The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-11-02
A BOOK BY ENGLISH.
The One-Time Candidate for the Vice.
Presidency Preparing a History.
1t VIII Be His Life Work and Will Prob.
ably Bring Him More Fame Than
His Political Experience Did.


Indianapolis. Oct 2S.-william H.
English, one-tined candidate for the
vice-presidency of the United States
lis writing a book. 1t is a history of
Indiana and will probably bring Mr..
English more fame than his expert
lience in politics. The collection of the
material for his book is the one thing
lon which Mr. English has spent mon
ley without stint He began many
years ago to gather facts and collate
them for a book of "reminiscences and
stories about public men, particularly
those identified with the history of In
diana- The work grew until it has
finally taken the form of history of
the state which will probably be a very
notable contribution of this class of
literature
The writing of this book is almost
the only amusement that Mr. English
has. 1t is not a business with him.
| His business is lending the $4,000. 900
which constitutes his estate, or that
part of it which is not invested
-Four millions is the figure at which
Mr. English's wealth is estimated
though he lives on probably less than
$4,000 year. Anyone who recalls the
campaign of 1880 and the futile efforts
OF the Democratic national committee
to get at Mr.. English's millions will
appreciate this as characteristic of the
imam.
Since the campaign of 1880 in which
Mr. English was an interesting factor,
he has disappeared from public life
completely. The people of Indianapo-
Oils see him regularly and the block of
buildings in this city and the theatre
Which are named after him keep him
to a certain degree in the public eye
But for all practical public purposes
William H. English has been dead for
fourteen years. His son went to Con-
gress for term and in some degree
revived interest in the family. But the
public never had a, very absorbing in
terest in any of the EngIishes The
father was one of the curious freaks
of politics. But he has fallen into a
deeper obscurity than even the men
who are successful candidates for the
vlce-presidency and who retire from
office to be forgotten,
| Mr.. English's office is in a small
room in the block containing the Eng
lish Opera house. Mr. English tran
sacts all his business with the aid of
young woman, who acts as private
secretary, stenographer, etc His of
flee is filled with well worn furniture
| OF a common type. The desks are
stuifed with papers, laid away rather
unfortunately. Yet they are of
great value. The volume of his bust
ness in loans and collections is much
larger than anyone could carry in
mind; but he keeps the record of it
himself. He is hard creditor If
borrower can not pay, a decree of fore
tclosure is a foregone conclusion Mr..
English was bred to the law in his
young manhood days though he did
not practice long and he conducts the
formal proceedings of foreclosure him
self
All security papers are drawn by
him in his own hand writing, and are
legally waterdght. There is no escape
for the borrower. The rate of inter
est he exaets is invariably seven per
cent. for sums less than $4,000, and
six per cent for greater sums He
| lends no money for less than three
years. The rate is the same whether
money is scarce or plenty, and times
are never SO hard that William II.
English cannot accommodate a borrower
who has the kind of security he be-
lieves in. A draft on the First Ma
tional Bank Of New York signed by
They say here that the mind of the
old man has lost some of its cunning
of late years-that he has grown care
less in the collection of small debts.
There is never any doubt of their ,Iiti-
mate collection but he is not so prompt
as he once was A year or so ago,
the deputy county auditor said to him:
Mr.. English, there is an order in my
office for you for 5000 which the county
commissioners found was due you
nearly year ago.
I declare said Mr. English, 81 mad
forgotten all about that claim upon
the board of commissioners. My bust
ness is growing out of my reach.
thank you for calling my attention to
the order
Once William H. English lent a
young man certain sum on real
estate security, and successive pay
ments reduced the debt to $465. One
day the debtor appeared in Mr. Eng
lish's office and completed the payment
in full. Mr.. English had to overhaul
a lot of dusty papers in the pigeon
holes of his desk before he found the
note and mortgage in an envelope.
The evidences Of debt were cancelled
and Mr.. English put the check for the
balance due in the envelope which he
replaced in the pigeon hole. About
two years afterward, the hornler debtor
met Mr. English on the street one day
and said to him:
why did you never cash that S4e5
check / gave you when 1 settled up
with your
It dashed upon Mr.. English that
some months before he had run across
the envelope in which he had placed
the check, and knowing that the debt
had been paid, he had torn up the
envelope in an absent ninled way
without inspecting its contents and
had thrown the scraps away The
loss was made good by the debtor
giving another check in exchange for
an indemnity bond.
Mr. English never was a poor boy.
He was the only son of a well TO. do
father who lived in Scott county, in
the southern part of this state, where
he was one Of the pioneer settlers.
When the son had reached manhood,
the father gave him $4,000, with which
to start in the world. He detained an