The sun., 1891-07-05
RANDOM JoTS or THE WEEK.
Views AND IDEAS OF JOHN sw1vrox


-ssnmwood-A Queer Experienee In Lifs.
Ap old millionaire OF this city whose millions
| number more than the years OF his life In still
as eager as ever he was in the pursuit Of
| money. though he could not hereafter spend
the wealth he already owns II he wore to live st
the rate OF millions year. Whom I asked a.
intimate friend OF his to account for this. was
told that he finds his enjoyment In financial
operations which keep his mind active. stimu.
late his interest In mundane Affairs, and tahe
| up the time that would otherwise hang heavily
on his hands. 1t may be go. There are men h
other pursuits who. all through the years q
age keep up their activity and ind the On.
joyment of life in keeping 1t un Hum.
boidt was wrapped mp In his sca.
entiflc studies till he.w nearly ninety. and
COMPLETED his "kosmos" Just before his death.
Goethe was literary deyotee till he was ovee
| eighty. Whittier Ia poet still. though born In
1907 and 30 is Holmes. though nearly ~ old.
Senator Morrill, of Vermont is deep In politics,
though over eighty. and began now term u
six years In the Senate last March. Commo-
dore Vanderbilt was interested in Americas
| railroads and George Bancroft In American
hisor till over eighty and the elder Bennett
kept up his interest In his paper till Els deatA
at nearly eighty. There is q veteran sports.
man of ninety in Connecticut who yet likes
fishing and squirrel hunting. and onee knew
an octoeenarian gambler who closely followed
the games. 1t may be that tho aged million.
aire of whom I spoke at the opening OF this
paragraph keeps on piling up his milltoua
these si other men have HundM 4 In R tSelr pursI,ts.
that activity which keeps the mind from rust
ing and that enjoyment which is desirable all
through lite.
There are but few mon who understand
grammar" according to Judge McAdam. whe
made the remark after his election as Presi.
dent Of the Society OF Medical Jurisprudenos,
Yet the grammar OF tho English speech 10
taught in all the public schools and is not be-
yond tho understanding OF scholars with or.
dinnry brains. There is no doubt that very
many people-even sensible people-are In
their dialogue Needless OF the grammar which
they understand we'll enough. and thus fail to
give their thoughts with the precision that is
desirable. Hence misunderstandings out OF
are subject to constant suffering throush
the slipshod ways OF speaking and writing that
SPREAD disregard Of IOrS ana ana iss ACE
Irecall dialogue that onoe held In this
city with Henry Wilson. the Natick cobblex.
whom he was ice-President Of the United
States In the course Of the dialogue asked
him whether. looking over his experiences In
life and with mankind. he thought better or
worse of human nature than he did In his early
years. Better" he quickly replied. "bettsr
than In the times when knew less OF IT." and
then the Vice-President proceeded to dilste
Upon the subject. He said that though he had.
seen a great deal OF evil in life and in the
world and knew quite enough about the bad
side Of human nature. yet he had come to
realize that much Of tho i'll doing Of mankind
did not arise from malicious intent; that even
the orst deeds did not always procsed from
the worst motives or from the design to bring
about the bale that grew out OF them. and that
much OF human w1ongdoinR was the result OF
shortsghtedness. ignorance. or rbsssion: while.
furthermore. well-msanine mon. with wall
meant polleies. often brought, rpin By their
bS Ffesident. while my views of S namsn aHs
nature are drawn from ny knowisdse o. man. =.
ana When hin sSas suc
s os ea .sd a:Ss aS a bss
any kind Of hereto.
said the actor. 80 are tho sermons" said the
preacher. 80 are the books" said tho pub.
Usher. so are the pictures" said the psint-
er. And SO are the SONGS" said the rhyming
cync. You can easily get rid OF sentiment By
coming to our shop" said tho retail grocer:
or to the Stock Exchange" said tho broker;
"or to our saloon" " said the barkeeper: :. or to
looking at our machinery." said the ensinser:
Then al the ten ser seatinpentaists A., joined their
Let mo say a few words here In praise OF the
brave pioneer OF Kansas. Sam Wood. who was
assassin ated in that State few days ago,
When went to the newly opened Territory Of
Kansas nearly thirty-fve years ago. Ii the
times Of John Brown of Ossawattomie. during
the Free Soil struggle there. I met young Sam
W@aI InI ~ -
lawyer in the rough and warlike frontier
town of Lawrence. Everybody there liked
sam. rs he liked everybody He was an ora
tor and fighter; he was open-minded. true.
hearted and free-handed: he was at once
earnest and gay. both enthusiastic and witty.
always ready for q case In court. buffalo
hunt on the plains. a trade In town lots, an
adventure in new regions unvexed By
suuatters. or skirmish with the Border
Rufiians." He had that Quick genius and
those decisive ways which character
lied tho far Westerners. as. know
them long ago. He had gone to
Kansas from Ohio. where I believe. hs had
been born and raised. and he had gone therO
for tho same reason that John Brown went
He did great service for Kansas as stump
speaker. a member OF the Legislature. and Q
resolu,e champion OF the principles through
which 1t afterward became free state. When
JOS. S. sish5 q sam am Woo, and heard sSs from
rent me a letter. and again. shortly before his
recent .,ea,h Iy The assassin's % %bullst hs sent
he was Yet the Sam Wood OF old-brisht, eenisI.
humorous. pluckv. and warm-hearted. DO
mot uy irGm tbs hs Espors IT, or.
pioneer was slain. but believe that It was 10
revenge by rival who had failed to get the
career of n mnn who was one Of the most
picturesque figures In the early history OF
Kane as and has wi lowed the true hearted wife
who has lived In his life for nearly forty years.
A friend has told me OF a queer experience
OF his. from which philosopher NAV draws
thought. Last year he was sent abroad to Q
quier thorp by his doctor on account OF some
pudder In his brain which had affected his