St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-10
BUDD reeve IN CAMP.
at Bismark He Takes an In
ventoPy Of Some Things
Visible,
The First and Chief OF Which
Is Alex Mckenzie, the
Phenomenon.
A Political ClairVoyant, Sci
enlist. Enigma and ten
eral Manipulation.
Some Peculiar Features Of
IoliticS and The Sort OF
Workers.
Corresnnndence Of the Clobe.

session. but what they are doing or IN
tend 10 DO before winding up, is a
cUnundrum. l did not change my poll
tics or religion while there, but lett with
modified views on some subjects and
new opinions of some people.
About three years ago Bismarck was
a stirring towu-or, more properly
speaking. bustIiHg city-3, 100 inhab-
itants, all holding high hopes and proud
heads. anticipating glorious future.
The town Cor city is left but 100 of its
once proud inhabitants. The rest have
fed and taken their anticipltions with
them. What they could not sch or yet
rid of there they packed up with their
cherished hopes and LIES rosy dream,
and carried away. The principal feat
ures of Bismarck at present consist of
large number OF vacant buildings and
Alexander MckenZle-the vacant build
ingS are not particularly attractive or
interesting. but Alexander the Great is.
in this deserted village lives a man Of
national reputation who is only thirty
eight years Old. During my sOjourn in
the capital Of North Dakota, | made a
special study of this man, 10 see where,
why, or how he stood above the average
man of Bismarck. He does, and there
is no Wipng ii out. Whether his repu-
tatOu and true character belong to-
gether or not. is a o. estiGn. His looks
and movements show him to be any
thing
But A COMMON MAN.
That there is a difference in the at
mOSphere of politics when he is away
or present is clearly noticeable. In 1870
he was a young man under age. over
six feet high, a common laborer shovel
ing dirt and running WhtelbarrOW
with hundreds Of others, building the
rOadbcu of the Northern Pacific rdIl-
way. At Brainpld hr witnessed a row
where three men We're stabbed. This
bloody occurrence made such an impress
sion on his young and tender mind that
he threw down his WhtebarlOW and
shovel and followed the survey further
west. When he reached the NJ ~sOuri
river he settled down, and Wuen the
tracklayers overlook him he was Il sue
ceSotul and prosperous manufacturer of
pop beer 1 rom the pop business he
grew into politics, and got general
insight into manufacturing, commerce
and human nature, until to-day he can
manufacture a United States senator or
boss any kind OF scheme known to
human genius. Mr.. Mckenzie has the
reputation of being a politician, and
the most singular and striking feature
of his character is he stands up round
after round. after every body declares
he is dealt ana Knocked out. and comes
to the front again, W tn not only all old
friends following him, but new recruits.
He is q recognized force, and has ii fol-
lowing far beyond that Of the governor
of the state. How does he get it and
keep it? Cut him l0osr from all parties.
and stand him out alone, he undOuuted-
ly would have double the following of
any other man. Why is this? AS there
was nothing particularly interesting
around the Sheridan house but few
married ladies', when | was thrown out
OF their society made it my business to
STUDY ALEX M'KENZIE.
That he is a success and winner in pol
flies is known everywhere. Where and
what is his power? In the first place, he
is q political clairVOyant-an Ofi-hand
mind readeT-and an expert judge OF
human nature. He has the faculty Of
telling when another man is lying with
out letting the other fellow know Wheth-
er he is or not. This gives him double
advantage, as he can look in the other
fellows hand without letting him see
his. In addition to being way up in
politics, he is peculiar in his politics. he
ing, and is a fine metaphysician, sci
enlist and linguiSt.
He claims the human mind is just
what its pU5SeSsOr chooses to make it,
that it can be- moulded into any shape.
high or low, which fancy or will-power
may dictate; that all men are exceed
Ingly weak. amt natural-bOrn liars as
they can succeed and profit by it; and
when he elaboraIeS on the subject.
what good men will do for the sake of
political honor and gain, italmOst makes
a man feel in his own pockets for stolen
goods, or wonder if he ever told the
truth. Who would suspect a politician
of Alex McKenzie's reputation Of being
dead i'm love with nature ana the higher
sciences? While he does not appear to
be a student of books, he COnVtrSeS
readily ON all races and classes
Of men. He lives at the Sheridan
house when at Bismarck, but during a
two weeks stay there / diu not see him
go near the public dining room once.
He takes his meals alone in his room
lust when he teels like it; and he has
no regular hours to go to bed or get up.
If you step in his room at or 2 O'clock
In the afternoon ne is more likely to be
lying in bed with a halfdOZen talking
to him than sitting up. And you are all
to get onto some political scheme and
have him hold you for a half hour on
the dividing line between animate and
lnanimatG nalure-Or the dividing line
between animal and spiritual life-or
whether man has come up through evO-
luton or is living essence from the
hand Of the Creator From the seed
that grows in the ground and blooms
into flower, or makes vegetable, to
the egg that matches a butterfly or
snake, all are subjects deep in this poll
tician's mind. He has made a partic-
altar study of the snake and how it lays
its eggs especially the rattlesnake-
how many and how it lays them; and
how it spends its time willie the eggs
are Matching; and, after the little snakes
come out, how the old mother RATHER
comes back and opens her mouth, and
the little ones run into pouch inside of
her and she moves away with her fam
lily to a marsh or lowland to hide them
away and bring them up wicked, poison
Gus snakes. The eggs have to be
Matched in sandy ground in the sun.
Prof. Mckenzie has been close stu
dent and observer of the snake, and
says he can see many of the character
iSticS of the viper running through the
human family. This is what he calls
the
MIMICRY OF NATURRE.
1t had never been my thought or am
bitiOn to become a biographer until
went to Bismark and met Prof. McKen-
Zie. When infatuation takes hold of a
fellow he has to come down. Perhaps
am expressing opinions under mes
merism, but if am l can't feel it.
never felt more natural in my life.
If you stand round the lobby and hear
q lot Of Yrtunus fellows tell what an
investigating committee is going to do,
how they are going to back up the
honest governor of the people. and
stamp out fraud and the rascals, then
retire to Prof. McKenzie's room and
find him in his reclining robe, embroid-
cred in front, discussing snakes and
butterflies, the wonderful nature
and pecullarities of the human mind,
and where the line should be drawn be
tween material and spiritual things
the contrast is So great YOu 20 out