Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-16

HVMNr[S he Is a pleasant man.
AEtN9S He makes no preten-
wv sions to cloquence
He Is a business man.
and he Is much more
likely to make business talk in debate
than to attempt flights of oratory. He is
hardly to be judged by his obituary speech.
He will give the Senate a chance to judge
his qualities more clearly when he ad-
dresses 1t on the silver question.
Il understand that 1t Is an unwritten law
or the Senate that a new member shall re-
main quiet, said Mr.. Perkins in cOnverSa-
ton with me a few days ago. but 1 feel
that 1 should explain my position on the
silver question. l look at that question
from view point a little diffcren: from
that of other Senators, perhaps Most of
the Senators take what I think l may call
professional view of legislation. Most of
them are lawyers. i am a business man.
and besides think that know something
of what the common people want 1 come
from them. At least, i know what my own
people want. OF that 1 am quite sure. I
am in touch with them. and in sympa thy
with them. l am for the repeal OF the pur-
chasing clause Of the Sherman law but
not Internationally 1 have some PROPOSE
tons which l expect to lay before the SEN
ate. They are not new, but they cmbody
my idea OF what Congress should do with
the silver question. What I saw will proha-
myself on record"
Taking as my text his statement that he
came from the common people, 1 asked the
Senator to tell me something Of his life.
Have you met Mr.. White my cnlleague?"
said the Senator. He is the man you want
to see. He is a bright, Interesting mana
man who Is going to make his mark in the
Senate. Let me introduce you to him."
suggested that Senator White could not
possibly give me the information that
wanted about Senator Perkins.
Stranger Than Fiction.
MY life wouldn't interest any one" said
the Senator. modestly. "And yet" he
added. 1.-The facts about 1t are stranger than
fiction. Cabin boy at twelve sailor before
the mast at sixteen; tramping ls0 miles up
a California river with my blankets on my
back to the mining camps; porter In a
store. and afterward proprietor Of it. Yes,
my life has been very eventful. But" he
added. recalling himself, that would not be
or interest to any one"
1 assured the Senator that II would in
terest a great many people: that the expe-
riences of public man who had made his
own way in life were a thousand times
more interesting than the stories Of men
who had inherited seats in the Senate
asked.
Because I was ambitious" said the Sena-
tor. Il went to live with an uncle when
was eight years old, and / spent eight or
nine months in the year working out in the
FIELDS on one Of those Maine farms, and
three months in the winter getting an edu-
cation. / wanted something better. SO I
shipped as cabin boy when was twelve
years old. My first cruise was from Ken
nebunkport to New Orleans I went to En-
rope as sailor before the mast before
was sixteen. Then sailed around to Calf
fornia, and there left ship and went to the
gold fields"
Did you make anything in nining?' /
asked.
Nothing" said the Senator. that Is
nothing but living. And / lived on pork
and beans and self-rising flour that | cock
ed for myself. After that 1 was Porter in
store and. az Billy Emerson said, i
stayed there until owned the store
There was one incident In nv life that
was very remarkable" said Mr.. Perkins.
1T happened In 1852 or 1851 don't remcm-
Der which ! had gone on voyage to
Christiania in Norway. Oscar, who was
king of Sweden and Norway had a castle
at Christiania. He used to speni eight or
nine months of the year at Stockholm, but
he always came to Christiania for a month
or SO. While the ship was unloading a
young shipmate and 1 went ashore He
was an English boy named Harry Brans-
comb. l can remember that 1 was dressed
In my best clothing. and had little blue
coat with shiny buttons. There was a
moat around the castle. but it was dry, and
Harry and l crossed 1t and got into the cas-
tie grounds We had not been there long
when gems d'armes spoke to US, but as
he spoke in Norwegian, we could not under
stand what he said. He took us along.
though. to a sort of sentry box, and there
another sentry spoke to us in Norwegian.
We could not understand him either While
he was speaking to us we heard music and
saw a company of ladies and gentlemen ap-
preaching. The guards put US In the sentry
box. and tried to hide US. but some of the
people saw us, and wanted to know who
We were. So we were brought out, and
they asked questions Of us. We answered
In English that we were from Boston, and
came on the ship Luna, then in the harbor;
that We did not mean any harm. but were
trying to see the sights, and perhaps get a
look a the king. and that then We expected
to slip away without being seen.
"One gentleman in the party stepped for
ward and spoke to us in English, and ask
ed us a great many questions. Then he
told US that he was the king, and he gave
US each a gold coin. l kept my coin until
my place of business burned, some twenty
years ago.
After Thirty Years.
But the strangest part of the story is to
come. had trouble with the mate. and left
the ship at Christiania. Then l shipped on
Swedish vessel that went to Gothenberg,
and there on another. American vessel that
took me to New Orleans. l did not See
Branscomb again at sea. This happened,
as L said. in 1852 or 1853. 1 was about four
teen years old Well, thirty years later
when was governor Of California. went
down to Monterey on a steam pleasure
yacht. Several captains of vessels in the
harbor were brought on board the yacht to
be presented. One of them when he was
introduced to me said: Governor is your
name George Clements? Yes said. my
middle name Is Clements Then / have a
shipmate of yours with me- he said L
think not said /. He is very sure said
the captain So they sent for him The
man was Harry Branscomb. lie had been
a sailor all Of those thirty years and been
around the world dozen times He told
me great many particulars of our adven-
ture at 'Christiania that proved to me that
he was Branscomb. l was as pleased to
see him as though he had been a lonr-lost
brother. l took him off the vessel and had
him made a second officer on one of the
vessels of which l am part owner But it
wasn't long before he got on a spree and
lost his place.
There was another meeting five years
ago." said the Senator when 1 had uues-
toned him further. (which was almost as
In 1854 sailed out of ST. Johns
N B. for Dublin, in a ship loaded with