Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-03-25
FAIR AND PHEBE.
A Love Story Told by the Well.
Known Miss Couzins.
CoNFIDENCEs OF THE MILLIONAIRE

Lead the Fair Orator TO Believe Him More
Sinned Against Than sinning-Impressed
by His s.Natural Greatness" the Advo-
cate of woman's II ghts Becomes Be-
trothed to the Nevada aStatcsman-0ues-
tion Popped in Chicago Hotel.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 70 The Call
publishes long story telling of the aftec-
tion that existed between the late James
G. Fair and Miss Phoebe Couzins. the
well-krown lecturer and womar's rights
advocate. According to The Call they
were engaged to be married and only the
death OF the millionaire prevented the
wedding. Miss Couzins is at present in
San Jose taking care of her brother, who
is i'll. To call reporter she told of her
affection for Fair She told her story
freely, candiily and without hesitancy.
Before speaking about herself she said:
Il will begin by stating that there were
many condolences between Mr.. Fair and
myself which l cannot touch upon at all.
He told me all about his life-his success,
his failures, his joys and his sorrows.
From these corlicnces l concluded that
he had been more sinned against than sim
ming.
Liked Him o., First 40 quaintancc.
81 first met Mr.. Fair in the Riggs
House, Washin gton, ID. C, in 1885, while
he was United States senator from Ne
vada- 1 took liking to him ut once
The defects in his education and manners
Were completely overwhelmed by his
natural greatness, rs saw him. soon
admired him Fcry much ana i could see
that he alsD liked to be in my company
and seemed to take an interest in my
work and in my views OF social and polit.
ical questions But this, our first friend
ship, did not grow at once tn anything
more or warmer than mutual admiration.
la the course OF = few months we parted,
a. true friends pare. He returned To Me-
vada and California and l resumed my
work in different parts Of the world. sew
eral years passed and we did not meet nm
I'll some time after my mothers death"
Wrote to Him III Her Troubl,s.
Miss Couzins then related her troubles
with the Worlds fair board OF lady man.
ayers and her efforts to have IA bill passed
by congress to secure pay for her services
as secretary. She applied to Fair for po-
itical assistance, anu although ne SAID he
had no such influence he wrote very kind
ly and asked her to correspond with him.
She responded. And this" Miss CuuZ ms
resumed, after a pensive pause, opened
the correspondence between Us which
eventually led to orr betrothal. For some
time after that letters passed between us
at regular intervals, and the spirit of the
correspondence. grew warmer and more
confidential with each letter.
Popped the Question at Chicago.
''Shortly after returning to Chicago l
received a letter from Mr.. Fair in which
he stated that he would soon see me and
that he was coming with serious intentions
to ask my hand and heart in marriage.
Mr.. Fair, accompanied by his secretaries,
Bressc and Angus and, l think, Mr..
Crothcrs. arrived in Chicago May Z, 1873,
and took apartments at the Grand Pacific.
Mr. Fair Immediately sent me his card.
met him III enc of the parlors and he
expressed great happiness at seeing me
again. He told me then and there that
he had come all the way from California
for the purpose of asking me to become
his WIFI l told him that l would give
him a definite answer within a few days
and directly intimated that he need not
have fear of my final decision. He seemed
very much pleased at this