The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-22

Court which Melted him fortunes, yet
happen to know that be did large amount
of thank you" business. His heart was as
big as his body. and while he CHARGED
miilionaires ten OF thousands for his work
the poor got 1t for nothing. / remember an
instance here at Washington which hap
Dened only year or so ago. A soldiers
widow, who occupies very responsible
position in one of the departments, had boy
seriously injured In a railroad accident.
She was too poor to EN- ploy a big lawyer,
and the railroad corporation laughed at her
demands for damages. She went with her
story to General Butler. He received her
in his Office on Capitol Hill. grunted as she
told her story, but when she had finished ir
he said he would undertake her ease for
her and would not charge her a cent. As
soon as the railroad company heard that But
Ter was her counsel they came to terms and
were glad to compromise at good round
figure.
This partner Of Ben Butler tells me there
was no harder worker in public life than
he. Said he: "Ben Butler once told me
that he would rather try cases of common
drunkenness at SO suit than remain idle.
lie was the personificaton of intellectual
activity. and the gray matter of his brain
was great electric-dynamo which was
never idle. He was systematic in his work.
and he kept his pers and letters carefully
arranged and flied away for future use.
tory in his correspondence, and [ will not
be surprised to find that he mas left consid-
cradle unpublished manuscript. He was
working not long ago OH lecture on Judas
lSrarot, and his idea was TO prove that
Judas was the purest and nobesL of the
twelve Apostles. He claimed this last on
the ground that Judas alone appreciated
the greatness of Christ, and that he be-
trayed him to give him chance to assert
his greatness, suppOsng that he would by
word crush all his enemies and make him.
self the king OF the world.
General Butler courted notoriety more
than any other man of his greatness on the
stage of craftsmanship. He did this not
only by his actions but in his dress, and he
seemed TO have as many different costumes
as an actor At one time he appeared here
in an overeoat Of beaver fur. with hat OF
the same material, making himself look for
all the world like great animal His coat
was big enough for g00d-sZed tent. and
his hat was pulled down over his ears so
that YOU only saw his great, round face
with its cock eve looking ont of Que side OF
il. At another time / remember he trotted
around in great white som brero with
stick in his hand. and he never appeared on
the platform OF an evening save IN dress
suit with red rose in his buttonh ole.
Many people associate this rose with his
love for his wlfe's memory, for 1t is said
that she always pinned such a flower in his
work.
Since he left Congress Ben Butler has
spent q large part OF every year az the
Capitol. The doorkeepers knew him well,
and they were prepared for his queer freaks
In the way of dress. He had the right of
entry to both House and Senate, and he
usually went in without trouble. At the
first of one session, however, lie appeared
in his gorgeous white s0mbrer0, his patent
leather pumps and his dandlied suit He
came TO one of the rear doors of the Senate
chamber and started 10 90 in. The messen-
ger was new one. He thought he was
running the Capitol, and put his arm across
the door and told General Butler to stand
back. you can't go IN there" said he.
This door is only for Senators when the
Senate is in session" General Butler
looked at him and growled out:
Il am Butler and have right to go In"
"Oh, ne. my Anticipated masher~ replied
the doorkeeDer. with wink at by
stander so OF are trying TO play me for
sucker! You think don't know Senator
Butler? He comes from South Carolina,
and he Just went in through this door. You
can't get in. Go no and mash EN- from the
gallery, my dandy"
General Butler was paraIyzed for an in
slant, and then wheeling upon the aston
ished doorkeeper he fairly yelled:
'Butler OF South Carolina I've BANKED! |
am Butler of Massachusetts Governor But
Ier you impudent fool!' And amidst the
pr0luse apologies of the door keeper he went
into the Senate. He had of course the right
to do so by virtue of his being an ex- Con-
gresham as well as Governor.
Many stories are told here of Ben Buffers
wit His brain was quick as a flash, and he
had one OF the most sarcastic tongues that
ever cut soul or cracked joke. | heard
a tory last night of his remark at the close
of Congressional speech of John A. Bing-
hams. Butler did not like Bingham, but
the speech was an able one and at its close
the House was wrapped in silence aud you
could have heard a pin drop any place in
the chamber. The Congressman were ready
tn burst into applause when Butler, cooking
his queer eye said in stage Whisper:
Il always did like that speech"
This meant OF course that Bingham had
but one speech, aud that lie had spoken it