The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-18

about Mr.. Allison, but he knew it was
not true. 1t was fact that Mr. Allison
tried to avoid trouble in the senate.
"But, " Mr.. Harrison is quoted as say
Ing, when Allison has to fight, he fights,
and I know nothing prettier than to see
him turn and defend himself"
Mr.. Harrison's Home Life.
Mr.. Harrison's surroundings confirm
the statement he has made to people who
have visited him recently, and which he
repeated to me-that he is paying no at
tention to politics. Politicians do not visit
him, and when he meets friend he brings
up any topic rather than the coming cam
paign. He leads quiet, uneventful, but
well occupied life in his home on Della
ware avenue. Usually he is alone there.
During the Christmas season he had his
granddaughter, Mary Mckee, with him.
Her brother, Ben, was to have spent
Christmas here, but he is just recovering
from an attack of scarlet fever, and the
doctors would not permit him to travel.
When there are no visitors in the house,
Mr.. Harrison breakfasts alone He works
two or three hours every morning in his
library. He has luncheon at O'Clock.
After luncheon he takes siesta. Then he
returns to his library to write and read
until evening, when he often takes walk
before dinner. In the evening he some
times goes out to see some friend or rela-
tive. But the days glide by very unevent-
fully.
indianapolis is trolley ridden or trolley
blessed, according to your point of view.
The overhead wire is everywhere, and cleo
trio traction gridirons the city. Now, the
trolley is thing of joy to the traveller
in warm weather, but when you trust
yourself to it in snowstorm you never
know what it may do with you. came
to Indianapolis in a record breaking snow
fall, and the street cars were moving at
uncertain intervals. Occasionally one or
two of them would stall, and it would
take the united efforts of three to work
passage through the snow. Under ordi-
nary conditions General Harrison's home
on Delaware avenue is only ten minutes
ride from the Denison House, but after as
surfing myself by telephone that the ex-
president was at home 1 spent 80 minutes
on a Pennsylvania avenue car while it
bucked littIa snowdrifts, and then, with
my journey only half accomplished, got
out and walked.
General Harrison's house is on the pref
test residence street of indianapolis
pretty even under a blanket of snow.
Handsome houses, surrounded by spacious
grounds, stretch along on either side of
the street. The Harrison house is one of
the most modest of them. 1t stands only
few steps back from the gateway. The
front door opens into a narrow reception
lighted by windows at the front and side.
This room is the full width of the front of
the house.
Behind it, opening from the hallway. is
General Harrison's library. 1t is fur
nished in the conventional library style,
with comfortable chairs upholstered in
leather, a fiat topped desk and bookshelves
which cover almost all the wall space.
General Harrison has a fine collection Of
books on historic and economic subjects
as well as good law library. Indianapo-
lis has good reference library, of which
he makes occasional use.
General Harrison Refuses to Talk Politics.
found the ex-president in his library.
He was writing with a stubby yellow PEN
Gil, and there were many sheets of penciled
and typewritten manuscript in front of
him.
81 am living here very quietly ne
said, 'doing little writing, some reading
and looking after my law business. I
have nothing to say about politics.
I told Mr.. Harrison that the politicians
insisted on saying things about him, and
that I had even heard the governor of In
diana say he believed Mr.. Harrison would
lead the Republican ticket.
perhaps he had an object in saying
that, - said the ex-president, with a smile.
1 assured him that, on the contrary,
Governor Matthews had said he would
prefer Reed or Mckinley at the head of
the ticket as easier to defeat. Mr.. Harri-
son smiled at this, but made no comment.
Changing the subject, though, he spoke
pleasantly of Governor Matthews, saying
much that the governor had done had en-
deared him to even his political opponents.
General Harrison has a way of saying
pleasant things about other public men
without regard to party.
I told Mr.. Harrison that had under
stood he had given up court practice, and
he said this was not true. He would not
take small cases, but he had argued a case
very recently in Toledo. When he is not
busy preparing law cases, he finds plenty
to occupy him in literary work. In look
ing up authorities for his law cases and
carrying on his correspondence his private
secretary, Mr.. TibbOtt, can help him, but
his literary work he does by himself on
the fiat topped desk in his library.
When he was in the White House, he al
ways drafted his messages to congress in
pencil and had them copied by his clerks
afterward. That is what he does with his
magazine articles now. His habit of
thought makes it easier for him to write
than to dictate, and he puts his thoughts
on paper with a stubby pencil and then
has them copied on the typewriter. Gen
eral Harrison writes very legible hand
Senator Sherman is not so fortunate.
When he was writing his famous book, he
put his thoughts on paper with pencil, but
his handwriting was so bad he had to read
these notes aloud to a stenographer.
General Harrison is looking exception
ally well. His color is good, and, while he
is still apparently too stout for health, that
condition is not due to lack of exercise. In
fact, when he was camping in the Adiron-
dacks last summer, he accumulated flesh
in spite of rather rugged out of door life.
Here he goes walking every day when the
weather is fine, usually by himself.
He was always fond of walking and
scrupulously careful when in Washington
about keeping up his exercise. I have met