The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-03-16

conference. Wo were dismissed, md rs
we broke ranks one OF my lleutcnants
said to me:
"'Steye'--hc called mo captain when
he was in the ranks, but Steve when of
duty-'sterc,' said lie, Il wish VIC could
sec more OF that great general. Can't
wo get in?'
az don't know aaid.I, let's try
and with that We pushed pur way in
and listened to the conference. know
Twas greatly impressed by 1t and
thought TO myself that this was tho way
history was mado. 81 Z
"Wcll." Mr.. Elkins continued, II did
not SEQ General Schoheld to speak with
him from that day until met him here
as aocretary OF war, when he came as
general Of tho army to payhis respects
to me as his superior olllcer,@s ,6sr ft35
HOW ELKlNs WENT TO. SEw MEXICO.
"llowd you como to 90 to Now
Mexico, Mr.. Secretary" asked. ''2'r.
II left tho army replied Secretary
Elkins, "about eight months before tho
close OF tho war. could not got sent
to tho front with Grant. or Sherman, us
! wished, and / could not fight my
friends at my own home,1so | asked
General Ewing to lot MO resign and ho
did SO. started west with tho idea Of
going to Arizona. That territory had
just been laid out and n governor and
other officers had been appointed ITO
take charge OF 1t. Among 5theso were
Richard q. Mccormick, tho son.in.law
OF Senator Thurman, who waste DO the
secretary OF tho now territory. Twas
in New York with these men, and it
was my intention to 60 around To- Cali
iornia by the Isthmus OF Panama, and
from thence to work my way through to
Arizona. We would hnyo had toHpay
our passage in gold, and gold was then
at premium OF 200, and there was dan
ger that our ship would be captured by
the rebel vessel under Admiral Sommes.
In talking over tito mat:erwith Mr.. Nc.
Cormicl; found they had decided to 90
west and cross the plains. They asked
me to so with them and l did 30. We
won't in wagons, and had two largo trains
with military escorsto keep off the In.
dams. II, took us three months 10 get
to. Albuquerque, and you cannot i'm
agine the hardships OF the trip. We
Travelled over that great American desert
day after day, until our eyes were sore
and our souls werU sick with its bleak
ness and barrenuess.i Everything was
dry, dusty and arid, and when / met
some friends ut Albuquerque who had
come west, they persuaded inc no. to 70
further, but to join them and remain in
New Mexico. So ] told Mr.. Mccormick
that would not 60 to Arizona, and l
travelled with MY friends down TO tho
town OF Messilla, near I'll Paso, and
there began the practice OF law.
LAW PRACTICE AMONG THE MExIcASs.
u had been atudying Spanish" con.
tinued the secretary, "while we crossed
the plains, and l found l could do moth
ing in New Mexico unless could sneak
it. All the courts were in Spanish, the
government proceedings OF all kinds
were in Spanish, and it was impossible
to do anything without it. My first
case tried in broken Spanish, and / re-
member | got $40 for it. 1t tool, mo
about five minutes, and it was the first
money had ever made. l remember
looking at it and thinking had made
it very easily and feeling very proud
OF it.
II soon got plenty TO do. My Spanish
improved and Twas made 4 candidate
for the legislature, where all the pro-
ceedings were in Spanish. first at
tempted to speak through an interpre-
ter, but / did SO poorly tit that I dis
missed the interpreter and begged the
pardon OF the legislature for my broken
Spanish and made my speeches rs we'll
us l. could. was well grounded in
Greek and Latin. l knew the verbs
thoroughly, and l soon found that 1 had
mastered the language, and to-day
can speak Spanish fairly well. I was
not anxious to be in the legislature nor
had any intention at this time OF stay.
ing in New Mexico. My idcawas that
l would 80 back to st. Louis and prac-
tice law. The legislature was held at
Santa Fc, and during my term there
had a little law practice and at the close
OF it I found til at had saved $500.
1.-THE lawyers of New Mexico then
travelled in circuit, going from ono
court to, another and taking what prac-
tice came to them at the various county
seats. l was asked BY some OF the law
vers to make the circuit with them at
the close of my legislative term, andlI
did so. / found had plenty to do and
at some places | made very good fees.
The result was that when I got back to
Santa Fe was 81 600 ahead. went
on with the lawyers through the circuit
to Mcssilla and there had good prac-
tice, and in short time found to my
surprise that my savings amounted to
$4,000. Money was then bringing from
twenty to thirty per cent year, and
when l found that this money would
bring me in an income OF from two &c
three thousand dollars year and that
it was SO easily made, I saw this was
better than l could possibly do in St.
Louis, where l would have to probably
starve for years before made q compe-
tency, and decided to stay"
WEST vInGIN1A's FUTURE.
"{ou did not 60 baclz,to New Mexico
after leaving Congress: n,
OF late years, howe yer, 1 have beer
concentrating my energies in West
Virginia. and Senator Davis and n.y.
self aro doing all we can to develop that
State and its resources. We believe il
Is one OF the best States in the Union
and it has coal area larger than Penn.
sylvania and larger than. tho combincC
coal areas OF England, France and Ger
many. 1t has 10000 square miles OF Goa
lands. 1t has vast forests OF the finest
timber and its situation is the choicest
OF any State OF tho Union. It is within
one hundred miles OF the great lakes
and h;,, = ~.