St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-13
GOSSIP OF THE DAY.

GOSSIP OF THE DAY.
William Window, the secretary of the
treasury, is at the Fifth Avenue hotel,
says the New York Star. Few people
know that for time he seriously medi-
tated coming out for Cleveland in 1888,
but such is the fact. Soon after he
came back from Europe, in August,
1888. he sent word to the editor Of
prominent Democratic newspaper that
he wanted to be interviewed, in order
that his views on the side of tariff reform
might get before the country. The editor
sent reporter to see Mr.. Window. The
'ssix-by-nine" office in one of the upper
stories of the Mutual Life building in
Nassau street, and after while found
him. cir. Window was getting ready
to take his family to some seaside re-
sort in Massachusetts,, and he arranged
to give the reporter formal interview
after his return to town in few days.
The reporter told his editor what Mr..
Window and he had agreed upon, but
the editor attached SO little Importance
to Mr.. Window that he told the reporter
to drop the thing and not look after it
any further. SO, or course, the reporter
didn't. The next thing heard of Win
dom he was in Indiana making high
protection speeches in behalf of Harri-
son and Morton. a change had come
over the spirit of his dream" He got
his place of secretary of the treasury
through "Steve" Elkins. After Alli-
son had refused to be secretary of the
treasury, February, 1889, Harrison was
in fix. He didn't know what to do,
for he had relied on Allison to balance
the appointment Of Blaine. "Steve"
Elkins gave Window letter of recon-
mendation and sent him to Indianapo-
lis. Harrison talked it over with Win
dom, and gave him the job. 1t is no in
justice to the secretary of the treasury
to say that he has been grateful 10 Elk
ms every since, and has endeavored to
show bis gratitude in various ways.
Mr.. Window is short round-faced,
pursy little man. and is, undoubtedly,
the least impressive secretary of the
treasury the country ever had. with the
possible exception of Judge William A.
Richardson, now Of the federal court of
claims, who was secretary for a short
time under Grant.
Later in the day saw issuing from
the Fifth Avenue hotel man Of me-
dunn size, with sandy beard, keen
blue eyes, fair complexion and active
manner, another eX-president of the
United States, Rutherford b. Hayes.
He had broad-brimmed soft hat Of the
Western style on his head, but it could
not conceal entirely the high forehead
over pleasant and mobile face. Mr..
Hayes was accompanied by young
lady, presumably his daughter, Miss
Fanny, with whom he has recently been
visiting relative at Nassau. Bahama
Islands. EX-President Hayes gives his
time. outside of the management of his
private affairs, entirely to the consider
alton Of great benevolent, educational
or social reform movements. He is
trustee of the Slater and Peabody funds
for the education of the cOlOred race, is
prominent in the Prison Reform associa-
ton and takes all active interest in sol
der associations. He was not poor
man when he became president. and the
property he then owned in Toledo and
other Ohio cities has since increased so
enormously in value that he is now
rich man, as mems wealth is counted in
Northern Ohio. He is said to be worth
1lOui %svVJVVO " S13OOOiOoV'
1t is an odd reflection of this coinci-
dence that both Of the eX-presidentS
have been held up. to ridicule and vi
tuperatiOn by a newspaper OF this city,
which had established its antipathy to
eX-preSidents first in the case of Gen.
Grant.
met Col. Enoch Ensley, the million
aife iron maker of Memphis. Tenn,
day or two ago in the Fifth Avenue
hotel. Col. Ensley was the discoverer
and first promoter OF the coal field at
Birmingham, Ala, which has become
the center of iron making in the South,
but he has numerous other interests,
and while speaking of Sheffield, an iron
city on the Tennessee river, he said:
congressman Clark, of Alabama is Oh
the river and harbor committee, and be
has secured continuation of the work
that has been gong on i'll the Tennessee
river Tor several years for clearing
away what are known as MuSSel and
Colbert shoals. This work will open
up the Tennessee river valley, which
regard as finer than either the Cnmber-
land or the Shenandoah valley. Shelf
field stands practically at the head of
navigation on the river. 1t has five
large furnaces, in region Astounding
with iron, coal and limestone. in con-
venient conjunction with mild eli
mate and good drainage. The place is
bound to grow, because of its location
and iron industry, and you are quite
likely to hear as much about 1t as you
have about Birmingham in the past"
The death of Senator Beck, of Ken
lucky, will touch none of his colleagues
more closely than Senator Mcpherson,
Of New Jersey. and the reason OF this
was told last night by ,)onn SaWteller,
prominent merchant of Lexington, KY,
who is now stopping at the Fifth Ave-
uue hotel
about forty years ago." said he,
''there were six farmer lads working in
the northern portion of the state of New
York, every one of whom has since be-
come prominent in public affairs. A
! radius of fifty miles from the point of
junction of Livingston, Wyoming and
Niagara counties included the early
homes of these younsterS, all but one of
whom were born there. That one was
James Birnie Beck. The others were
Angus Cameron, Francis Herman, Henry
| M. Teller, Jerome B. Chaffee and John
| Rodericll Mcpherson. The young fell
| lows all worked hard, and made the
| most Of tile limited educational facilities
afforded them. They were all ac-
quaintances, and kept up their
knowledge of each other even after
they had drifted away from their farms
in search of wider fame and fortune.
On Dec. 4. 1870, when Henry M. Teller
and jerome B. Chaffee took their seats
as the first senators from the new state
| of Colorado, the four men who stood by
/ their sides as the oath was administered
them, were their four former boy
| friends, who had known them years be-
! fare. Francis Herman was Roscoe
| Conkling's colleague in the senate, An
| gus Cameron was senator from Wiscon-
| sin, James 3. Beck was senator from
Kentucky, and John r. Mcpherson was
senator from New Jersey. The sextet
was first broken by the death of Senator
| Chaffee a few years ago, and now Mr..
| Beck follows him. All the others are
still living. MIR. Teller. after serving as
secretary of the interior, is back in the
senate, and John r. Mcpherson is there
still. Angus Cameron is practicng law
| in Wisconsin, and Francis Herman is
( b., nf hApora lilo