davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

impressed with him. Nor was impressed
with Stephen Douglass, whom 1 saw a
great deal of on this trip. About the only
person was impressed with, however, was
myself You know was only % years old
then"
"Had you any idea at this time that you
would ever come back to Washington as
Congressman or SENATOR"
'cNo," replied Senator Sherman" the dis
trtct in which 1 lived was Democratic, and
when at the age of 25 was a delegate to
the National Convention at Philadelphia,
and was chosen there as Secretary the man
who nominated me said that 1 came from
district in Ohio which was so Democratic
that could never get an Office unless that
convention gave me one, This caused a
langh, and they elected me. Schuyler Col
fax, OF Indiana, was made Assistant Secre-
tary on the same grounds, and we walked
up together. This was my first office, and
my next was during the same year. was
delegate to the convention at Columbus, O.,
which nominated Salmon P Chase for Gov
ernor. 1t was, / think, the first Republican
Convention held in Ohio, and was chosen
as President of it The reason for the choice
was that such an antipathy existed between
the older candidates that none of them could
be chosen, and they picked upon me as a
compromise. 1 remember that was almost
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

luscious peaches for canning, in the dining
room, and as we looked at the kitchen, she
said she hoped, if was going to make de-
scription of the house, that would notice
the trees and describe the anterior Of the
house as it was.
MRS. sHERMAN's IDEA OF HOME.
Said she: "Our home has been described
as a grand mansion and I often find our
visitors rather disappointed, when they
come here expecting palace. The house
is, as you SEQ, very plain, but it is COM
Portable home and we like it." During my
stay, visited the other portions of it. 1t
contains, should judge, at least 20 rooms,
and all OF the rooms are large and airy. The
windows give fine views over miles of
rolling country and, in one of the libraries,
1 noted a telescope and asked Senator
Sherman if he used this in studying the
stars He replied with laugh that he now
and then looked at the moon and at Venus
and Mars, through it, but that the chief use
of it, within the past few weeks, had been
in turning it on the races which were going
on two miles away and which, through 1t,
could be as plainly seen as on the grand
stand.
Senator Sherman's library is scattered
throughout the whole house. The fact that
he is q student is written all over it. The
moment you enter the front door, you see
at the back of the hall wall of books, and
on the second and third stories, you find
the halls filled with bookcases, and at the
southeast corner of the mansard, there is
reference library of several thousand
volumes. The lower library contains
thousands more, and, when asked Senator
Sherman how many books he had here and
at Washington, he said he thought he must
have in the neighborhood of
FIFTEEN THOUSAND VOLUMES.
In one corner of the library sawthe
great fire-proof vault insvhich the Senator
keeps his private papers, This vault is as
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27
CHAPTER I.

All day the wind had stung as it blew
beneath sky of slate, and even Gramercy
Park looked bleak and cherries while
brougham of elegant trim, with two hveried
men on its box, ratified up to the door OF q
mansion just south of Irving place. The
inmate, young man wrapped to mis- ears in
a huge coat lined with sables, remained in
| side his carriage until the footman's bell
ring had been answered. Then he lightly
| bounded forth upon the pavement, and ran
up the ssoop into the open doorway, which
was Immediately closed behind him by an
other footman inside the nall
'Ts everything ready, Jameson9'
eyes, SIR" replied the man, as tisyoung
master slipped out of thescoat and let Its
big, sumptuous bulk drop into-this third
servants waiting arms. A large mirror
CLEANED opposite the form which has thus
lightly unsheathed itself, and its possessor,
Alonzo Lispenard, gave,a saucy starerat his
own presentment. He saw a man In the
later twenties,of excellent height and-build,
though of meager personal beauty. Bronze
ewes, with a merry spark in them, and
waved hair Of silky yellow did their best to.
keep the face from being commonplace. An
impudent nose somewhat aided it-a nose
with an airy upward slant and little arches
to flank either nostriL
"Oh, I think I'll do he exclaimed, half
to himself and half, asit were, to Jameson,
who grinned serenely. eff the don't like
me this way they'll have to take me, all the
same" wheeled round on one heel and
hurried to the staircase. He had reached
the middle of 1t, taking two steps at q time,
when he suddenly paused, and called over
one shoulder:
ooh, Jameson, are the carpet and the
awning out there9 forgot to notice"
mo, sir, not yet. But they're sure'to be
in time, Mr.. Lispenard."
Alonzo fronted the speaker, and shook
with vehemence an appraised fotefnger,
'Now, Jameson" he cried, Mf anything
goes wrong to-day, you'll not forget it till
your dying hour. To say that you'll merely
Be discharged isnt tanything. I'll have you
traced by detectives to the uttermost parts
of the earth, and the instant you tryto get
q new place they'll prevent you."
He sprang upstairs again, still two steps
at a time, while Jameson watched him with
ewes that twinkled fondly. Just as he dis
appeared, the new English valet, Fletcher,
sauntered from back regions. This person
had sneer on his clean-shorn upper lip as
he muttered to Jameson:
"Well, If he amt one o the reglar
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

chair. 'rBy the way, you're TO be my best
man next April if you will. VIII you?"
Lexington's dark face flushed q Little.
'eWill it9 Thanks immensely, Lonz. II
thought you'd ask Winthrop Delavan."
"Did, your Well, you see haven't, SO
you accept?"
Accept Is there man you know that
wouldn't be delighted2'
''Oh, don't put it that way"
"But 1 do put it that way" persisted
Lexington. He left the aicove and dropped
into a great satin easy-chair near Alonzo,
wheeling it still nearer. He was of good
family, good position, but he had the repu-
tation of being a snob who only courted
the rich and socially powerful. He Hepossess-
ed very small income and was notorious
1dIer. Alonzo had made him several large
loans during the past few years, and not
dime had yet been returned Society,
however, had no shred of proof that this
was true. But It criticised the intimacy
and drew its own rather cynical deductions
ST often tell myself, old fellow, Le1ing.
ton went on, 'ithat you're the most modest
man in creation. Who you are quite
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

the Presidents from Lincoln to Harrison,
and he was as close to President Hayes as
any man in his Cabinet. During our con-
versation asked him what eX-President
Hayes was doing now. Senator Sherman
replied: ''He is living as an ex-President
ought to live. He is rich and he Is devot-
ing his energy and his fortune solely to the
public good. He Is connected with num-
Der of charitable associations and no private
life could be more useful than his He is
about 20 years of age now, but he is in a
good condition physically and intellectu-
ally. He avoids notoriety, and has taken
no part in politics since he left the White
House. I consider him q man of much
greater ability than he is given credit for.
His administration was always burdened
with the question of the legality of his seat,
but he gave the country one of the ablest
administrations of its history, and he was
as good an Executive as the country has
ever had"
BEN BUTLER AND THAD. STEVENS.
"By the way, Senator, I see that Ben
Butler has written book. You must know
him."
eyes," replied Senator Sherman, "Ben
Butler is remarkable character. I first
knew of him during the Charleston Con-
vention of 1860, but did not meet him till
he was Major General during the war. I.
don't think he was Igreat soldier, though
considering the fact that he had no military
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

Author of The House High Bridge "Romance and Reverie
"The Adventures of Widow" songs
and poems and several plays.
WRITTEN FOR THE DISPATCH

bloomin', lah-de-dah, strike-ye-vfth-a-
feather kindi I wonder how YOU could
stand him for SO long time. I begin to
be pretty sure that can't"
Jameson co1ored and scowled. He greatly
liked his young master. To new eyes and
ears Alonzo's manner was no doubt effem-
mate. He often chose to use the treble
| notes of voice that was not devoid of bass
ones, and he gave his body Q too mercurial
twirl, to his shoulders too faciIe shrug
His laugh had sometimes girls own shriil-
ness, and he sometimes used his hands in
gestures that were so. many challenges to
dignity: But those who knew him best
knew him for an athlete of skill, a rider of
pluck, a keen sportsman when laziness let
him shoot and hunt, and mental force re-
plete with every opposite OF womanish
trends and tastes.
The new valet had been in Office hardly q
week yet, and here was not the first slur
that his fellow servants had heard fall from
his lips. He had chosen q dangerous at
mosphere in which to vent his aversion, and
this fact was soon made clear to him in no
careful terms.
Look out, my young sprig of conceit, ."
growled Jameson, whose gray-touched little
thickets of side whisker seemed to bristls
as he spoke, 'or you'll find that the gent
you've engaged with IL send you flynn be-
fore you've had the chance to give varnin'.
And without recommendation, too. Yes
sir; you needn't look sour and uppish. Mr..
Lispenard won't mind that. If you take
him for what you've just called him, you'll
get SO left you won't know Monday from
Saturday week"
The new valet fwho was thought to wear
stays) put a neat white hand on either hip.
He had been in this country three or four
years, and had learned not to squander his
his. But In the excitement of repartee he
now forsook o few of them. With "bloom-
in" "blarsted" and an occasional 'bloody"
as his recurrent adjectives, he declared him
self anxious to learn Of Jameson why he so
admired Mr.. Lispenard. And jameson
swiftly told him.
"He's got his harum-scarum ways" an
nounced the butler in tart semitone, ''but
he's every inch gentleman behind 'em.
His foolin's only like the white of an egg
with big yelk to it. When was sick in
the hospital two years ago he went to see
me twice a week, and put me in room
that must "a cost him 800 q month if 1t
cost cent The man that was here lust
before you got drunk three times and was
forgiven, and at last, when the rascal stole
a scarf pin worth $40, he got his discharge,
but Mr.. Lispensrd shook him by the hand
yes, sir-before he quilted these doors
with his dirty feet, and told him that he
hoped with all his soul not goin' to prison
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

tuents, however, claimed that the Wings
were laughing at the farmers. They carried
seed corn with them to the polls and made
this word the watchword Of their campaign
and elected him. They ran, him for asecond
term against me, but I defeated him. I
was elected by good majority and spent
my first years in Washington during the
Pierce and Buchanan administration"
'TWhat did you think of Buchanan?-
said /:
''I never considered him q great man, I"
replied Senator Sherman, "He was of
ordinary ability and lacked courage. He
was controlled by the Southern Democracy
and was neither bright man nor an able
one. He was opposed to us in the Kansas
Nebraska fight with which I had much to
do and through which came into national
prominence"
Senator Sherman knew President Lin
coin well, and q mutual admiration existed
between them. He was intimate with all
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

big as q hall bedroom. It h filed with
shelves, and it contains tens of thousands of
private letters and documents which would
make the fortune of q Htersteur. Here
there Is q large collection of scrspbooks run
ming back to the time when he entered pub
lie life, nearly 80 years ago, and all the i'm
portant letters which he has received during
his long public career are here. Senator
Sherman has been noted for knowing how
to keep his mouth shut, and public men
have opened their minds to him without
restraint There are volumes of unwritten
history in these letters, and the names
signed to them are those of the great men
and women in nearly every branch of life,
public and private, for the last generation
and half
There are about 10 volumes, each as big es
dictionary, which contain letters put
aside principally for their autographs, and
men not politicians, opened at random to
letters from Jay Gould, Cyrus W. Field,
noted Sisters of Charity, great preachers
and others. As looked, Senator Sherman
told me he thought he could show me an
autograph letter from any noted man I
should select who had, during,,the past 40
years, been prominent either in this coun-
try or in Europe. I ransacked my brain,
and finally asked him to show me letter
from Francis Lieber, the noted German
scholar.
ANY GREAT MAN ON NOTICE
'1 think have several, replied Senator
Sherman, and with that he turned to the
index of another volume, ard then turned
over the leaves until he came to half a
dozen letters which Lieber had written him
concerning the most famous of his books
Among the most interesting letters which
Senator Sherman has ever written are those
which he penned to his brother, General
Sherman, and the correspondence of these
two brothers will, when it is published, be
one of the most valuable and interesting
books of American history. Senator Sher-
man has preserved carefully all the letters
of his brother from the time he went to
West Point to the day of his death, and
these letters were very full and they gave
picture of General Sherman's intellectual
and material life. Many of them are written
in camp, sometimes before a battle and
sometimes on q drum head afterward. All
of them are vivid with the life and sur
roundings of the General at the time, and
they deal with public men and matters of
more than 30 years of our history. One of
them tells of the first discovery of gold in
California and many of them detail the in
side history of army movements which have
never gotten into print.
CHAPTER IL
Some Interesting "reminiscences.
asked Senator Sherman to tell me Of his
80 Ha ra1liad.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

lteU long anu AZ Stet)hen n. douglas.
feet deep, fitted out with all the best stable
requirements. In it found three or four
carriages and half dozen good horses
which the Senator told me were of his own
raising. In the old barn near by were q
number Of Jersey COWS and these are Mrs.
Sherman pets They produce the finest of
milk and cream and Mrs. Sherman has her
butter made under her own supervision.
She is thoroughly domestic in her tastes
and, not long ago she was so proud of her
butter that she had some of it entered at
the County Fair, but left her name out of
the list OF exhibitors and the butter was dis
played as anonymous. The Judge in max
ing the award, gave the premium to an
other butter maker and passed Mrs. Sher-
mans butter on the charge that it was so
yellow that it must have been artifcially
colored Mrs Sherman was naturally very
indignant at the charge, and she cut the
roll of butter up and sent slice of it to
each of the judges with her compliments.
THE SHERMAN RESIDENCE
Senator Sherman's house is an almost
ideal home for a great statesman. 1t is a
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

training, he did fairly well. In politics, he
has always belonged to the school Of infa-
tionists"
From Butler the talk drifted to Thad-
deus Stevens, end Senator Sherman said.
'Thaddeus Stevens and were great
friends, though we were always on different
sides of money questions and he used to say
that my eyes were not big enough to see
anything but gold dollar. He was man
innate wit. He was an ardent supporter of
mine at the time of the long Speakership
contest of 1859, when for eight weeks, the
House balloted for Speaker. When saw
that there was danger that Democrat
might be elected, all of my friends except
two said they would vote for any one I
selected, and these two were Thaddeus
Stevens and Mr.. Spinner, who was after
ward Treasurer. They refused to compro-
mise on any one and Thaddeus Stevens said
that he would vote for Sherman till the
crack of doom. Notwithstanding this, 1
picked out Pennington, of New Jersey, as
the candidate in my place. My friends
voted for him and enough others came in to
secure his election, but it was so arranged
that, to bring about the election, Thaddeus
Stevens had to vote for Pennington. As he
did so, one of the Congressman rushed owe r
to him and said, "Mr. Stevens, I thou ght
you had sworn to vote for Sherman till the
crack of DOOM"
"well," whispered Stevens, as he pulled
the man over and put his mouth to his ear,
81 think hear it cracking"
dying MAN WHO COULD JOKE.
"Thaddeus Stevens was quite i'll for some
years before he died." Senator Sherman
went on. "He knew he had to die soon,
but this never affected his spirits During
his last days in Congress he had to be lifted
out of his carriage and carried up the steps
to the Capitol He was q very heavy man
and he had two big, burly negroes to carry
him. One day, just few weeks before his
death, when these young fellows. after
great labor, landed him on the top he said
as he paid them: Boys, 1 don't know what
I'll do when you die.
Senator Sherman has travelled through
every part of the United States. He has
visited every State and Territory number
of times He has made several trips to Eu-
rope, and, during his visit of 1857, he had
some remarkable experiences During our
talk the question of Prince Bismarck's re-
tirement to private life came up, and
asked him if he had ever met Bismarck.
He replied: 81 met him in 1867. 1t was
at Berlin, and we had long talk together.
The greater part of our conversation was as
to the war, which had Just then closed, and
Bismarck told me that he was glad to say
that the sympathies of every man in Ger
many, from the king in his palace to the
peasant in his cottage, were with the North
in that struggle. Bismarck was in his
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27
CHAPTER i.
SENATOR, sHERMkE'SsRon1A

Mansfield, Senator Sherman's home, Is
situated on the highest point in Ohio. 1t is
G beautiful town of about $4,000 people,
with streets Ecrossing each other at right
angles, and running out from public park,
filed with old forest trees, which lies In its
center The town covers half dozen hills
and the rich farming country surrounding
it is picturesque and rolling. The best
street of Mansfield runs from the park di-
Tectly westward. 1t is lined with green
lawns and avenues of maple trees, and, about
q mile from the park stands the residence
of Senator Sherman This is right in the
city. but it has 20 acres Of velvety lawn
about it and great pine, elm and chestnut
trees interlock their branches about the
house and make the semi-circular roadway
which leads up to it wooded drive.
The half-moon lawn which lies IN
front Of the house is, Judge, at least
200 feet deep, and Mansfield people use this
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

peculiar old red sandstone, streaked with
golden yellow, in all the variations of the
onyx or the agate. Passing over porch
about 10 feet wide, you enter through the
front door into generous hall which, in
the shape Of a capital L, makes, in fact, two
good sitting rooms. At your right on the
wall hangs pair OF antlers which Senator
Sherman got in his trip over the Canadian
Pacific, and at the right and left are doors
opening into the parlors.
Around at the other end of the hall, is the
dining room, which is, judge, about 25
feet square, and back of this through o
buffers pantry, is big kitchen lighted by
many windows and finished in the cleanest
Of Georgia pine. 1 found Mrs Sherman
with a great sunshade on her head, peeliug
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

Senator Sherman,
and 1 have had two
interviews with
him during the
past three days
The greater part of
our conversation
was in the way of
chatty reminis-
cences, and this
covered the Sena-
tors public career
running back to
the days Of Presi-
dent tFtank.Pferce.
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

Dig tWo-story and
mansard brick, so
feet long and per-
haps 90 feet deep,
and it has wi d e
porches, big windows
and beautiful views.
1t is by no means a
grand house nor q
gorgeous one. Every
part of 1t is simplic-
;ty personifsd, but
it impresses you as
being a most comfort
a b e home. Th Q
brick is painted drab
and the windows,
steps and front doors
are finished in q
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

''I first visited WASH
ington in 1916, eight
years before 1 was
elected to Congress.
1 spent a m IN t h
there at this time. I
lived at Browns Ho-
tel and met most of
the noted men. I
called upon President
. Polk at the White
-House. He looked
more like a Presby-
terian preacher than
anything else, and I
Uas not parfinulariv
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27
"Did YOU meet Kaiser Wilhelm?"
A MEETING WITH ROYALTY.

AT the time OF the international E4posl-
tion of 1867 was presented by our Minister
to France, Hon. John A Dix, to the
French Emperor, Napoleon I'LL. to Gar
Alexander Of Russia and to King William
of Prussia The audience was in the Palace
of the Tuilleries. We were in evening
dress, with knee breeches and stockings,
and I remember Fernando Wood was pre-.
sented with me. We stood at the side OF
the long hall with the Minister as the i'm
perial procession entered Napoleon III.
came first, with Russian princess on his
arm, tho Gar of all the Russians came SEQ
ond, accompanied by Eugenie, the Empress
of the French, and following up the rear as
third in rank, with Prince Bismarck and
other minor great men behind him, came
King William of Prussia.
81 have often thought of what change
there would have been in that procession
had its members come together five years
later. Within five years Napoleon had
fallen from being the greatest emperor In
Europe, through the Franco-Prussian War,
into the existence of an exile at Chisel-
hurst, England. King William, by the
consolidation of the German Confederation,
was the head Of the great German Empire
and, with his victorious armies, had taken
Napoleon's place as the dictator of the
Continent. Bismarck as his Premier was
controlling the destiny of nations, Gar
Alexander II. was still on the throne of
Russia, but his days were numbered, and it
was not many years thereafter that he was
assassinated As it was, I was impressed
by the character of Napoleon. 1 dined
with him later in my visit and found him
very able man. The chief subject of our
con versation after this was, as in my talk
with Bismarck, the war."
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27
scared to death when they put the gavel in
NV hand, but got through somehow.
DEFEATED CEEDKoRN LNDsKY...
"When was nominated for Congress I
had left Mansfield to practice law at Cleve-

land but, on hear
ing of my nomina-
tion, I came back.
My opponent was
an old farmer
named Lindsey,
whom they called
sCeedkorn' Lind
sey. He had been
in Congress before
and had gotten the
title during his first
campaign, from q
letter which he had
written to one of
his supporters in
which he spelled
seed corn Deed
U1os uio nnnefi
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

paper paragraphers
in much the same
way az the express
sion he used before
@ former senatorial
election. Then he
said he was coming
home to fix his
fences, and now he
can build a barn.
He has built the
barn in reality. It
cost $1,000 and is.
q pretty cottage
like house about 90
r. - - Al