The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-05-19
BLAINE'S MEMORY.
NEVER FORGOT A FACE OR THE
NAME OF AN ACQUAINTANCE.

That Were Related by Ex-Governor
Cumback of Indiana.
rron takirg editorial charge Of the
Kenncbec Journal Mr.. Blaine soon
familinrizcd himself with Maine poll
tics by studying the files Of The Jour
nal. and he studied them closely as far
back as 1925 By this means he soon
became the best POSTED man i'll the state
on Maine politics, and he was looked
upon as authority His able editorials
during the can'raign bringing up ro-
litical matters Of the past showed care
full research, and they were copied wide
". 1t was while editor Of The journal
that he was one day stopped Oh the
street by an old lady whom he had nev-
er seen before and asked to write up the
wedding Of her daughter, which occur
red the night before
Blaine had served his time in con
gress and went to Maine to speak dur
ing his campaign, when at the close Of
his speech he began shaking hands with
the masses crowded around him. All
old lady with wrinkled brow and whit
enod hair, bearing babe III her arms.
approached and offered her hand.
'Why, how do you do?" said Mr.
Blaine. where's that daughter o;
yours l wrote up that wedding notice
about?'
"Pcor Lucy is dead, said the old Ia.
dy, and her eyes filled with tears
"1his is her child.
The man with the big, kind heart
reached over and kissed the little blue
eyed girl
During the Greeley campaign in 1872
Ex-Governor Cumback of Indiana spoke
with Mr. Blaine in Springfield, q. This
was early III the campaign Just before
the election Mr. Cumback was sent up
in Blaine's state to make n speech. He
was told by the committee that he
would find Maine people very stiff and
inhospitable and quite different from
the western people Mr.. Cumback was
surprised. however, at his enthusiastic
reception, there being large crowds
everywhere, and he never had n more
enthusiastic meeting than ut Augusta
He told Blaine Of the incident and his
agreeable disappointment.
"Oh, said the statesman, "they had
man of unusual stuff to get them
stirred upl Such man on speech as
you are would have good reputation
anywhere. "
But what do you know about my
speech?" asked the governor
Didn't you speak with me over at
Sprinpiielu?'' said Blaine in way as
reminder. Then he went ahead and told
NJ (fp,nhn,E nj nInrf htc cpaaph ~
the crowd present and gave promptly
all the main points Of the speech and
even named the party with them. He
also remembered at what hotel they put
up and what day of the week it was.
Another instance Of Blaines grea.
memory is cited in the following story,
as told by Mr.. Cumback:
During the Garfield campaign Mr..
Blaine spoke in Cumback's town. He
was entertained by Mr.. Cumback and
driven over town.
There's q sick man in that house
there that has been talking you up for
president for four or five years, said
the governor, land he thinks there is
no one like Jim Blaine"
ME for PRESIDENT" said Blaine.
'Yes, you for president. Do you
want to stop and go in to see Kim n
minute9 Nothing would please him bet
ter"
They went in and remained few
minutes. Blaine trotted the children on
his lap and talked freely with the sick
man, whose name was David Kerr.
Blaine and the governor met at Gar
fields Inauguration.
"How are you, WHIP" asked Blaine
And he asked all about the men he had
met in Cumback's town several months
before and called nearly all Of them by
their first names. "Oh, yes" he said,
"how is Dave Kerr? Did he ever get
well? Poor fellow, he suffered terribly
And those little children. how about
them?"
This may be considered wonderful
feat of memory II was in October when
he met these people, and it was on the
4th of March, nearly five months after
ward, that he recalled his visit, re-
mombering the name Of every person
he was introduced to on that day. He
had seen million people since that
time and had shaken hands with and
met thousands.
Mr.. Cumback accompanied Mr.
Blaine on Eis speaking tour through In.
diana during his campaign in 1854. II
was just ten days before election. Cum.
back left him at Lafayette, saying that
he wouldn't see him again until the
Inauguration.
Il don't know" said Blaine doubt
fully I'm afraid it won't be.
He had an unusual, vacant, faraway
look in his eyes, and he was very seri
ous. His words came slowly and hest
tatingly. Mr.. Cumback assured hin
that there was no doubt. but Blaine
shook his head.
Il don't know" said he. 1--WE hat
sort of feeling for the last week tha
wouldn't be elected. hope will
but the outcome is doubtful, and fee
now as if it were very doubtful. But il
am defeated will go to work the mex