St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-05
TOPICS OF THE DAY,

The late secretary of the treasury,
William Window. was noted among his
friends for two characteristics. He had
a kindly nature. He had judicial
character. The first made him Iowa
Bile man, devoted husband. model
father. The second gave him the power
which he welded as the head of the
treasury to look at both sides of every
question which presented itself to him.
and make decision as nearly Impair
TALLY as it is possible for human
being to make an impartial decision.
| have been associated in relations
with Mr.. Window which have
given me exceptional opportunities
for observing his evenly-balanced
mind and judicial temper. have heard
him in the course OF meetings of a board
Of directors present obstacles in the way
of following out suggestions made by
himself and advocated by himself, his
board should not act inadyisedly. When
first discussed with him his famous
scheme for silver bullion purchases and
the issuance of silver certificates, he
presented me with all the arguments in
its favor, also all the objections that had
been suggested against it. By his very
frankness in thus showing botn sides of
every question to any one with whom he
was prepared to argue it, he practically
disarmed his opponents at the outset by
leaving them nothing to say.
-
had early knowledge of the possible
selection of Mr.. Window for secretary
of the treasury in Mr.. Harrison's cabi-
net, and am in possession of incidents
which show that Mr.. Window was not
in the slightest degree eXpectant of the
position even after his name had been
used in print in connection with the
place. Isaac T. Stoddard, of Connecti-
cut, who was we'll acquainted with Mr..
Window, told me yesterday of an Incl
dent which is sufficient to show how
little Mr.. Window had thought of him.
self in this connection. Mr.. Stoddard
bought an afternoon paper at the Park
row elevated station, New York, one
day while statesmen were being ca lied
to indianapolis to- discuss the cab
met with the president-elect. AS
he opened it his eye fell
of the name Window. CHANGING down
the column he found a dispatch pre-
dieting that Mr.. Window would be
called to Indiana and would be MADE
secretary of the treasury. He was step
ping on the train when he looked over
his shoulder and discovered Mr.. Win
dom himself in the throng behind him.
Falling back Mr.. Stoddard held the
paper up to Mr.. Window so the latter
could see the headline and said: ''Well.
Mr.. Senator? Well?' Mr.. Window
laughed quietly as he replied: "Why,
there isn't shadow of foundation for
such report. 1t is probable some news
paper man has set me up in order to
knock me down. Oh the same principle
that the Irish editor killed the baby to
make space" Mr.. Window undoubt-
edly spoke sincerely, yet three days
later he was called to Indianapolis.
The railroad construction of the
Rocky mountain region has been ac-
companied by an enormous amount Of
tunneling, which in turn has been the
occasion of disasters and casualties in
Vulnerable. | had Northwestern pio-
neer relate some incidents of this tun-
neling ITO meg yesterday as: follows:
'.Ihe tunnels on the Rocky mountain
railroads have never been constructed
without accidents by which death oc-
CURED. The casualties are kept Sc
cret, and rarely get into print even.
Why, when the Cascade tunnel on the
Northern Pacific road was being built,
fifty-tWo men. They kept it very still,
and only let few particulars creep into
the local newspapers. The Montana Cen
trail, between Butte City and Helena,
has numerous tunnels on its seventy
three miles-fifteen or sixteen, <nlnk.
One of these tunnels is mile and
quarter long. The road was built by
Col. G. A. Broadwater. of Helena, and
the tunnels alone cost over a million
dollars. Col. BroadWater was with Jim
Hill at Great Falls when the last work
on the big tunnel was being done. He
had been telling Hill that he had eX-
pected to make the greatest record in
tunnel building in the world, when that
tunnel was completed, because up to
date only one man had been injured by
no one had been killed. Fifteen min
utes later he got dispatch saying that
a premature blast had killed ten men.
They say he broke down and cried like
child. and it would be nothing strange
if he did,"
''Do | know how it happened?" in-
quired the Westerner echoing my in
quiry. certainly [ do. The foremen
of the gangs on either side were so anX-
ious to be the first to break through the
tunnel in the center that. in spite of
every precaution, the men on one side
were allowed by their foreman to re-
main in their places after they had been
notified by telegraph over the top of the
mountain that blast was about to be
set off on the other side. They had been
hearing the sound of picks and shoyels
through the intervening wall for two or
three days. When the blast went off
the conclusion set off blasts that had
been partly planted on their side. and
killed ten of the men,"