Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-25
TWO WARM FRIENDS
The Veteran Editor and Grants Old
Friend.
JOHN M. FRANCIS AND GEN. CHETLAIN
They Talk Interestingly Of Men and
Events.
GRANT AND HIS SATCHEL

Keeping up q custom established years
ago, Mr.. John NJ. Francis of the Troy
Times and Gen. A. L. Chetlain of Chicago
are spending their winter vacation to-
gether, and Washington is favored with a
fortnight of it. Their friendship began a
quarter Of century ago. when Gen Cnet-
lain was consul general at Brussels Mr..
Francis, having been appointed minister to
Greece. stopped in Belgium to equip him.
self for his diplomatic residence at Athens.
He became the guest of Gen. Chetlain,
who, with his wife, rendered all possible
assistance to Mr.. and Mrs. Francis, and
from that time forward there has existed
|. between the two families a friendship that
is as remarkable as it is admirable. AS
Gen. Chetlain says of it, I'VE have lived
ever since in each others families and
take our vacations together every year"
Mr.. Francis is the NeStor Of New York
journalists. Now seventy-one years old, he
is a tall, broad-shouldered man Of fine
presence. He founded the Troy Times in
1851, after having served an apprenticeship
in his calling since his twentieth year, and
he has served continuously in the editorial
harness since, with the exception of eight
years abroad, spent in diplomatic service
A Chat With MIR. Francis.
II am now intent" said Mr. Francis this
morning, ION a recovery from the severe
strain of five months service in the recent
constitutional convention of New York.
Having been a member of the old consti-
tutional convention nearly quarter of a
century before, there came to me, perhaps,
a larger share of work than should have
been willing to undertake. My friends
kindly assigned me to the Craftsmanship of
the committee the first article of the
new constitution, known as the bill of
rights, which at the outset was supposed
to be a position less fraught with burden
some duties than some others. AS fact,
there was precipitated on that committee
all conceivable matter and manner of
work, and Tor five months we had nothing
else than strong, steady pull of unre-
uniting labor. In addition to that commit
tee work, l was also on the committee on
civil service and cities, which involved
much work. Gen. Chetlain and myself
started for Florida, but, fortunately, stop
ped at Lakewood during the recent storm,
ana now have ventured here on our grad
ual approach 20 the frost-swept south l
had for days strong doubt about going to
Florida, where / am told my orange grove
or some fifty acres has been nearly
ruined
OF our new constitution let me saw that
1t has brought forward the machinery of
government in our state to meet and fit
the new conditions of our people. We need
ed better Judicial system, more thorough
representation, and we have implanted
the civil service system in our state gov
erIment. The constitution is mandatory
on the subject, and a bill will proba bly
pass the legislature this session, provid-
Ing that large class of official positions
in all eradations Of public service in city
county and state government shall be
filed only with persons who shall
pass an approved examination. The
law is, 1 believe, patterned after that Of
the general government. It makes essen
TALLY the same exception in favor of vet
Grams of the last war They are eligible
without examination to positions for which
they are qualified.
One Great Industry.
I'm business our section goes steadily
on, and prospects are improving. Troy
you know, is little Pittsburg. 1t is sur
prising to observe what excellence in a
single pursuit will do for an individual or
place. We have 10000 people in our
city employed in the laundries. There is a
vast output of newly made shirts, col
lars and cuffs, which are Numbered there,
and l do not exaggerate when L say that
soiled linen is shipped to Troy from all
parts of the country-from even as far as
New Orleans-in car loads to be done up.
Enterprise and machinery have made ii
leading and remuneratiye industry. 1t is
Troy's business to make the rest of man
kipd look we'll and the place is doing it.
do We hear anything of political pre-
York will be republican, of course The
danger is one that has before confronted
a successful party, rendered oyetwhelm-
ingly strong, with majorities of two thirds
or three-fourths, and confronted by an
able opposition in control Of a few skill
full leaders. But l am confident our peo-
pie will be prudent and judicious in their
opportunity. The new system of balloting
has worked well and eXempts us from the
sinister influence of money in politics l
have no opinion as to who would be the
choice of New York republicans in 1896.
Mr.. Reed is very popular there. His last
appearance in my city was the occasion of
a most enthusiastic ovation. He is most
original political force and his methods CT
Illustrating what men and parties demand
in the consideration OF the questions Of the
day are simply wonderful. Mr. Reed would
certainly be an acceptable candidate
About Gen. Chetlain.
Gen. Chetlain was for many ye a resi-
dent of Galena, Ill., where he kew Gen.
Grant Intimately. He is a splendidly tall,
robust man, Of the kind that never get
ripe till they are eighty" His antecedents
form most unique and romantic chapter
in the history of the west. Nothing short
of a geometrical diagram can do justice to
the way in which he became an American
citizen. He does not trace his ancestry
back to the Mayfiower or to those sons
of the new world who came to the Atlantic
shores of this country to found new homes.
HIS coming was ALMOST ike dropping UOWn
from the moon. His father was one of
colony of 200 French Huguenots who &C
cepted the invitation of Lord Selkirk to
make homes in the British northwest In
1921 they left their homes in the Jura,
f1oated down the Rhine in open boats,
sailed in the ship Lord Nelson by the
southern end of Greenland, through Hud-
sons bay to York Factory, then 300 miles
up the Nelson river to Lake Winnipeg, up
that body of water and up the Red fsixer
of the North forty-five miles to Fort Doug
lass, where the city of Winnipeg now
stands. They found Selkirk had died be-
fore they left their vineyards in Switzer-
land. and their only refuge for the APP
preaching winter was a deserted fur post
eighty miles further up the Red river,
where Penbine now stands. Here they
cut holes in the ice, built fires at night
and speared their supply of fish through
long, hard winter. After spending one
summer in that bleak northwest Gen.
Chetlain's father journeyed to st. Louis,
which was the generals birthplace. From
there he went with Col. Henry Gratiol to
the lead regions, of which Galena became
the entreDOt There at the outbreak of