Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-02-20
GLADSTONE AT EIGHTY.
The Daily Life and Pursuits of the
Great English Leader Described.
An Enormous Capacity for Hard
Work-His Countless Correspon-
dents-HOw He Reads Book.


form is unbent, his physical powers I'M
abated. and his mental faculties show no
signs of exhaustion. He; has tried more
than once to retire from public life, but
his exuberant vitality impels him into
the political arena again, and never was
he more anxious to serve his country than
he is to-day. His mind was never clearer
and fortunately, his health was never
better Mr.. Gladstone has so often aston
lshed us by his phenomenal activity. as
well as by ssthe range and accuracy of his
knowledge, that his actions no longer
surprise people. When he visited the
Paris Exposition he went everywhere,
saw everything, attended banquets, and
seemed to be doing nothing but enjoying
himself; he nevertheless found time to
write long article on Italy and the triple
alliance, which set all Europe talking.
Last winter when he went to Italy to
rest quietly, as everyone thought, in
that genial climate. he fulfilled many
social engagements, made several speeches
IN Italian, went about great deal. but he
took two large trunkfuls of books with
him from England, and managed to write
a review of an Italians work. and a mag
azine article before he returned. Glad
stone idea of rest is simply to change the
sphere of his activity. He can never
cease work.
Among the many wonders he performs,
says writer In New York Times, is the
way he gets through his vast correspond
ence. He acts III great part as his own
secretary. No public man in England re-
celves so many letters, and no public man
ever answered so many with his own hand.
Gladstone mail bag contains letters from
all sorts and conditions of men and wo-
men. Political friends send him fulsome
praise, worklngmen admirers write to
thank him for his services, Tories send
him threatening letters and abusive postal
cards, many correspondents direct his at
tention to Tory libels, and others ask for
enlightenment on some point of history or
on some question Of current politics. He
receives piles of books on all sorts of sub
jects, with request for his opinion. Many
authors send him proof-sheets and ask
him to write preface, and ever since he
wrote review of Robert Elsmere, - novel
lists ply him with three-volume novels.
As Mr.. Gladstone s family tries to shield
him from the little worries of life and to
help him economic time, his letters are
opened for him every morning by his son
Herbert, and the frivolous and abusive let
tiers weeded out. When the Grand Old
Man returns from devotional services
at Hawarden Church, where he goes every
morning when at home, he settles down
in the library of Hawarden Castle to go
through and work off his morning mail.
as he never allows things to fall in arrears.
He writes swift and legible hand, and
! writes most Of his letters when out of
| office, himself. All letters touching on
sends IN answer to correspondents and
which generally find their way into the
newspapers are In his own handwriting.
| He also addresses the letters himself. He
uses postal cards very largely. He sends
them In acknowledgment of votes of con-
fdence passed by liberal associations. and
with his compact caligraphy can manage
to squeeze a good deal on a card. To
strangers who write to him on political
questions he signs himself Your 0bedient
servant, w. E. Gladstone To those
whom he knows by name or has been in
communication with before he remains
yours faithfully"
He does not use cOpy1ng-press, like
business men, but copies are kept of every
| letter or postal card he writes They are
carefully preserved. Mr.. Gladstone at
tends to this drudgery work himself He
has a most elaborate and methodical ar
| rangement of pigeon-holes for keeping all
letters he receives and of copies of his re-
plies. The pigeon holes are divided into
six series-one for political correspond
ence, one for letters on historical subjects,
one for letters relating to church and re-
hglOus questions. and so on. He lays
aside and catalogues all his correspond
ence with his own hand. He has a system
| OF wedding out the correspondence that
has become historical, and puts it away in
a series OF historical pigeon holes The
| letters are all lndeXed, and so carefully
has the system been elaborated by Mr.
Gladstone that he knows exactly where to
lay his hand on anything he wants Those
who have seen the room at Hawarden.
where his library of correspondence is
kept, are completely surprised to know
that Mr.. Gladstone attends to it himself
When the time comes for writing his BIZ
ography Mr.. Gladstone's biographer will
find his correspondence all in perfect
order. As IN private so In public affairs
no one could be more neat and method
cal. As Chancellor of the Exchequer, or
whatever department of state he has had
charge of, Mr.. Gladstone has left behind
! him reputation for order, system and
regularity. When in office it is absolute
ly impossible for him to find time to at
tend to his correspondence himself,
although he still manages to write many
letters. When Prime Minister he had
three private secretaries constantly going,
and the whole business of the Office went
with the precision and regularity of a
machine. Mr.. Gladstone does not spare
himself, and he reduces to perfection the
afo
of work out of his secretaries. The two
everything passed through his official resi-
dence In Downing street, where all papers
were kept, and that his Chief Secretary
was informed of everything that was
going on. If Mr. Gladstone wrote short
note from the House of Commons to his
colleague. Lord Grandville, Ill the House
Of Lords, he would not send it along the
corridor; it would be sent around to Down
ing street to be copied before being deliv-
cred. Copies were seldom made of letters
written by his secretaries, but his memoir
anda OF Instructions were preserved.
Rubblshy letters were taken to him once
week by his secretary, with an lndorse-
ment showing how they had been disposed
Of
The British Minister has very little
patronage in his gift, but the head of the
Government for the time being receives
many letters from ofice-seekers and
needy applicants an instance is on
record how a hard-1p clerk obtained an
appointment from Gladstone. This clerk
had long borne his misfortune with resig
nation, but an incident occurred which
knocked the heart out of him and he APP
piled to Mr.. Gladstone pity. He had re-
piled to an undertaken advertisement