The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-24

not have him appointed secretary Of the
interior. the president would make an ap-
pointment which wonId be perfectly salts
actory to him. He came, and he also
urged me 70 accept the position.
s'1n the meantime the kilograms from
Colorado continued 10 come in II was the
first time that cabinet Office had been
offered to a man from Colorado. and the
people of my state would have considered
IL an honor TO have man in the presi-
dents cabinet The pressure became 80
great that could not refuse 1t, and went
to the White House and told the president
that would accept the position. found
the Office q very pleasant one, and my re-
lations with President Arthur were of the
most pleasant nature I found that what
he said as TO the legal requirements of the
Office was true. and | don't believe there is
q more important position in the appoint
ing power OF the president from legal
stondpoint, than that of the secretary of
the interior
The question OF the wool tariff has
brought one Of the most remarkable farm
ers ia the United States 10 Washington
City. This is David Harpster, of Northern
Ohio. He has thousands of sheep on the
Western Reserve, and be is one OF the
millionaire sheep raisers OF the country.
He has large estates scattered over other
parts of the Union. and to look at him you
would not suppose him TO be worth q dol
lar. He IS about five feet four inches high,
is as broad as he is long, and has round,
cannon-baIl head, pasted upon q pair OF
broad, fat shoulders. His roiy-poly form
is clad in rough goods, which might have
been put together by his wife, and big
derby hat comes well down towards his
ears, and shades his fat. ford face Harp
ster is great friend of Senator Sherman.
He was sitting the other day in Senator
Sherman's committee room when John B.
Alley, the ex-congressman from Massa-
chusetts. who was so prominent in the
days of the Credit Moblier scam
dial. came in. Alley is millionaire.
He Is proud OF his riches and
he is. / am told. little inclined to pose.
When he entered Senator Sherman's room
Mr.. Sherman introduced him to Dave
Harpster, saying, mir. Alley, / want TO
make you acquainted with one of our rep
resentative farmers, Mr.. Harpster."
''Ah, indeed ~ replied Alley, as he shook
hands. you are . farmer are you? /
something of farmer myself. / have q
farm in Texas consisting of 10000 acres. /"
You have" muttered out Harpster,
sand where is it?''
ut is in such a county," said Alley.
naming the county, in the central part OF
Texas"
Indeed" replied Mr.. Harpster, sit must
be good land. for own the whole county
next to it.
This surprised Alley and took the wind
out of his sails. He said little more
about his FARMS but his actions showed
that his respect for Mr.. David Harpster,
the Ohio farmer, had perceptibly risen.
Speaking of Alley, recalls story which !
heard lately of dinner which he is said to
have given at Washington, and which may
be true and may be not The truth, how
ever, does not hurt the story. 1t seems
that at this dinner Alley had a number
of prominent statesmen. among whom
were Senator Evarts and other leading men
of the land. As soon as they had gotten
through the soup Mr.. Alley began to tell
stories in all of which Mr.. Alley was the
hero. These stories ran clear back to the
days before the war. The fish. for instance,
reminded Mr.. Alley of an important con-
ference he had had with President Bu-
chanan, and he described graphically what
Buchanan had said to Alley, and what Al
ley had advised Buchanan. The first en-
tree brought in the story of Lincoln and
incidentally Mr.. Alley had, SO it seemed.
saved the country and the president himself.
The game was eaten under well-told tale of
how Alley had helped Johnson and Grant.
and so it went on. Atlast when the Roman
punch was being served and the faces of the
guests had grown rosy with the choice old
wines with which the table was furnished.
Alley happened to catch the twinkling eye
of Senator Evarts. He was telling one of
his most remarkable adventures at the
time and he took Evarts' smile for interest
and applause. He called upon him to MAKE
a response to something he had said and
asked him If he did not remember some in
cidents in connection with 1t. 81 do not, /"
replied the eagle-faced senator from New
York. as he stretched his long six feet to
his full height and threw the heavy white
damask napkin on the table beside his
plate, .'but Mr.. Alleys story reminds me
of one of the most remarkable anecdotes
that truth has ever told. Ithappened several
hundred years ago. This broad continent
on which we stand was then unknown and
the savage reigned supreme without knowl-
edge and fear OF the white man. At this
time bold man with his faithful friend
started out on o ship with company of
brave sailors to discover a passage to the
Far East. 1t was Columbus" Here Sena-
tor Evarts went on 10 describe in his four
hundred-word sentences that wonderful
voyage. and at every other line he referred
to the faithful friend who upheld Columbus
in all his troubles. He mentioned no
name, however, until the last, and then in
describing the mutiny which was about
to break forth just as Columbus
reached America, he said: at was a ter
rible time. A day or two more and Co
lumbus knew that he could hold his men
no longer. Mutiny and death stared him
in the face, and he counselled much with
his faithful friend as to the situstion. He
rose early in the morning and with longing
eyes looked out towards the western
horizon. There was a strange softness in
the air, and just as the sun rose its first
rays caught faint line of dim blue in the
far off west. Columbus gasped. He could
not speak for a moment but as the sun
rose and the line became more distinct he
| turned 10 his faithful friend, threw his
arms around his neck and sobbed, as he
| pointed, Thank Godl Mr.. Alley, we re
saved. There's land"
Speaking of Senator Evarts. there is no
man in Washington who enjoys a good
| dinner more than he. He is one of the
highest livers in Washington, and, not
withstanding that he is six feet tall and
| does not weigh more than l25 pounds, he