Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-02-09
Mr.. Blaine in the Old Days.

Tribune.
HE came here a Whig from Ken
tucky," said Howard Owen, once fore
man of The kennebec Journal, land
with his yirile pen made things hum.
His great command of language showed
ITSELF of course, in his editorials. All,
L remember so well how he used to write
those lines. l lived in his family for a
year. Just as soon as the supper was
eaten, and before there was even a
chance to clear off the dishes he would
take up the tablecloth, and sometimes
in his hurry and impetuosity he would
shy dish or two on the floor. Then
he would write on the table, and write
far into the night. He never re-wrote,
but his interlineations made havoc of
his copy and made the compositors say
hard things of him. He would call me
from bed even at midnight to hear his
editorials. l would hear him calling,
Howard, Howard, come down stairs
and hear this. Then l always knew
that he had done something that he
thought particularly fine.
"He was the soul of kindness, and
was always doing things to help some
one. l remember there was printer in
the employ of the Journal who was
worthless sort of a fellow and who was
continually going wrong. Blaine toler-
ated him in the office because he knew
that in no other way could this man earn
even pittance. He was much more of
of hindrance than help. Still Blaine
tolerated him, and when he went to
Washington he took this fellow with
him and found a place for him in the
Government offices. There he staid till
he died and then Blaine took care of his
widow. He was bound up in the peO-
pie of Augusta, and anything that he
could do for them he did.
ITO show you an illustration of this
spirit. There was a man, now dead,
George w. Ladd by name, who had re-
ceived wound on his leg in the war,
and who was in receipt of a pension.
He wanted the pension made larger. He
had lawyers working for him that
couldn't seem to do anything for him,so
one day some of his friends here wrote
to Blaine. By the return mail caae the
answer, : go to the Pension Depart
ment this afternoon. 1t was not week
before that pension was increased. That
characteristic of loyalty to his friends
was one that stood out in his life with
distinctness. This talk about Blaine
becoming Catholic is all wrong. He
joined a Congregational Church here
when the Rev. DR.. Webb was its pastor.
| DR.. Webb has since been pastor of the
hlWmut Congregational Church in
| / o ton. They were close friends, and
he still holds his membership in that
very same church. He-had a great re-
spect for the faith of his mother, who
was Roman Catholic, but he never
leaned toward it in anydegree. 1t is fact
not generally known that Blaine was
man who was much in what one may
call devout frame of mind. There was
no cant about him, nor did he assume
that he was better than those around
him. But he realized the great truths
of life and eternity.
"Why, for three seasons he taught
class of men and women in Sunday
school in the Peoples Hall, which had
been established by this Congregational
Church. 1t was in the district which
was the Five Points of Augusta. He
used to prepare himself with the same
fervor and enthusiasm that he carried
into everything. The pupils used to
| come in their shirt sleeves. l meet
some of them occasionally to-day who
refer to his influence over them, and the
fact that they forsook their lives of de-
graduation under his teachings"
Living directly across the street from
the dismal and closed residence or Mr..
Blaine is Mrs. SylvanuS Caldwell, whose
husband was cousin of Mrs. Blaine.
Here he was a frequent visitor, and Mrs.
Caldwell tells some characteristic incl
statesman.
"a great many years ago." said she,
"Alr Blaine said to my husband: If
you will buy that house | will buy this
one. My husband agreed, and so the
houses were bought opposite, as you see.
What he was to the country he was not
to us, and what he was to us he was not
to the country. Mr.. Blaine was a
great visitor. In the summer time,
when he was at home, he would run in
here any time. He always came in
through the kitchn door, where he was
sure to find us at work. and there he
would sit and talk and tell stories. He
was great story teller, and often used
to tell him that he beat even Mr.. Lin
coin for that"