Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-06-22

It was in the library that I met the Sena-
tor. He is one of the healthest looking
men in public life. He is now sxty-sx.
but he is in splendid condition. both physic-
ally and intellectually, and 1 might also
say psychically. He has always cultivated
looking at matters in a common-Sense, con-
sentative way, and while he has been
hard worker and fairly good liver, his
life has been even one. and he has not
allowed the chase for the dollar the
ambitions of politics to contract and dis
tort his soul. He is clear headed and clean.
Always well dressed. he makes you think
of New York club man or banker rather
than of the average American statesman.
His black clothes are we'll cut and the
linen of his shirt and his broad expansive
collar, which exceeds even that of William
NJ. Evarts in size, Is of the finest material
and as white as the driven snow. His
hair within the last year has perceptibly
whitened, and it is fast becoming iron
gray. His eye, however, Is bright, and the
rosy corpuscles that shine through his fair
skin show that his blood is full of iron.
He has strong face. His forehead is
very broad and above the average height
His nose is large, and his mouth and lower
jaw are indicative of determination and
will. He Is good story teller, and he has
hearty laugh. His voice is deep and
strong. His words come slowly, but he sell
dom makes a mistake, and the sentences
of his private conversation are almost as
rounded as those which he delivers on the
floor of the Senate. He was sitting at a
papers beside him when / called, and he
smoked as he talked.
Valuable Historical Papers,
AS looked at the papers 1 thought of a
call which l recently made on Senator
John Sherman, whom found working over
the manuscripts of his past, and I asked
Senator Allison what had been his habit
In regard to keeping papers and data con-
corning the historic events of which he
has formed SO great a part He replied
that he had preserved some letters, but
that he had never kept daily Journal.
Il am sorry, said he. that have never
kept a diary. 1 have kept papers some
what, and l have a large amount of cor
respo1 dence scattered through my boxes.
l may write my memoirs in my old age.
imagine it would be rather pleasant work
My attention was called to 1t by the recent
death of my colleague. Senator Wilson
I had to write something concerning him.
and 1t was in doing this that the past came
up before me. For thirty years back l
have known every man who has been con-
nected with our public affairs. 1 have
known the inside of things, and the mo-
tives of our great men. l have been, as it
were. behind the scenes, and there are
many things that have never been pub
lished which 1t seems to me would make
Interesting reading 1 am; not thinking of
writing now and / don't know that l
ever will write. But the task strikes me
as pleasant one
The Convention of 1850.
Tell me, Senator, about your first con-
nection with politics.
II can give you my first political office"
replied Senator Allison. ut was as one of
the tally secretaries of the convention of
1850, which nominated President Lincoln.
l was born and educated, you know, in
Ohio, and after my graduation at the
Western Reserve College, began the prac-
tice Of the law at the little town Of Ash
land, somewhere near the center of the
fifteen
Mansfield, whence John Sherman comes,
and where the late Samuel ]. Kirk
wood used to practice law before he went
to Iowa. Iowa, you know, is settled large
ly by Ohio people, and after I had prac-
ticed law for time at Ashland l got the
western fever and went out there. This
was in 1857. I was republican in my ten
denotes, and though I was practicing law
I was much interested in politics, and 1
was made one of the delegates to this con-
vention in 1860.
For some reason or other, they made me
one Of the tally clerks I sat right in front
of George Ashmun of Massachusetts,, who
was the president of the convention and
believe that 1 gave to him the first news of
Lincolns nomination. I kept footing up
the figures as they came in, and some time
before the members Of the convention were
aware of the fact saw that Lincoln would
be elected, and l turned about and told Mr.
Ashmun the fact A few moments later
the convention realized it, and then ensuad
one of the most wonderful scenes of our
history. The convention was held in the
old Wigwam in Chicago, and there were
about ten thousand people present. When
the vote was announced a scream went Up
from thousands of threats, and fully enc
thousand hats were thrown into the air. 1t
rained hats for several minutes after the
announcement. and ] can still see the hats
rising and falling. The people lost control
of themselves, and 1 have often wondered
what became of those hats for there was
not much possibility of recovering your hat
in a mob like that"
How He Came to Congress-.
How did you happen to come to Con-
gress, SENATOR"
WELL" replied Senator Allison, "that is