Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-10-15
Governor Peck on Senator Spooner.

Soon after Senator Spooner took
his seat in the United States senate,
Governor Peck was in Washington
and wrote the following concern
ing him, which was published in
Peck's Sun of February 4, 1886.
Governor Peck is now running
against Senator Spooner and what
he says concerning the smart Alexis
will fit him just now, for he, too,
will find John Spooner enough for
him before he gets through with
MIN:
"a few weeks ago | was in
Washington, aud | was kept mad
about half the time at the slur- that
were published in the papers of that
city and New York about our little
Wisconsin senator, and some of the
joking remarks made by my friends
IN Newspaper Row about the little
Wisconsin shrimp almost got me
into several hair-pulling scrapes.
came pretty near walking on the
ribs of one correspondent Of a New
York paper, but | thought if | got
into row there il would be laid up
against the reform ad miuietration.
What in the world got the fools to
abusing John Spooner, and making
fun Of him, is more than | can
imagine, but the first two months of
his senatorial career have been any
thing but pleasant. John would
give half he is worth if he could
be four inches taller. He is quite
sensitive about his size and when
the papers spoke of him being
mistaken for page, | am sure he
felt real vexed. | told some of the
galoots who were making it hot f,r
him that he could raise brain to ag'
to newspaper correspondents, but
they wouldn't believe it. There is
probably not five correspondents in
Washington but believe they would
make ADLER senators than John
| Spooner. That is they believed it
two weeks ago When they read
that Spooner had been selected to
deliver a enlogy on Hendricks they
laughed, and said no doubt he
could write a pretty fair funeral
notice, and they went to the senate
last Wednesday to have some fun
with the little shrimp. They
wanted to see if he could read man
uscript, and wondered if he could
talk out loud SO anyone could hear
him. They joked considerable,
while Evarts, aud Voorhees,, and
others were speaking, about the lit
, tie kindergarten cuss from Wis
consin, and hoped he would get
frightened and faint away Well,
the young mans turn came after
awhile, and be got up as self
possessed as Matt. Carpenter ever
did, and with no manuscript he
said, "Mr. President" The report.
ere heard him ana were somewhat
surprised. There was certain
facinatlou about the first two words
uttered by the little man that
caused every nearer to listen, aud
then he went on with his remarks,
which were very good, and in ten
minutes he maze a reputation such
rs no man had made before in ten
, years. Every word was uttered as
though just coined In pure gold
from the mint, and his remarks as q
whole were the best made by any
senator. Before he had talked two
minutes he was tall enough for any
reporter to see him, and when he
had concluded he was bigger than %
giant. The other senators con
graduated MIN and gathered around
him, and the little shrimp was as
cool and collected as though he uad
been delivering eulogies on dead
statesmen all his life. Before night
he was the best known senator in
Washington, and the next morning
kilograms reached him from friends
everywhere, aud reporters that had
made fun Of the Wisconsin specimen
LOT condensed milk skunk off 60
.agu lodgings and tei, smaller than
3 john ever looked 10 them. / would
. have given a small fortune, if | mad
enc. to have been iu the reporters
| gallery of the senate on that
occasion, TO have gone up to one or
two corresp ondeuts l know of, and
: put my fist uudgr their noses, and
asked how the little man was for
"high," and if they didn't think he
would count for "game." These
smart Alexis will find John
Spooner enough for them before
l Il.