Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-29
SENATOR BECK.
Something About Two of His Most
Loving Friends.

1t had been my intention in this issue
to give something of review of Brother
Moore's new book, but the rush of
events during the week has prevented
me from reading it as yet. l believe the
custom now is to review book first and
read it afterwards, if at all but it is
bad custom and oughtnot to be followed.
So until more convenient season must
debar myself the pleasure of communing
with the ideas of our Kentucky infdel
All the week there has been nothing
talked of or thought about except the
death OF Senator Beck and the succession
to his vacant place. The one theme
filled the measure of public interest to
the exclusion of everything else, even
the races. And until now the interest
is unabated.
There is little left to be said about Mr..
Beck. Thousands of newspapers in this
and other lands have paid tribute to his
memory, and the conclusion of the whole
matter is that a great man is gone from
earth.
Two of Mr.. Beck's friends, however,
who came here with his remains have
received less attention than they de-
served in the public prints. Both of
them were named Smith; one of them
was white and the other colored.
Neither OF them was especially distin-
guished; yet possibly no two men in the
Union better understood or better loved
Mr. Beck than these.
One of them is tall, bony Scotchman,
with gray beard and silvered hairs, an
enthusiastic in flowers. thorough
master of botany, and the superintend-
ent of the national gardens in Washing
ton. From an orchid to a snowdrop he
knows exactly how to propagate and
how to preserve any plant or flower
known to modern research. Outside his
speciality he cares little for other in
formation.
But this special knowledge of Mr..
Smiths did not endear him to the
senator. 1t was a mutual love of
Burns that welded them together. Mr..
Smith is, in his way crank. His
ambition is to possess copy of every edi-
ton OF Burns ever printed and he per-
haps comes nearer having all of them
than any other man. Some years ago |
gave him my only copy of Burns be-
cause it was an old edition, out of print,
and he had no copy of it-in fact, did
not know that it existed. He has one
library devoted entirely to Burns,
and l would be afraid to say how
many hundred copies of his favorite
author are upon it's shelves. | have
never rated Burns highly as poet, and
it therefore tempts me to smile when l
see men SO enthusiastic about his works.
Yet those who do admire him love him,
and l have no doubt that Mr.. Smith, as
well as Senator Beck, could reproduce
the whole OF Burns's works if every copy
of them in existence should at once be
blotted out.
The other Mr.. Smith, as l said, is a
negro. called by courtesy "colored
man." And he is the most remarkable
one of his race l ever met. He is an
assistant librarian of congress, and so
well did he fill his place that for thirty
five years he has held it, and is likely
to hold it for his lifetime if he wants
it. A scholar and a gentleman, he
is pleasant companion, and po-
lite, accomplished man who is held in
very high estimation by every mem
Der in both houses of congress. He
stays in a suite of gloomy rooms up
stairs in tbe south wing of the capitol,
where few people ever find their way,
and consequently he is little known to
fame.
But the man has a most wonderful
mind, and is without question the best
posted person on public matters in the
United States. His department of the
library includes all the public records,
treaties, reports, etc, and in the seclu-
sion of that dimly-hghted cloister
where he spends his days, he has made
himself familiar with all the volumes
under his charge. Ask him the attitude
of Sherman or Banks on any congress
sional question before the war or since,
and he can tell you off-hand. In ten
minutes time he will put before you
every speech or vote of them in congress
bearing on the subject. He knows, with
out looking it up the biography of every
public man, with dates and details Of
his public life, and his opinions on every
public question where he has expressed
himself.
Such person is invaluable in the
place he occupies, and Mr.. Beck, as well
as many others in the house and senate,
often availed himself of his special in
formation. Mr.. Smith has the ways of
the student; he is retiring without be-
ing diffident self-respecting, but not
presumptuous. He is indeed an honor
to his race, and it speaks we'll for our
congress that neither political exigen-
cies nor prejudice against his color has
ever worked against his permanency in
office.
Mr.. Beck has been the especial friend
and champion of both these men for all
the years that he has been in congress.
1t was natural that they should desire
to attend his funeral, and no two people
present there more sincerely lamented his
death. Each OF them will miss him,
and if good wishes for the rest of his
soul were incense, there would be no
sweeter Offering to his memory than the
prayers of the Scotch botanist and this
negro scholar and librarian. Let us all
hope for such heartfelt griefs when we are
called away.-[Washington Correspond
ent.
A Terror to PlagiarIsts.