The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-18

him half minute and then his homely
mouth twitched, a laughing look crept
into his eyes and he leaned over, and
putting his hand on Ganson's knee. said
in the most quizzical tones, these words:
" Cans, why don't you shaver
This was all Ganson could get out OF
him, and there was in fact no more
cautious president in our history than
Abraham Lincoln"
HOW LINCOLN WON CASE.
president Lincoln continued Mr..
Depew, twas one of the greatest men l
have ever met, and he was the best story
teller have ever listened to. He knew
how to frame story, and he located his
anecdotes so they seemed to be made for
the very occasion upon which he uttered
them, and, when finished. they fitted the
question at issue like glove and supported
Lincoln's idea better than volumes of logic.
l remember one OF the stories he
speech I made concerning Henry Ward
Beecher. The story was about trial in
which Lincoln was defending a man for
having committed assault and battery.
Lincoln's client pleaded not guilty of the
charge, but the circumstantial evidence
was against him. Said he to me:
There had been no witnesses to the as
SAUL, DuL tue IlNQ DGcn OdttClCA
and mashed out of all recognition. His
eyes were BACKED, his right ear cut and his
nose was broken. Ny man, on the other
hand did not show scratch, and saw at
once that could not clear my client I'M
less | could turn the whole affair into ridi-
Guile. The plaintiff was in court. and he
had the sympathy of the jury. L
saw, however, that he was rather
a conceited fellow, and | hoped by chatting
hf,,, 10 hin, RI annlofhIn0 that
would let us off. He was put on the stand
and l said rather iocularly, Now, John. |
reckon this was pretty much of fight that
you and Jim had here. Now, wasn't it,
John?'
Yes said the wounded man with a
grin, falling in with my mood, 1t was
devil of fight.
".Well, now, JOHN said L, Il want you
to tell the Jury here Just how many acres
Jim and you fought over in this hight
John did not see my point. He laughed
and said:
'.'Well, Mr.. Lincoln, suppose it might
have been six acres
"Well," | continued as looked at his
battered face and then at the uninjured
condition of my client. Now, John, don't
you think you got mighty small crop OF
lighting off of mighty big farm?'
''At this the crowd burst into laugh, the
jury laughed, the lawyers laughed and fin
ally the plaintiff got to laughing, and in
fact we laughed the whole case out OF
court"
II used the story at the close of the
Beecher-Tilton trial. The trial hung on
for six months, and the jury did not agree
at the close of it. Beecher was a resident
of Peekskili, where / was living, and at
the close of the trial the people there gave
HIM a congratulatory meeting, vindicat-
ing their faith in him. | was among the
audience, and after the leading butcher,
the baker and candlestick-maker, the lead
ing merchant and undertaken, etc, had
made speeches in favor of Mr.. Beecher.
they happened to see me in the crowd.
had just arrived from New York. and Henry
Ward Beecher sent down man to see
me and urged me to come up and make q
speech. / said 1 was not prepared, but
upon the mans saying that Beecher had
said that speech from me would be of
more weight than all the speeches together
| went upon the platform and told Lin
coins story, applying it to the Beecher-
Tilton trial, and saying that for the size
fought, it seemed to me that the enemies
of Mr.. Beecher had gotten mighty small
crop. The story took. 1t was telegraphed
off that night to the newspapers and it
was published in nearly all the big papers
of Europe"
WHY CHAUNCEY DEPEw REFUSED THE JAPAN
MISSION.
Chauncey Depew was offered by Presi-
dent Lincoln the mission to Japan when
he was still under thirty. Had he ac-
cepted it, he would probably have been
the youngest foreign minister in our his
tory. His name was sent into the Senate,
and he was confirmed, but he refused to
take the place, and asked him this after
noon why he did so.
He replied, "My refusal to take the
mission to Japan was the turning point in
my life. considered it 80 then, and as !
look back l see that it was so now. rea-
soned in this way: If l go to Japan my
career must be political one. ]
will have four years of diplomatic service
in the East and then if do well I NAV
possibly be transferred to one of the mis-
sions in Europe. I will be kept there four
years and then, whether the administers
tion changes or not, l am sure to be re-
called for we never keep a minister abroad
more than eight years at time. AS it is,
am about 80 years old, have fair prac-
tlce and good acquaintance. Mr.. Van
derbllt has offered me the attorneyship OF
the New York Central railroad. 1t is a
small corporation but it may grow
and if it does l may grow with it.
1t stay abroad eight years | will lose my
practice and after having had barely enough
TO live upon abroad, will come back with
changed habits, no money, and tit for
nothing but politics. l stay in politics, /
may then get TO Congress and the Senate.
but these places will not pay me. and
when get to about 56. Wilt be dropped
out, and like as not will get to be a gov
eminent clerk and will end by going over
the hills to the poorhouse. On the other
hand, II stay. my practice will grow, and
will soon have enough to get married.
and want to go To the Senate or get a
mission when grow old, can get it, and
so decided to stay at home, and | have
never regretted it,"
"ies, said 1, land after you had made
reputation and competency you had a
chance to go to the Senate. Why did you
not accept that?"
,"Well." reptile Mr.. Depew, ''I had not
men gotten to be president of the New
York Central railroad"
And how about the future?"
a wise man has no time to think about
the future. AS for me, | find it keeps me
busy to keen up with the present"
by this time the train had reached
Pawllng, and our conversation was over
Mr.. Depew and myself got out of the cars
together. The arms of the rich railroad
president were full of bundles which he
was carrying home To his children, and as
ne stepped across the street to the motel
Mrs. Depew, couple of bright-looking
little girls and young Chauncey Mitchell
pepew were on the steps TO meet him. As
stood on the steps of the car going back
TO New York, | saw him kiss them all
around, and as the cars whisked me away
ms hearty laugh mingled with that of his
children rang out and he seemed as far
away from capitalists. railroads, politics
ana society az though these things were
not In existence and his only world was
home. FRANK. G. CARPENTER.
THE WHITE HEAT.
Dare Won sec a soul a. the white heat?