Evening star., 1897-03-20

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Our Am ba ssndor to London.
see that Col. John Hay has already
rented his house In London. He has taken
one of the most expensive establishments
in the most fashionable part of the city
and the dignity of the United States will
be upheld without regard to cost. Colonel
Hay is also a very rich man. He has made
something of a fortune himself by his liter
ary and other work, but he became a mil
lonaire when his father-in-law, Amasa
Stone. died. Amasa Stone was a Massa-
chusetts boy. He developed a great capaci-
ty fer railroad building. He was the super
intendent of the New Haven and Hartford
railroad before he was thirty, and had
shown remarkable talent bridge build
er by the time he was out of his teens.
When he was still: youag he came out to
Ohio and settled at. Cleveland. He built
the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati
railroad from Cleveland to Columbus. This
is now part of the Big Four system. He
built the Chicago. and Milwaukee railroad
and was for lonR time manager Of the
Lake Shore road. He made a great deal of
II oney ard when he died he left behind him
large variety of railroad and other in
terests. President 4incoln thought a great
deal of Amasa Stone. He advised with him
often as to railroad matters during the
war, and he once offered to make Mr. Stone
a brigadier general II he would accept such
an appointment MIR. Stone, however
thought he was better fitted for business
than for soldiering.:'and he preferred TO do
his work for the Union in a more quiet
way He was often called to the White
Rouse and 1t was probably through his
visits there that John Hay became ac-
quainted with him and his daughter At
any rate, Air. Hay married Miss Stone and
at her fathers death he became one of the
executors or this great estate. AS such he
mas had to deal with some of the largest
business interests of the country He has
had to learn how such things are managed
ana today he is on this account the more
ntted TO go abroad as the representative
OF thls business administration.
John Hay ms a Diplomat.
There is no doubt but that John Hay will
make good ambassador to England He
had the advantage of President I.incoIn.s
tutorship while he was private secretary in
the White House. and Lincoln, 1t is now
generally conceded, was one of the greatest
diplomats this country has produced. AS
an Illustration Of his diplomacy | heard the
ether day of a lesson which he is said to
nave given Colonel Hay when he was pri-
vate secretary at the White House A pub
lie man of some note had acted rather
onensively toward the President and John
hay. SO the story goes, told the President
That he expected to write a letter, giving
him a piece of his mind. That's right"
said President Lincoln. DO SO, give it to
him; write out just what you think" John
Hay did SO. and he brought in the letter to
the President. and read it to him. AS he
1ead Mr.. Lincoln from time to time said:
Good. good! That fixes him." At it's close
Mr. Hay said: We'll, he will get the letter
tomorrow morning. and we will see what
ne mas to say in reply. But, returned
PRESIDENT Lincoln, you don't intend to
mail that letter! l wanted you to write it
out because 1t helps one to ease his feelings,
cut you must not think Of sending it. You
would only make the man mad without do
Ing good to yourself or the administration"
The result was the letter was never sent.
This incident, If true. must have oc-
Cured more than a generation ago, and
John Hay has since shown himself to he
one Of the shrewdest diplomatists of this
country. He began mis- diplomatic career
upon leaving the White House, being first
sent to Paris. Here he kept Secretary Sew
ard informed of the schemes of Maximilian
and Carlotta, and enabled him to lay the
plans which kept Macmillan from sue
ceeding In Mexico. l have heard it said
that had 1t not been for Hay Mexico might
have become a monarchy instead of being
Cne OF the most thriving republics of Span
ish America. Leaving Paris Colonel Hay
was next sent to Vienna as secretary of le-
cation. Here he was for a long time charge
da1aires. and he served so well that later
on he was sent to Spain. He has also been
one of the first assistant secretaries Of
state. and his life since he left the White
House. away back in 1865, has been largely
made up of diplomatic work.
Col. Hay n Literary Man.
John Hay will have the advantage of
good literary reputation abroad. Our lit
erary men have been our best diplomats.
Washington Irving was an efficient minis
ter to Spain, Bayard Taylor was one Of
our best ministers to Berlin. and the man
who served with perhaps the greatest rep
utation in England was James Russell
Lowell. Col. Hay during his stay in Spain
wrote his hoOL Do
This ranks up we'll With the best books Of
travel. He brought the manuscript home
with him in his valise. and arrived here
Just at the time when Bret Harte had
made himself famous by writing his
"Heathen Chnee'' and other poems. Col.
Hay wrote and published a number of the
same kind of poems, the most OF which
m sed m theme the County and
LITTLE e Bndsos aSos paes aad otR Rr
ers; They took welI. and before he knew
soon as he realized his notoriety in this
respect he regretted 1t, for he told me
once he was rather ashamed of having
written Little Breeches." believe he
considers It below him. and that he has
always prided himself on doing better
work. He can. however. write poems of q
high order. At the Christian Endeavor
meeting here at Washington not long ago
he wrote the Invocation Hymn. He is an
earnest Christian. and the reading Of this
hymn may give you some idea of his char
acter:
Invocation.
Lord! from far-severed chimes we come.
10 meet at last IN Thee, our home
Inou who hast been our guide ana guard
Be stiH our hope, our rieh rewaid
Defend US. Lord from every III.
Strengthen our hearts to do Thy VIII,
In all we plan and all we do
Still keep u to Thy service true.