The San Francisco call., 1896-01-24

did not have the dining-room alone, how
ever, as several of his most eminent party
associates were also similarly engaged at
about the same time. Senators Platt, Ed
munds and Thurston all made calls at the
Harrison breakfast-table, as did also Murat
Halstead, who is paying short visit to his
son here.
Immediately after breakfast be began
to arrange the work on which he
came-an argument in the Supreme Court
upon the constitutionality of the Califor-
MIA irrigation laws. This done be paid
visit of courtesy to the White House.
He received his friends all day.
He was very cordial and seemingly
of great content. His private secre-
tary, Mr.. Tibbatt, received the callers
without ceremony, and General Harrison
came out to meet them without passing
judgment upon their cards. There was in
short an evident determination to be pleas
ant with all comers. He has very modest
apartments on the third floor of the hotel
and there was already Uttered writing
table in the reception-room with stacks of
legal-looklng papers.
Ex-Secretary of State Foster came in
while the interview was in progress and
was greeted with CHEEKY, "How do you
do, Foster" with an immediate following
| inquiry as to the health of Mrs. Foster.
This is General Harrison's first appearance
| in the irrigation case. It has progressed
through the Federal District Appellate
courts of California and comes here now
for last hearing.
| Speaking of the case, the only subject
on which the ex-President would speak
| freely, he said to THE CALL correspondent
| that his association in it was only mat
| ter of two or three months.
NO." he said, "I did not give the mat
ter any attention while in California last
winter, and did not know OF it in fact ]
learned much more about irrigating
| during the last four years was in
Washington than | could possibly have
learned during my stay in California. |
expect to touch upon only several of the
well-defned points involved in the argu.
ment, leaving the others to my associates.
/ will leave Washington just as soon as ]
| finish the work. Of course you do not
| expect me to come here and engage in
political discussion. I come only as a
| lawyer and in accordance with well.
established rule of mine l cannot let any.
thing else interfere.
II have also another rule which all OF
MY newspaper friends know, and that is
never to discuss public matters f-hand
| have frequently of late been invited to
talk of finance, of bonds, Of foreign affairs
and of the Monroe doctrine, but I have
held firmly to my determination to attend
only to my private affairs. I hive made
| no social engagements for my visits here
| for the same reason. / will call on Mr..
| Cleveland because he was kind enough to
call upon me when he was in Washington
on similar mission during my occupancy
| of the White House. Aside from that |
do not expect to so anywhere, and dc
hope to get back to indianapolis as soon
as can, for pressing engagement awaits
me there"
Any number of invitations particularly
to dinner parties, reached the general
almost as soon as he himself arrived, but
the secretary busily declined these as fast
as they came. On the subject of most in.
terest to the public. his approaching mar
riage, he has the least to say-nothing, in
fact, beyond the announcement made in
| New York last week that the marriage
would take place Immediately after Lem
General Harrison feels some indignation
over the stories being printed of a family
quarrel over the approaching wedding
but he cannot discuss these publicly. II