Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-03-25
SENATOR S. B. ELKINS,
Entertained at CerrillOs Yesterday
and at Santa Fe To-day-Declares
Himself Bimetallist.
Cordial Greetings to a Former Citizen
His Trip to Mexico-Public
Reception Tomorrow
Night.

Hon. Stephen B. Elkins, United States
enator-elect from West Virginia, reached
he city last night in private car in re-
urn from an extended tour through
Mexico. He is accompanied by his wife,
Who is well known as the daughter of ex-
Senator Fl. e. Davis, and by their three
foung sons and little daughter. Mr.. Sam
Elkins came up with them from Cerrillos,
where the senator has large interests and
where he spent yesterday.
Gladstone GREETING.
To say that Senator Elkins is to-day
receiving cordial Welcome at the hands
of Santa Feans, is putting it mildly.
Among the older residents, particularly
the native people, there are very few cit
liens who do not enjoy personal ac-
quaintance with him, and some of the in
cidents that have attended his presence
on the streets and about the plaza to-day
we're positively pathetic. Many stirring
features in his early career in Santa Fe
have been recalled to-day and entertain
ingly discussed by pioneer citizens. AS
for the native people his genial heart has
always had for them warm corner.
THE MEXICO TRIP.
When Mr.. Elkins was sent to Washing
ton to represent New Mexico i'll congress
he took occasion in his first speech be-
fore that body to pay a high tribute to
the Mexican character. He said his long
and intimate intercourse with the Mex
lean people had taught him to respect
them; that he had never been deceived by
one of them. Senior Mariscal was then
Mexican minister to this country and his
heart went out to the gallant young west
erner who spoke in such glowing terms of
praise of the Mexican people. Senior
Mariscal is now Mexico's minister of
foreign affairs and when he learned that
Senator Elkins was on his way to visit
Mexico, he repeated to President Diaz
and his friends Mr.. Elkin's tribute to the
Mexican people in his speech to congress
and the result was that the people of
Mexico received West virginia's senator
with open arms. President Diaz We'd with
his cabinet officers and generals in doing
honor to the senator while he was in the
City of Mexico. Mr.. Elkins has always
been firm believer in the resources of
the southwest, but he comes back now
from Mexico after careful inspection of
that country, satisfied that wondrous
development is in store for both this
region and that, and that the interests of
one is the welfare of both.
SUCCESSFUL MAN.
The most admirable figure in modern
times the world over is the successful
man. This Stephen B. Elkins is in the
highest sense-he is a self-made man.
When he walked across the plains behind
an OK team in 1868 he came west for a
purpose. He was tired of the hum drum
of village life in Missouri and sought a
field where young man had wider
range for his work. Hence it was that
after serving as office boy in the post.
office at West Port-Old Gen. Brown, ow
clerk for Dudrow & Davis, was postmas-
ter there-and going through the Mis-.
souri, state university, the young Mis-
sourian found himself in Santa Fe. In
1866 he was district attorney for southern
New Mexico with headquarters at Mesilla
Thenceforward his life is an open book
to nearly every resident of New Mexico
aye, to the reading men of the whole ma.
ton.
Mr.. Elkins is So years of age. Fol
twenty years he has been factor in ma
tional politics. He held most acceptably
the war portfolio under President Harri-
son and his latest political triumph in
breaking the solid south" and winning
the United States senatorship from West
Virginia renders him to-day one of the
most commanding figures in the Repub.
lican ranks of the country.
PUBLIC RECEPTION.
number of prominent citizens have
called on Senator Elkins at his car dur.
ing the day and it was suggested that the
community would like to tender him a
public reception at the Palace hotel this
evening, but he smiled and said he had SO
many old friends here whom he wished to
quietly hunt up and chat with informally
that he would much prefer not to make
any engagement of this character. How
ever, later in the day Gov. Thornton called
upon the senator and also escorted Mrs
Elkins and the children to several
points of interest, and when it was
learned that the party would remain here
over tomorrow Gov. and Mrs. Thornton
decided to tender them public recep.
ton at the executive home tomorrow
evening. This will be strictly informal
no invitations being sent out, but citizens
in general and especially Senator Elkins
old acquaintances are asked to call be.
tween the hours of and 10.
The visitors will remain here until to.
morrow night when they start for tour
of California.