Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-01-27

one who attracted attention from the vet
Grams of the house the instant he entered
the chamber. He was man of noble pro.
portions, OF easy manner and perfect self
reliance. He had a splendid crown of hair
OF reddish tinge and full beard of the
same tint. His eyes attracted the attention
of every one who saw him. They were
large, luminous and restless
Sunset Cox, an old m ember, was attracted
to this man as soon as his eyes fell upon
him. He asked who he was and said that
this man would make his impress in that
chamber. Mr.. Cox was told that this man
who had thus attracted him was a new
member from Maine whose name was
Blaine, and Mr.. Randall, who knew him
slightly, said: He is & native of my own
state, was born rear the town of Washing
ton, was educated in The college there, and
1 afterward met him in Philadelphia, where
he was teacher. have heard of him in
Maine, where he is re yarded as a man of
great promise and much political ability"
Such was the impression which Mr..
Blaine caused when he first entered the
house OF representatives, and If traditions
are accurate his personality was rs strong
ly made manifest to lis Republican asso-
ciates at once as it " - to Mr. Cox. He
was Only thirty-three years OF age. As
Randall said, he had been ten years before
a teacher in Philadelph a, AID before that
at n military school in Kentucky. He had
taken his diploma at Washington college
when barely tweuty-oHc years Of ace, and
while he was regarded by his teachers and
his mates as bright and smart he had given
no suggestion Of the powers that were in
him, so that these early friends bore him il
mind while he was in oisc;lrity
His father, Ephraim G. Blaine. was . man
of rugged force of character and frola him
Blaine undoubtedly Inherited the great
moral courage and polit cal audacity which
have been characteristic of his political Gu
reer From his mother he inherited that
wonderful intuitive capacity which has en-
abled him in moments o. great crises to act
as though by inspiration. From her lie
also received that highly sensitive and emo
tionai character which has been conspicu-
Gus in his political life.
Blaine Emisrates Eastward.
OF course Mr.. Blaine would have devel-
oped wherever he located and in whatever
calling he selected as & life career, but it
was pure chance which made him the man
from Maine. He met W lille teacher in
Kentucky Miss Harriet Stanwood, who was
also teacher They were mutually at
tracted, and just after lie had passed his
majority they were married She was a
Maine girl, and she induced her young hus-
band to remove to her home and make it
his abiding place.
Blaine while in Philadelphia had been at
tracted to journalism. fe has said that he
discovered by pure chance that he had some
facility with the pen, especially in political
discussion, but it could OF have been pure
chance. 1t must have been the impulse OF
the spirit that was in him. And acting
upon this impulse he became a part pro-
prietor of The Journal n weekly paper
published in Augusta Ne. The profits were
not great, and Mr.. Blaine was if not com
PEELED at least willing to accept employ
ment as associate editor of the Portland
Advertiser. The editor of that paper had de-
tected Blaine's ability as political writer
and offered him 81 200 year, a large salary
for that time and place Blaine was not
slow in discovering his strength and his
value, and at the end of o year he asked for
an increase of salary to 81 5O0 and for a con-
tract covering period of years.
The proprietor, however felt that he
could not afford to pay this money, and
Blaine returned to Augusta, determined to
associate politics with his editorial work,
lie revealed extraordinary political capacity
at once, was elected member of the legis-
lature and subsequently speaker, became
chairman of the committee of his party and
within three years was acknowledged pre-
eminent among the politicians of his state.
Exactly the same qualities which brought
him those marvellous tributes of respect and
admiration which We're .fterward his lot
won for him great victories in a state and
community where politics prevail. where
there has been a good deal Of contention
and where personal rivalry and to some ex
tent jealousy have played their parts as
dangerously as in some OF her states
Blaine's Farsigh tedness.
Even thus early Mr.. Blai ne perceived that