The San Francisco call., 1898-01-01
Over an Editorial That Appeared in an Even :.
 ing. Paper. ..-...
Quite a Difference of Opinion as
 to Exactly What Was Said. and Done
POINTS OF AGREEMENT.
The Prayers :of=tte Land Agent Were Asked for the Success of, the =
 Colonization Schernte:.'>. :-<.:.

The: world will probably never: Know just exactly how. close it was. to. learn ing several: important truths; on this glad New Year morning.: It came about through the fact that an editorial appeared in. the: Evening Post in which certain *criticisrns. were indulged in regarding: the methods; of the Salvation Army. =. .::.. = ::.> Had it not been: f0F"the:. we'll known: reticence of w: H *Nftls5 Land Agent of the Southern Pacific, the = people might now know just:Mho writes some: of the. editorials and. also: the exact status of the<oWnersh of the. bright est evening. paper in San. Francisco. :-
 Had it not been for the well; known reticence of. W. H.: Mills, land agent of the Southern Pacific Company, the. peo- pie might now know just who writes some of the editorials in that ..paperi and it might even be known. as to. the exact status of ownership. of the jour nal. <.: -:
 Then there. is another. matter upon which there: might have been a little enlightenment and that is whether Mr. Mills remembers the Salvation Army in his prayers or; in fact: whether he prays or not. ..- --- :. - All these questions were directly ask ed by Major Winchell, and as to. the manner of the asking and the wording of the replies there is a divergence of opinion that is surprising when the well known characteristics of the two men involved in the altercation-rather controversy-is remembered. Both agree as to the questions asked. The divergence of recollection comes in on the latter part of the interview. Major WincheH is certain that his manner was suave and mild; that there was none of the church militant about him. He admits that there was con- siderable of the ''fortiter in re" in his ''suaviter in modo," but he insists that he preached the delicate subject in a manner that was entirely unobjection- able-that is, if such questions could be unObjectionable to a man of MT. Mills well known temperament.
 On the other hand, MT. Mills is equal ly certain that he treated the major with all the deference due to one of SC exalted standing, and was even cour- teous to a degree that is beyond his usual wont. True, according to MT. Mills, the language and manner of the military man. were not exactly what one might expect from a commander in the army of the Lord, yet the astute and mild-mannefed railroad man re- strained himself-actua1ly held back that flow of language for which he is noted in letter writing-and gave cour- teOus answers to all the questions that were asked. Perhaps his answers were not exactly full of the information de- sired by the major, but they were an- swers and that should have satisfied the military man.
 It has always been a matter of won der that two men should so widely di- lf.lI I-. s,-.v-~ metrlcaLY. opposite stories regarding matters in which both are deeply inter ested, but the world is full of instances E in klnd, hence the present difference between Major Winchell and MT Mills should not arouse wonderment
 According to Major Winchell he vis- tied MT. Mills with the ayowed and fixed. determination to learn from that gentlemans own lips whether or not he, Mills, was responsible for the edi- torial in the Post and also whether or not the Southern Pacific Railroad own ed the Post. Major Winchell is not the first man who has had a yearning to have these questions solved. but like all predecessors he is still in the dark so far as direct confirmation is con- ~cerned, but in his own mind he firmly believes that Mir. Mills, by his manner and tone of negation, really did mean to affirm and acknowledge the soft i'm
 
 is to be taken in this weighty contro- versy, then the manner of MT Mills was anything but gentlemanlv and the major had occasion to so inform the railroad man before leaving. Vet by his own acknowledgment Win chell confessed that he thought inc head of the land department of tbe railroad was good man, for on da- parting from the interview he asked for the prayers of MT. Mills-proyiding nc MT. Mills was a praying man.
 It is of record that MT. Mills is a praying man. But probably he does not consider that the Salvation Army belongs to that same class of Christ ians as compose the church to which Mir Bryan belongs. It will be renem- bered in his letter to a certain up-coun- try editor regarding a certain pass upon which MT. Bryan is said to have ridden, that MT. Mills spoke glowinsly of the "aristocratic" membership of his church. The Salvation Army does mi go much on it's aristocracy and prob ably herein may lie the key to the whole situation as regards the differ. ence between these two estimable gen. tlemen.
 MT. Mills ayers that when he was called upon by Major Winchell he treated the gentleman with all due de- ference, and notwithstanding the ab- rupt and even harsh manner of ap- proach on the part of the visitor, he demeaned himself in a most forbearine manner and even soothed the ruff1ed feelings of the major to such an ex- tent that upon the close of the interest ing meeting the major was so far con- Vinced of the great goodness of the man upon whom he first looked as ar adversary, that he besought his pray CTS for the welfare of the army in it's present work.
 on this point, as well as on the tenor of the questions asked, there is no diff ference of opinion between the two gentlemen, but as regards the subject matter of the intervening time there is a broad chasm
 W1nchen says that Mills tacitly admitted that the Southern Pacific road owns the Post, and that he