The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-06-24
SOME GOOD STORIES
OF STATESMEN

Many stories and anecdotes have gone
the rounds of the newspapers, some of
which bear the searchlight of truth
and great many others would be found
to have been the outcome of q strongly
versatile reportorial Imagination, about
the giants of statecraft of the last de-
cade, when such men as Wade. Fessen-
den, sumner. Carpenter and others were
in the United States senate. The stor-
les given here were told the Leader man
by former Washingtonian and most
or them came under his personal obser-
walton. as for many yea g after the war
he occupied the position of private sec
rotary to several OF the noted lawmak-
ers of that day. This gentleman thinks
that not one of these bits of history ever
before apr cared in print
When Ben" Wade of Ohio was the
presiding officer of the senate he used
occasionally to call some senator to take
the chair and relieve himself by walking
up and down In the lobby, which runs
pack OF the senate chamber. Once while
thus walking he was overtaken by a GER
tain carpet-bag senator from one of the
southern states, who by strange coin
cidence occupied the identical chair that
JEFFERSON Davis had used while a mem
Der of the senate. Walking along by the
side of Wade, he rubbed his back wear
lily said: Wade, these senate chairs
are the most uncomfortable things
ever saw. My back is positively blister
ed from sitting in mine" Wade looked
at him for a moment and as he turned
away muttered: Davis left enough
brains in the seat of that chair to blis-
ter the backs of two or three such men
as you are"
CARPENTER WAS BRILLIANT.
senator Matt" Carpenter had bright
ilttle BOY, named after himself. of whom
he was very proud. The little fellow
(about years old at this time) was NAV
ing about the parlor one evening While
the senator was attending to business
matters with the callers that always
wanted his influence or services either
politically or as lawyer, and, of course
each one had something to say to the
boy. AT length a benign looking old
gentleman coaxed the little fellow up on
his knee and then said: well. nv son.
what are you going to be when you grow
up TO be MANI II want to be a hack
driver answered the youngster, but
suppose will have to be senator"
Perhaps the lot of the hack driver
would oe the most contented one" chin
PED In the senator. he. at any rate. gem
orally gets overpad for his services. i"
and the great man turned again TO the
long list of wants" that surrounded
him.
Old ABE Curry" of Nevada was a
noted character in the west even before
Mark Twain made him famous in his
"Roughing It." Some one convinced the
old man If he wanted to 'cut the proper
caper" he ought to take a trip to Europe.
SO, after much talk, he concluded to 60.
He had new blue flannel shirts made.
nigh heeled boots and SIC, 900 dia n1ond
stud glistened on his bosom. Some
friends ran across him in cafe a Paris.
where the old man had just ordered a
plate OF Strawberries, which delicious
fruit was just t,., i out OF season. An
Englishnlan stafic.ng nearby remarked
soto voce, that when that Yankee came
to pay for those berries they would make
him sick"
for S. on the table. Abe gLcEced at it
and then ordered another pate.
When outside one of his friends said
to him: ABE, what in the name of
common sense did you order that sec
ond plate for?"
We'll" answered he. 1.-The first plate
was for Curry, and when l heard that
id Englshman talking about the
price just took that other plate for the
old American eagle, and id a done it
If it was the last IS I ever expected to
have, too
SOME IN UNOFFICIAL LIFE.
Forty years ago the Madison univer-
sity at Hamilton, Madison county, N. Y,
was noted institution. Old Dr. Eaton
was its president and was as widely and
favorably known as the university itself.
The doctor was beloved by his students
and his good opinion courted above all
things. One commencement day the
student who had delivered the valedic-
tory. waiting bis chance after the exer-
cises, approached the doctor and timidly
asked him what he thought of the effort.
The doctor looked at him moment
and then said slowly Edward, IL you,
would pluck few of the feathers from
the wings of your imagination and stick
them in the tail of your Judgment you
would make better speeches"
Who of the old time frequenters of
Washington does not remember Beau
Hickman" Beau lived entirely on his
wits and no one from the president down
escaped him.
One night very late\he wandered into
the National hotel, and, sauntering UP to
the Office. he asked Tom Hardin to give
MIN room. Tom had him shown to the
room Immediately over the kitchen. in
which were, at the least calculation.
1,000.000,000 flies
About 8 o'clock in the morning Beau
came along smiling, and stopping at the
office, some of the boys that Tom had told
OF the lies, FASTENED to ask Beau how
he had rested. A4~Isnvl1 n
First rate" answered he
Files trouble you any?" asked one
"A little" replied Beau, "in the early
morning. but 'hived' them
With one accord the crowd broke for
the room to discover the means employed
in "hiving' them
Beau had taken piece of pie which he
had, spread it on the floor, waited until
the flies had settled upon 1t, then turned
the wash basin over them, and went back
to bed.
SUMNER WAS PONDERous
The late Senator Sumner OF Massa-
chusetts never made the shortest
speech In the senate without the most