The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-08-18
STORIES Or THE CAY
Some Interesting Inci!c..:~ II tie LIE ot
Colonel BGi! lamont.

Some Interesting Inci!c,.:~ II tie LIE at
Colonel b&u i.nIo..t.
This is a s;o"y t!.&t Lay possibly III
terest the boys Ct tie c>CH.-y. All
American boys are wide ""...:n "n!
quick to learn. 1t is Il :. >tJIy { hcCln-
ing a little incident i'll Tic lie If tie
Hon. Daniel Scott Lament, Eu" Svcre-
tary of war. Mr.. Lamont was a poor
boy in Cortland county. llo Subsequent
~ became a clerk i'll a state department
at Albany. When Grover Cleveland Of
Buffalo was elected governor Of the
state, in 1852, he was untried III all
matters pertaining to state legislation,
and when he arrived at Albany he had
not selected his private secretary. Mr..
Lamont was at that time a newspaper
correspondent on the Albany Argus, Of
which the chief owner then was the late
Daniel Manning. Mr.. Manning said to
Governor Cleveland;
You haven't any private secretary::'
NO." replied Cleveland, land l
want one"
WELL" replied Mr.. Manning, II
have a young man here who will help
you until you can select a private secre'
tary.'
It was at that time that the secretary
of war was first brought into close COM
,uunicatiOn with Mr.. Cleveland. MIR.
Lamont did not think that he was to re-
main us the private secretary Of the gov
eYnor, but he remained three or -four
..l +Io- NJ, I1o-a1npl cold hn
could not get along without him. Mr..
Lamont from his cradle had been taught
that he must do everything we'll. His
parents taught him that he must not
slur the smallest task in life. He must,
they said, pay as much attention TO the
little things as to the big things, and
Mr.. Lamont never forgot this training.
The time ran along, and Mr.. Cleve-.
land was elected president. Just before
his Inauguration he made that famous
remark that Colonel Dan must 60 with
him to Washington. This governor of
the state and this first Democratic pres
ident since President Buchanan's time
relied on the painstaklng. careful, stu
dious ways Of Colonel Dan. For four
wears Mr.. Lamont was the president S
private secretary, and then he returned
with him to New York and was indi-
reCtty connected with him for four years
more. When Mr.. Cleveland went to
Washington again IN 1892, he took Dan
lei Lamont with him as secretary of war.
If the American boys will visit the
var department, they will find Mr.. La
mont there from early until late. He Is
blue eyed, with an auburn bristling
mustache. His ways are just as kindly
as when he was a newspaper writer.
A correspondent had a pleasant talk
with Secretary Lamont a few days ago
IN Washington, and he studied the sec
rotary Of war in the interest Of the
American boy. The secretary was told
by the correspondent that his own little
sou had ID telegraph wire leading into a
neighbours house, and this mere state
ment aroused au interest in the secre-
.ary Of war.
THAT is a good thing" said the sec
rotary. Il remember in my early life
that l was a telegraph operator. If you
once thoroughly learn telegraphy, you
will never forget. 1t remains with you
as long as you live. l have not had &C.
casion to use telegraphy for a humble OF
years, but all the boys of this country,
if they have time, ought to learn 1t.
Several years ago, after my father {
death, l wanted to bring my mother to
Washington. | was in McGrawville, my
home town in Cortland county, and II
was necessary for me to take a number
Of railroads in order to reach the main
line by which l could take my mother
20 Washington. 1t was necessary tC
change cars a number of times on these
local roads, and in one OR two instances
the trains were late, and l feared that
could not get to the main line in time
to reach Washington.
AT last it became positively known
to me that unless l could make a Ger
tain connection my mother would b.
compelled to remain over Sunday III
small and cherries town. l knew
president Of a railroad who, il he wer
informed Of my p~redicament, l believed
would help me out. So l t~elegraphed t
him, telling him that my trains wer
late, and asked him if he would No
wire to the superintendent OF the plac
where / was apparently destined to b
kept overnight and direct that the tral
ON the main road be held for me unit
my local train arrived. Before l got I
the local station where the main lin
train was to be met | had to chang
cars. 1t vas "a dreary little station, All
remember well the anxiety that | ha
when sitting i'll the waiting room wit
my mother, not knowing whether III
dispatch had been received, when
heard clicking over the wire i'll that Ii
tie station an inquiry from the superb
tendent of the road, is Colonel Lamol
there The telegraph operator locke
around ther room to see only W pc
II my mother and myself, there b
fore he began 10 reply No
Just az he sent that word l steppe
up, and l said My friend, l have uni
&at$i,r l - x-rrln.Sl sI,o S,-,-,.x, moi,