New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-05

himself away from the cares Of business and visits
Washington. ON these excursions Mayor Bloige,t
always carries several penknives and an assortment
OF klln-dried pine wood. The knives. whose blades
are as sharp razors. he carries In hts trousers
pockets while the wood. cut up into pieces nine
Inches long and an inch square. are slowed away In
his overcoat pockets.
Mr.. Bodgctt learned 10 white when he was
boy "Do~n East" where every native Is an expert
handler OF the jack-knfe. He never learned the
knack Of carving wood images or canes. but was
content to learn how to balance himself on a
worm fence and just white and he is now 4 pas
master OF the art.
Il would ratAcr vhittlc than come out on top In
fierce political battle" said Mr. Blodge;t the other
day. IT'S pastmc which the tired brain a nd
double discounts ali the patent cures In the
market Whiting. when reduced TO n science
makes man good -natured and forget oil his busl-
ness and political cares"
While travelling from Asbury Park to Trenton
one day during the session OF the Legislature Mr..
Blodgou reduced six pieces OF wood to shavlngs
When the capital was reached the senator's feet
were buried In shav!ngs. \ brakeman. passing
through the car. noticed the pile OF sliced wood
the floor and about to read the riot the
whittier. but when he recognized Mr.. Blodgett the
frown on his face gave way 10 q smile.
"Ah. Senator Blodsett.' the brakeman remarked.
and the contemplated calling down" was side
tracked, for every railroad employe In New-Jersey
knows OF the Senator's fondness for whiting and
they murmur when he litters the floor Of
car with splinters Mr.. Bodgctt Is the superlntend-
ent OF the Long Branch Railroad. The raroaders
have made a study OF his whiting habit and have
discovered that by watching the strokes OF the knife
they learn when the Senator II In an approach
able humor The sign code" compiled by the en-
ploycs OF the road 10 follows:
whiting with small blade OF knife. with feet
top of Observation-Disclosures had sleepiess
night: put a red flag your request for shorter
hours.
"Whiling with large blade with hat on back OF
head-Supcrintc ndent In good humor; put on steam
and strike him for raise"
Time. place or company does not interfere with
the Mayors unique pastime with his knife and wood
When In Washington. II s said. the Senator shocked
his staid colleagues by whiting at his desk in the
Senate Chamber when on one occasion he was
obliged to listen to two hours speech the tariff
There Is story about his whiting to the effect
that President Cleveland. during his first term re-
fused 10 appoint Of the Senator's constituents
to n place In the diplomatic service. The refusal
riled the Senator from ew-Jcrsey. and he called
idcnt Cleveland was obduratc. and Senator Blodgett
persisted but the President said that the position
had been promised to another Senator.
New-Jersey's representative now thoroughly
warmed up. pulled out his knife and pine stick
AZ he talked he Whitfield furously. until six pieces
OF selected white pine had been disposed OF and the
r r 'n,s Gi'iee looked IKE pl%nns mill As the
and when the last piece rad disappeared he capitu-
lated. saying:
"Biodgett. the coveted consulate is yours; I'll send
your mans name to the Senate Tomorrow" and he
kept his promise The Jersey Senator's argument
may have caused the President to change his mind
but Bodgetts friends In Long Branch say that the
whiting the night.
Senator Bradley has become locally famous for his
peculiar habit OF almost necessarily twriing an
open pocket rule when not engaged In eating sleep
Ing or working up schemes to advertise his famous
cold water summer resort
D., The original rule was lost years ago. but the
"A m tarn ~.
FIRST fetch lie buys them by the dozen. ami az ne
manages to break one every week. he purchases at
least nvc dozen year.
The Senator II OF nervous disposition and suffers
from insomnia. He neither drinks liquor nor uses
tobacco. but depends entirely on the rule and his
nlmbe fingers to quiet his nerves after day Of UNI
usually hard work
Strangers visiting Asbury Park In the summer al
"Founder' OF that unique town. II the request Is
made OF q native. that Individual replies:
oh. you'll find Mr.. Bradley somewhere down the
beach"
But how will know him should meet hlm?'
Know him? Why. when you a man twrlffgx
pocket rule with his fingers. that's Bradley"
once. while travelling through Switzerland with
MS vile. Mr. Bradley had the misfortune to break
the only rule then In hts possession They were ad-
miring the beauties Of Lake Luserns when tae ac-