Evening star., 1895-04-27

and to the point. There was never any
surplusage about Mr.. Morrill, or his work,
as his friends-he has no enemies-declare.
1t would seem impossible for man of his
years TO attend to his own correspondence
by hand as faithfully as he does, yet he
insists upon answering personal notes by
| manuscript replies, believing that the type
writer is not polite engine of communi-
cation. He is kept very busy just now with
Lis letters, for he has received scores of
rctes and kilograms since the 14th of this
month congra tulating him upon the arrival
of his eighty-fifth birthday.
On that day the house was filled with
flow ers, the gifts of friends until it looked
like conservatory. Guests came in a
this grand old man, who has passed
| through nearly a century of existence. and
has never had a stain on his good name, a
reproach cast at his character. or a sug-
geston made of harboring other than the
highest and most patriotic motives in all
that he has done in his public service.
There is no one man in public life today
who is as free from the stain of calumny
as Senator Morrill,. The tongue of scandal
is paralyZed in his presence.
II have been asked many and many a
time" said the Senator, as he led the
guest to the library, for a statement of
my life and career, but I have always de-
clined to give my biography at length. 1t
is distasteful to me, and to my family.
Notwithstanding this demur, the Senator
at last started in to talk about his early
life, and for over an hour he spoke in a
most charming manner Of his life, mod
estly skipping all references to his sue
cesses and evidently endeavoring to give a
mere skeleton sketch of his career. Such a
career, though, needs a tremendous frame
and this was not complete without the
frequent suggestions of Miss Swan, the
Senator's sister-in-law, who is a consider
able factor in the household and a stanch
admirer of the aged statesman. 1t is a
noteworthy fact that Senator Morrill, in
mis- modest view of the value of his own
hos ooh -nI hn 1icft nf
covering the longest public career with the
shortest biography in the Congressional
Directory-that interesting volume of self
told tales
A Modest Biography.
1t is literally the briefest sketch in the
book, and reads as follows:
Justin Smith Morrill, of STAFFORD was
born at Strafford. VT, April IA, 1910; re-
ceived a common school and academic edu-
cation; was a merchant, and afterward en-
gagged in agricultural pursuits; was Rep
resentative in the Thirty-fourth Thirty
fifth, Thirty-sixth, Thirty-seventh, Thirty
eighth and Thirty-ninth Congresses; was
elected to the United States Senate as a
Union republican to succeed Luke p. Po-
land, Union republican, and took his seat
March 4, 1867; was reelected in 1872, in
1875 in 1854 and in 1890. His term of SER
vice will expire March g. 1891" Just six
lines of the directory to express the work
of eighty-five years! There are some BIZ
cgrapnies in that book of over half page,
written by or for men who were serving
first terms in the House and had never be-
fore been heard of out of their own coun-
ties.
Il started in business for myself" said
Senator Morrill,, with capital of $1JO
saved from my salary as clerk In the diff
ferent mercantile establishments in which
1 had worked in STAFFORD and in Port
land. My opportunity came in this wise:
A merchant of Strafford died, leaving his
accounts rather mixed and the heirs ask
ed a friend of mine, Judge Harris of Straf-
fCrd, to recommend to them some young
man who could take charge and get things
in shape to close up the business. He
kindly referred them to me- and took hold
and for six months was busy settling the
estate. At the end of that time l made the
heirs offer for the business, and, with
Judge Harris as partner. bought it, My
good friend supplied the rest of the capital,
the bulk Of it. 1 should say. Business was
good with me, and 1 established branch
prosperous. 1 made Strafford my home,
and in 1S+S l came to the conclusion that
1 had made enough; that it was time for
me to retire from active life and to get
married.
Elected Representative.
IT wanted to pass the rest Of my days in
quiet. and determined to buy farm out
side of Strafford and there settle down.
This plan l carried out, and for seven
years 1 lived there as farmer, having
married at the age of forty. 1 was offered
the position of cashier of bank, but I
declined. l also had a good chance to buy
out large Boston mercantile establish
ment, but preferred my quiet life. But 1t
was not to be that should be permitted to
rest thus. In 1854 some Of my friends
came to me and said that If 1 ever wanted
to go to Congress that was the opportunity.
1 replied that If my town and county were
solid fer me 1 should enter the canvass
for the nomination.; otherwise l should
not propose myself as a candidate. 1 did
rot want any struggle.
1.-The result was that at a meeting Of the