Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-14
a Man Who Once Was Prominent in
Public Life
NOW LIVING ALMOST A RECLUSE
Incidents in the Life of Ex-senator
Ferry.
FIN ANCIAL DIS Al TIE RS
Special Correspondents of the Evening Star.


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich, Feb. 10.
Living with a widowed sister in an old
fashioned white house near the railroad In
Grand Haven, one of the deadest and quiet
est towns in all Michigan, is a man whose
name was once a household word from the
Atlantic to the Pacific; whose fame was
more than national; whose every action
was watched with interest by the entire
world Once popular. powerful and famous,
he has fallen into a seclusion and retire
ment almost that of a hermit, and the path
to the portals Of the house in which his
father lived before him, which was once
worn deep with the feet of those who came
from afar to see him, is now scarcely dis
tinguishable from the surrounding ground.
This man is ex-senator Thomas w. Ferry.
Broken in health and spirits. sick at heart
for hopes deferred, and rambitions unsatis-
fed. and with scant fortunes to live on, he
Is a wreck Of his former self. 1t is rarely
that he Is seen in public, and it has been
long since anybody stopped over night in
the rundown and WORKOUT old town to
see him. In conventions his face and figure
and voice would once arouse the widest
applause and enthusiasm. while now he
would not be recognized by one in ten in
any assembly of the party which he for
merly led. and all this has been the work
Of dozen brief years.
His Early History.
Mr.. Ferry was born in Michigan. His
father was Presbyterian missionary, and
in early days before Michigan had become
a state he went to Mackinac Island to
labor among the Indians. He built the
Mission House, which every visitor to the
fairy island must have seen. and which
still stands substantially he left it. In
this house Thomas w. Ferry was born in
June, 1927, long before the island had be-
come famous as summer resort The
northern climate disagreed with the mis-
sionary's health, and early in the 3Ds he
moved up the lake to Grand Haven, at the
mouth of Grand river, then a promising
lake port. There he resumed his pastoral
duties and the side became inter-
ested in mercantile enterprises and lumber
ing. The dominic was a shrewd old fellow,
and laid the foundations for the Ferry
fortunes which popular rumor fifteen years
ago placed among the millions. The ex-
Senator was educated in the public schools
and early acquired fondness for public
life1 He was elected supervisor and then
to Me state legislature He served in the
house six years. and in the state senate
one term. He was Michigan's candidate
for Vice President in the national conven-
ton in 1860. He was four times elected to
Congress from this district, and twice elect
ed United States Senator. AS supervisor
he made a study Of parliamentary law, and
in the legislature. state senate and in Con-
gress he perfected himself in the practice
and became a master of the science.
In the Senate he was eve: ready on any
question, and Spon the death of Vice Pres
ident~WilSon, as President pro TEN. of the
Senate. he presided over the deliberations
of that body. He was the presiding officer
a ingrs he limo nf hA
Hayes contest and ascribes the present
wrecked condition of his nerves to the
sleepless nights and intense strain which
fell to his share at that time. He thinks
he saved the country from renewal Of
hostilities. and still preserves, framed and
kept sacred, the pen which he used in sign
ing the document which gave the presi-
dency to Hayes. I
His Downfall.
Mr.. Fe-ry's downfall came in 1888. He
was a candidate for reelection for a third
term. Jay A. Hubbell. some OF whose upper
PENINSULA schemes Ferry had antagonized
in the Senate, was bitterly opposed to his
reelection and led the fight against him.
Other influential republicans i'm the state
were also opposed to him, and the opposi-
ton united to kill him off. The republicans
had eighty-one members on joint ballot. and
it required siXty-seven to elect. Senator c.
b. Stockb-idge then a private citizen. was
the leader of the Ferry forces, and SO con-
fdent was he of victory that he offered to
bet $l,OW to $40 that Ferry would be elected.
Rice A. Beal, a great power in those days
was Stockb-idge's chief lieutenant, and Ed
r. Ferry, the Senator's brother, was also
on hand. The republicans called a caucus
and forty-six OF the eighty-one members
signed the call, and six more agreed to
sign 1T, while nineteen issued a manifesto
that they would not go into any caucus o.
be bound by caucus rules unless it should
hD cod hat -;--tx-
required to elect. The nineteen resolute
boilers remained steadfast, and when the
balloting began, Ferry was able to COM
mand sixty-two votes, but neither threats
nor brides were sufficient to swell his tally
sheet The balloting began on January I6
and continued until March IA. In ali
eighty-one ballots were taken. The end of
the fight came on the evening of March l.
when on the fifth ballot the Ferry forces
began to weaken and scatter. and before
morning Thomas w. Palmer had been
elected amid scenes of the widest confu-
sion and excitement.
Financial Embarrassment
In the early part of the contest rumors
were set afioat affecting Mr.. Ferry's fnan-
cial affairs. He was reputed TO be i'm
mensely wealthy and the reports were that
he was bankrupt. AS the contest became
hotter the rumors became thicker and more
authentic. and before the last ballot had
been taken the sheriff was in possession of
the Ferry mills at Grand Haven and Mon
taSue. Senator Ferry returned to Washing
ton, but soon left that city for Canada and
thence sailed for Europe, leaving his
brother, Ed. P. Ferry at home to face the
music The music proved to be fast and
furious. The entire estate was found to
be In the widest confusion and assets far
below the liabilities For several years the
courts were full of the Ferry litigation
and some branches of 1t are still pending
Among the creditors were several rien
prominent in Washington life. Banking On
his high position and his reputed wealth,
Ferry had made heavy drafts upon his
friends, apd creditors rose up in every
quarter. Ferry was in Europe four or five
years. and when he returned he was a
changed man, with nearly all the old time
ygor in his voice and manner gone He
figured in the first Harrison campaign as
a stump speaker. but could no longer arouse
any enthusiasm. In this campaign he met
the enemy who had led the fight against
his reelection for the first time since that
contest, and the writer was present at the
interview. For an instant Ferry looked at
Hubbell and Hubbell appeared not to re-
cOgnize him, and then Ferry stepped for
ward with hand outstretched. Hubbell took
the proffered hand, they chatted for a few
moments, and then parted. They have raet
in conventions and at party rallies since
and Ferry seems to have forgotten and for
given the past.
His Brother Broke Down.
When Ferry went to Europe his brother
looked after affairs here. He gradually
worked order out of the confusion hut II