The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1893-03-11
LINCOLN IN A TIGHT PLACE.
aTeII Me Truly What Is the Best
Gauge"

Gauge
ITO me- said G. p Huntington to a
writer in Kate Fields Washington,
Abraham Lincoln was the finest char
acter of this generation l esteem it the
privilege of my life to have known him,
| for to know him was to believe in the
divinity of human nature. You don t
know, SO I'll tell you, that it was left
by law to President Lincoln to decide
upon the gauge of the Pacific railroads.
At that time-the spring or winter OF
1863. think railroads had different
| gauges; the South had feet, the
North had feet 81 inches, the roads
from New York to st. Louis measured
6 feet, aud the road from st. Louis to
Kansas City 81 feet. 1t was imperative
that there should be a uniform gauge,
which eventually came to pass. Now,
by the concensus of expert opinion it
has been fixed at 4 feet 81 inches,
though there are few narrow-gauge
roads of feet.
In order to get Central Pacific mat
ters before Congress, spent months at
Washington. The President referred
this matter of gauging to John 7.
Usher, Secretary of the Interior, who
was requested to collect data and pre-
sent report to the President.
Before Usher made his report /
called at the White House and saw the
President. Mr. Lincoln / said, /
have been dilatory not from choice but
necessity. L now have the reports of
five engineers in favor of 6-foot gauge,
which l desire to present to you for
consideration before you give your
ultimatum.'
'I'll hear you next Friday at IL
o'clock a. m., replied Mr.. Lincoln.
That was more than had expected.
[ telegraphed to G. t. NJ. Davis, for
merly of Springfield, ILL.,, to come from
New York, where he then resided, and
make. the argument. He was a per-
sonal friend of Lincoln and an able
man. He and [ were promptly at the
White House at IL o'clock, but the
President did not receive us until IL. 40.
The cabinet met at noon so that Davis
had only time to shake hands with the
President and say few words before
the officials arrived. Lincoln permit
ted him to proceed. This did not
please Seward, who lived on the New
York Central and wanted gauge of 4
feet 81 inches. Addressing the Presi-
dent in his own peculiar way the Sec
retary of State exclaimed Mr.. Presi-
dent, what kind of a meeting have we
to- day 2 r-atr
"a meeting of the cabinet and their
friends, replied Lincoln with dignifed
composure. Go on, Colonel Davis.
Davis went on. At the conclusion
of his argument the President addressed
him thus J.: OF the merits of the case /
know nothing. There are so many
things of which [ know nothing as to
make it absolutely necessary for me to
trust to others. 1 call in men for that
purpose. I depend on their Judgment
and find when too late that their ad-
vice has been far more selfish than pa
triotic. Tell me truly what is the best
gauge?' t=i
The pathos of Lincoln's appeal was
sublime The mans whole nature was
unveiled. He was as true as steel to.
duty, as sympathetic by nature as
woman. l wouldn't have lied to him
for the whole Central Pacific Road.
The decision was in favor of 5-foot
gauge, but the later uniform gauge,
three and half inches less, is perhaps
better. did not think so then, nor
did experts. All, Lincoln was grand
man"