Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-05-22

ant visitors that portrays the strain of the
work. He has often the aspect of a student
worn out by much labor under the lamp;
and when you are ushered into his Office
he Is apt not to be Immediately able to
raise his gaze from the enormous pile of
papers before him, and when he does final
ly become aware of your presence he often
enough runs his hand over his eyes and
looks out of the window for a moment be-
fore he is fully able to throw off the alb
sorbfng influence of his task.
4 Striking Personality.
Although born in Philadelphia, Mr.. Nc
Kenna's life since his twelfth year has been
passed in California, and in appearance he
is much more the western man than the
Quaker. He is more active than his fifty
four years would seem to indicate:
of middle height, and a slight, wiry
frame, well-muscled and carrying the
suggestion of training. His face is more
like that OF Senator Cullom than of any
other man in public life which is equiva-
lent to saying that the general contour of
his countenance is in general like that of
Abraham Lincoln. His eyes are of that pc
culiar legal blue that not only pierces
rarchments. but looks quite through the
deeds of men He keeps his upper lip
smooth-shaven, but his lower countenance
is sown with thick beard of gray and
bronze. He wears his hair like a modern
of the world. with no striving after
his forehead at the temples that carries
leonine suggestion Of mental strength.
Men from California are often character
lied by an insistent breeziness, a redun-
dancy of manner that seems not in ILL
accord with the redur dancy of their soil.
San Francisco men especially often appear
In their ordinary speech to be endeavoring
to make themselves heard above the shrill
roaring of the heavy blasts that forever
sweep in through the Golden Gate. Judge
McKenna has IN his manner none of this
quality, and in speech is more the Phila-
delphian than tie man frCm the coast. I'm
less you interest him exceedingly and have
known him for long, he speaks but little,
and then in so low a tone that you must
strain your ears to catch his words. With
his intimateS he raises this self-placed en-
barge on his vocal chords; but in converse
ton he never responds whit to the bois-
terousness of his most amusing guest and
his choice of words is so accurate that he
leaves much to his visitors imagination.
He has the lawyers habit of permitting
the other man to do the most of the talk
ing-"Iet EN- get the rope around their
thus draws him out. Genial, even amiable,
as Judge McKenna is to newspaper men,
for instance, he is a difficult official for the
interviewer. for in response to a single
query he does not do the very desirable
thing of rambling off into meaty string of
cancellations. The question answered sue
cinctly. he halts and waits for the next
one, with the result that the interviewer
is kept on pretty much of a mental prowl
for more questions. The serenity, almost
the immobility. of Judge McKenna's man
rer fastened upon him the soubriquet of
Gentleman joe In San Francisco, where
nicknames are so much thicker than VAL
lambrosa leaves. But his suavity while
sincere, is only part of him.
A Hard Worker.
Judge McKenna Is pronounced by old
Department of the Justice officials to be |
the hardest working Attorney General since
Garland. 1T is rather a wonder to me-"
said one Of them, that he does not sleep