The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-10-04

was entertained by Mr.. Cumback and
driven over town.
There's a 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 him a
minute? Nothing would please him
better"
They went in and remained a 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 ter
ribly. And those little children, how
about them?"
This may be considered a wonderful
feat of memory. 1t was in October
when he met these people, and 1t was
on the 4th of March, nearly five months
afterward that he recalled his visit,
remembering the name of every per-
son he was introduced to on that day
He had seen a million people since
that time and had shaken hands with
and met thousands.
FORESAW HIS DEFEAT.
Mr.. Cumback accompanied Mr. Blaine
on his speaking tour through Indiana
during his campaign in 'S4 1t was just
ten days before elnction. Cumback
left him at Lafayette, saying that he
wouldn't see him again till the inaug-
uration.
II don't know" said Blaine, doubt
fully, I'm afraid it won't be-"
He had an unusual vacant, far-away
look in his eyes. and he was very seri-
Gus. His words came slowly and hesi-
tatingly. Mr.. Cumback assured him
that there was no doubt, but Blaine
shook his head.
II don't know" said he: "I've had a
sort of feeling for the last week that
l wouldn't be elected. | hope / will,
but the outcome is doubtful, and feel
now like it is very doubtful. But if 1
= N
day on my book"
And he did. He began the second
volume of his Twenty Years in Con-
gress" the next day after the election.
HIS CLOSEST FRIEND.
Hon. W. II. Goddard, a member of
the Indiana house of representatives,
bears the distinction of having been
closer to Mr.. Blaine than any other
man in Indiana. The story of how the
friendship Of the great premier was
won is a very interesting one.
At the time when Blaine was a shin
ing light in the house Mr. Goddard was
auditor of the treasury. The news that
Blaine was about to make his great
speech in reply to the master effort
made by Hill, favoring amnesty for the
rebels, reached Goddard late in the day
before the speech was to take place
He at once remembered that filed away
in his trunk was a speech delivered
some time before by Hill at Atlanta, in
which the speaker asserted that he
would rather go to the penitentiary
than apply for amnesty for the rebels.
and had made remarks at length in
that strain. The next morning before
congress met Goddard succeeded in get
ting an interview with Blaine in a
cloakroom. He produced the speech,
showing the headlines to the congress-
man. He fairly grabbed it out of God
dard's hands.
Where. did you get this speech?" he
inquired eagerly.
Il assure you that you need not
doubt its genuineness," said Mr.. God
dard.
Blaine took the address, and in his
great speech which he made an hour
later, which resounded over the world
at the time, he threw Hills former
words at him with great force The
latter, taken by surprise, did not have
time TO defend himself, and the plumed
knight added another laurel to his
crown. From that day on Blaine and
Goddard were the stanchest friends,
and during Garfield's campaign God
dard was the only man in Indiana who
could induce Blaine to come to his
state.