The Washington times., 1895-04-14


sion, which was once his home, lives an
old man bent with the burden OF years and
surrounded by the humblest gentiltty that
shows to what straits he has been reduced
Once he assisted in events that shaped
the history OF the nation. He was famil-
lar with such statesmen as Webster and
Clay. The affairs of the young republic
We're in the grasp of his fathers hand, and
all the honors that come to the son of the
Chief Magistrate were his-and now he is
lying almost in 1.-The valley of the shadow"
unknown and forgotten by the people of
the land he served so faithfully and so
we'll
His home in Georgetown is scarcely
furnished at all. and on the bare floors and
walls one sees that mark of the poverty
which is now his portion. Yet the proud old
Yirginian bears up like a gentleman of the
royal blood and takes a delight in telling
about the days when he was in his prime.
The Tyler home in Georgetown is a neat
brick, but it is so very clean and quiet
and old fashioned that it reminds one o the
old-time country mansions down in Vir-
ginia-mansions with their big, dark par
lors full OF clumsy horsehair furniture, the
solemn portraits on the high walls and
all the old ornaments that have passed
down for generations.
There is no one of his family with him
except his daughter, who is a gentle little
| lady with the refined manners that belong
| to another generation, and her whole life
| is nobly devoted to caring for her invalid
| father, who is always confined To his bed
He has large blue eyes, still bright and
| snowy hair that falls softly over his
| high forehead. A clean, white spread
| covers the bed, and towel was in his
hand. as If the nervous fingers longed to
| find amusement in toying with its fringe.
HIS RECoLLECTIONs.
$50 you want some OF my recollectfons, q"
| he said in a feeble voice, as the visitor
entered the room. what shall it be?
| OF the day when Washington was little
more than a country town, when the
| streets were Of cobble, most of the houses
| of wood and the beautiful parks only bar
| rem wastes? Ah. that is a long time
| ago, and the electric light, the trolley
cars, the rush and whirr of modern life
have changed the city 1 knew as young
man.
"Oh, yes; knew Webster, and he was
one of the finest looking men l ever saw
with black hair dark eyes and fine man
ners. He was a Whig while father was a
Democrat, and 1 have often heard father
| say that Webster gave him less trouble
than any other man in his Cabinet AT
that time Clay was in the Senate, and was
urging forward the bank bill, Clay was a
| brilliant orator, but not profound man
like Webster
president Tyler vetoed the bank bill,
the old law was revived, and all the re-
| sponsibility OF the country's finances fell
| on his shoulders. AS result State banks
| ha TTt,iN in hair
| udons to be appointed as agents in the
| matter. l was then my fathers private
| secretary, and about every day some
! banker would come to me and make me an
offer of a big sum of money if 1 would
secure from father his appointment as
agent.
Il could have made a million in less than
six months. One day director of we'll
| known bank in New York came to me and
| after showing me his books, said: L am
willing to place fifty thousand dollars to
| your credit as soon as you can secure this
| place for me-
"Dra wing back in disgust, 1 retorted
| (for this was only one OF many such offeTs),
Il do really begin to think that 1 am
| scoundrel.' The man started back as If
| shot and hastily apologized, saying that
| he had heard that such things were man
aged that way at the capital. 1 replied
by telling him to 60 back to New York and
tell his friends that things were done here
| that way no longer.
EXPLOSION ON THE PRINCETON.
Stockton, the ship-builder, made the
famous Princeton on board of which oe-
CURED the wful accident, in which many
of fathers cabinet lost their lives On
February 20, 1874, Mr.. Stockton brought
the ship up the Potomac to Washington
| A large party of us were on board when
| the trial Of the guns began, there being
most of the high officials of the government
present. line of gentlemen were stand
| ing about the gun, and Mrs Gilmore wife
| Of the Secretary of the Navy, was near the
machine which was on the point of being
| fired At Mr.. Gilmore's request 1 took
| his wife down to the cabin below.
"Just as she was about to take her seat on
| the divan, 1 heard a loud explosion, and
| Immediately said to her that something
had exploded on the deck. Iranup the steps
| to the deck and found that piece Of the
base of the gun, weighing about 1 500
pounds, had burst off, and, flying down
| the line of gentlemen, had struck them all in
| the groin and disemboweled them.
''They lay upon the deck, Union flag
having been hastily thrown over them in
accordance with the naval regulations Ny
| body servant, a negro boy OF about twenty
three years of age, had been leaning against
another gun which was hit by the flying
metal and the jar killed him on the spot.
had been standing in the group and had
not gone to escort Mrs. Gilmore below 1
would not be alive to tell this tale.
Mrs. Gilmore was perfectly devoted to
her husband and after his death was never
seen to smile.
| FIRST MESSAGE OVER THE WIRE.
.'It was during fathers administration
that the first telegraph line was built and
the inventor, Morse, was personally known
to me and / watched the progress of that
experiment with great deal of interest.
There has always been a fable about the
first message sent over The wires, to the