The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-26

The Aged Statesman Totally Blind,
but He Is Still Able to Enjoy Life.
w. u. Curtis in Chicago Record


Ex-senator Evarts has entirely disap-
peared from the public eye, and, according
to the fickeness of mankind is almost for
gotten. You never see his name in the
newspapers and seldom hear him spoken of
these days, although twenty-five years ago
ne was one of the most conspicuous men
of the Nation. He still lives in a large old
fashioned red b,ick house. with green
blinds, in Stuyvesant square, in the old part
Fourteenth street and Second avenue,
where few conservative families have sue
ceeded in lighting back the tide of saloons
and boarding houses that has submerged
what was once the most aristocratic portion
OF the city. Mr.. Evarts is now eighty-one
years old, and totally blind. He sits all day
IN a reclnlng ctlair IN a sunny room in the
second story of his residence, where a young
lady secretary attends to his CORES ondence
ana reads to him the newspapers, maya
zines and novels He retains full possess
sion of his faculties, and continues to enjoy
life, for several old crollies call uDon him
every day and some of his numerous grand
children are almost always around his chair
The neighbors say that when they see
white-aproned nurse and baby carriage
they know it belongs to the Evarts family
No pleasant day passes without a visit
from all the grandchildren and the old gen.
tlefnan watches eagerly for their coming
Some of them he has never seem The light
began to leave Mr.. EVarts'S eyes about ten
years ago, after an accident, when he was
thrown from a car and struck his forehead
shock burst the blood vessels of his eyes and
caused a film to spread over the retina which
could never be removed. He has received
treatment from the best specialists in Ell-
rope and America, and DR.. Delafield, cele-
brated oculist of New York. calls upon him
at least once week, but gives him no hope
Of recovery. Otherwise his health is as
vigorous as one could expect in a man of his
age. He has taken no active part in affairs
since he left the Senate,g although he still
retains nominal connection with his old
firm, Evarts, Choate & Beaman, the junior
partner being one OF his seven sons-in-aw.
Two of his sons and several other members
of the family are employed with the firm
Sherman Evarts. his Oldest son. who has
already distinguished himself at the bar,
lives around the corner on East Thirteenth
street, where he can look into the back win
dows Of his fathers house, while Allen W.,
the second son, lives with his family on
West Twelfth street, seven or eight blocks
away. Maxwell Evarts, the youngest son,
lives at home. Prescott is an Episcopal rec
tor in a Massachusetts village.
Notwithstanding his eventful career Of
nearly sixty years at the bar, in politics and
public office, Mr.. Eyarts has resisted all per-
suason to write the "reminiscences of his
busy and eventful life. He was attorney gem
eral in JohnSon's Cabinet, secretary of state
for four years and served six years in the
Senate. He was the attorney for the United
States before the Geneva arbitration tribunal
and secured Judgment of S15.O00O0e for this
country. He defended President johnson
against the impeachment of the House of
Representatives. defended Henry Ward
Beecher in the Tton scandal, for a quarter
of a century was the acknowledged leader of
the bar of this country and is said to have
received the largest fee of any lawyer in
history.