rangement, as their homes are almost di-
rectly opposite each other, on Delaware
street.