Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-08-04


nouncing that the President had sent
TO the Senate the nomination of Watson
r. Sperry. editor of the Morning Mems
of this city, as Persian minister, a rep
resentatiyc of the GAZETTE called on
Mr.. Sperry to offer congratulations on
the distinction preferred him,
Mr.. Sperry was found in his study
enjoying smoker" in the company of
two or three intimate friends. The
minister in esse was in the best of
spirits. The fluctuations from the
GAZETTE were received with hearty and
thorough expressions of appreciation.
"Yes," Mr.. Sperry continued in reply
to the reporters interrogatories, ~ tele-
graphed Wednesday to Washington that
would accept"
"The first heard of it was last Sun
day week when gentleman called
here. He was authorized by the Secre-
tary of State to make the profler. He
said could have the position if | de.
sired it. While ready to decline all
offers of political nature this was one
thought | would consult upon with
my family. They arc away in New
York state just now. On receiving
word from them Wednesday / tole-
graphed to Washington in the affirm
alive"
Mr.. Sperry then went on to explain
that that was all that there was in the
matter. He knew literally nothing Of it
previous to Sunday last.
The reporter naturally pressed for
some information as to the definite
source from which the offer Of the posi-
ton emanated.
WHERE DID 1T COME FRoM.s
III haven't anything to say on that
point" was the reply. 1t could not be
ascertained from what direction the
Influence" came, whether 1t was the
result of Senator Higgins action,
whether purely administrational, or to
-Higginsisin, or again whether itcan
be ascribed, as is wickedly noised
around town, as the dernier resort Of a
political tangle the only solution of
which is Mr.. Sperry's eXpatriation-
nothing could be ascertained from the
distinguished beneficiary in regard to
this present strange outcome of Republic
can politics in Delaware.
HE LIKES FOREIGN TRAVEL.
Mr.. Sperry is very much pleased over
the prospects of foreign travel
PERSIA" he continued, sis almost the
garden spot of ancient history. 1t is
equally interesting also in connection
with modern political movements. Eng
land and Russia arc vitality interested in
that country. 1t is one of the links in
the great eastern question. The neigh
boring territory of Afghanistan is the
future battle ground of those two en-
pires."
As Mr.. Sperry talked memories of the
delightful magazine stories from Persia
of former cultured United States min
lister at Teheran, Mr.. Benjamin, were
brought to mind,
II have no idea, of course, how soon
shall leave. 1t has all come so suddenly"
Mr.. Sperry continued. "Of course |
shall be under orders from the depart
ment and my movements will be gov
erned accordingly" Mr.. Sperry sup.
posed that his family will go with him.
ATTEMPTED INTIMIDATION.
"What about the Asiatic cholera, Mr..
Sperry?" the reporter exclaimed in an
untimely impulse of memory, ''are you
not going right into the hotbed of it?"
The new minister hesitated for q
moment and there was a suspicion of
seriousness 'clouding the hitherto pleas
ant features.
"Cholera what do | care for cholera
Il think don't mind that
There was a pause for moment as
the reporter ATTEMPTED to quote the 100
deaths reported daily at Astrakhan, and
the 200 per diem list at the farther east
Baku, and then in Persia itself still
still worse
swell, you remember" the new min
lister Broke in, "there is no happier death
than in the service of ones country"
Then the reporter bethought himself to
inquire what the editors dispositions il
regard to the conduct of the paper
would be in the long interim OF MS
absence in Teheran, Emory Smith OF
the Press, was in st. Petersburg, and
a Whitelaw Reid of the 1ribune, was in
u Paris. But Mr.. Sperry's prospective
home is thousands of miles beyond
either. The two European capitals are
d in hourly connection with New York.
But it is big roundabout and an ex-
pensive one, Geographically, by the
~ Tigris Valley, by Alden, Suez, and the
Mediterranean.
Sperry replied, 'does not depend on
any one man."
Ia "But suppose" he continued, smil-
ing. ''it may be possible that may have
some nature of identification with the
paper even from the far distant Persian
capital"
.4 WATSON Il. sPERRY.
Watson Robertson Sperry, editor and
proprietor of the lMoreing NeiDs of this
& city, whose nomination by the President
as resident minister 10 Persia and con-
d sul-general in that country for the
IA United States, was born at Saqucit,
Oneida county, N. Y, in 1912 His
y father was the Rev. Lyman Sperry of
n Stockbridge, Mass. He is of Huguenot
descent. His mother is of Scottish ex-
traction. At Is years of age he was
placed in printing office at Unadilla,
also in Otsego county, where his parents
resided at the time. At 21 he was en-
gagged as an editorial writer for the
r Otsego Republican. He passed through
two of the local academies, and, enter
ing Yale University in 1867, gradu-
ated with high honors in 1871. His
college course was unusually brilliant.
He won repeated distinctions, inclusive
of the "Yalc Literary Prize" Within
week of his graduation he secured a
position on the editorial staff of the New
York Egening Post. Thus at the verge
,of his professional career he was thrown
4 Al Al