The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-09-07
SENATOR R E|LZINS < !. VIEWS.
Il ~
How the Friendship Between I,
Grant and Blaine Was q
{. Restored.
-- - = ~ : ------- \
How d Great Man Feels When
He Is in the Midst Of
Battle.
This Nation Is Past Its Babyf1ood
and Should Lead in the
Affairs of the World.

Affairs of the World.
| After discussing Senator Stephen 8.
Elkins, of West Virginia, as q politician
and as a man generally, outside of poll
! tics, and after describing his vast possess
sions and his magnificent mountain home
with its wonderful interior as well as tell
ing the story of his married life Win the
daughter Of ex-senator Davis, all OF
which is mighty interesting, Frank G. Car
penter in the Chicago Times-Herald re-
ports an interview he had recently Wlta
Nh. Elkins which runs as follows:
Senator Elkins is one Of the most
charming conversationalists in public life,
His library is filled with relics and menl-
en5oes of Grant ald Blaine. j asked dim
to explain the meaning OF closely "sls-
ten manuscript in a frame containing
many erasures and correctsons' "h'ea- a
hung on one of the walls of his, library.
THAT" he said, tis the first arait OF
Blaine's estimate Of Grant, which he pulo-
lished in his book. This manuscript mad
something to do in bringing Grant and
Blaine together and to make them friends
again. ] knew them both we'll While
they were not on good terms was living
near General Grant on Fifty eighth street
| in New York and during his latter days
I visited him frequently. l often had
Blaine visiting me, and / would excuse
myself and say wanted to go over and
see Grant for an hour. Grant would ask
me about Blaine and Blaine never had Il
bad word to say against Grant. The two
men were too great to stoo2 to little
things. At this time / had a summer
house at Deer Park, and Grant came up
and spent week or SO with me. I got
to know HIM better at that time. One day
"a letter from Blaine, in which he spoke
very kindly of Grant, and then asked
| Grant why he and Blaine could not be on
better terms. Said /: WIZ
"fYou both are great men, and 1t
seems to me as great Americans you
ought not to go on through the world clos-
ing your careers without being closer to
one another. Here is what Blaine has
written me about you, and / know that he
has only the kindest feelings toward you.
wish you two could come again to-
gether.'
"Grant thereupon said that he mad 30
objection, and shortly after this, when he
was at Washington, Mr.. and Mrs. Blaine
called upon him and were we'll received,
and the two became reconcilsa
General Grant" Senator Elkins went
on, twas q great big man. The closer you
got to him, the bigger he grew. He WIS
a broad gauge man In every sense Of the
word and entirely unselfsh. and with all
his greatness he was the soul OF simpiioi
ty. One day, as we sat on my porch chat
ting and looking out over the mountain,
the thought of his great deeds in war
came to me, and asked: 44S h.
General, / want you to tell ME how
"a great man feels when hesis in the midst
bf battle which is to decide perhaps, the
fate of nation, and make a mark in his-
tory for all time, knowing, as he does,5
that the world is looking on, and the auc.-:sH
cess or failure of the battle is largely de-
pendent upon him as the com1nan der p tS
Grant smoked moment and replied:
+ can't say now how felt. All that 4
thought Of was whipping the enemy and
putting down the rebellion and saving the
Union" .ta,ibSi X tgf%a
.sN-as Grant religious man ~
c$x~