The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-09
LETTERS l'RoM NH. BRAINERD.

God bless our home"
LETTERS kROM MIR. BRAINERD.
The following extracts from private let
tiers OF Erastus Brainerd. OF this city, now
IN washington. will be found interesting:
You can imagine the pleasure IL Is to
mo to find Seattle and the Klondike" %
thoroughly associated as / invariably do
by every person / have met without one
exception. / have yet TO meet the first per-
son who doesn't know OF and associate
both OF them. even IL some are not well
posted, IS most are. did meet one man.
Philadelphia lawyer, who did not know
where Seattle Is, but did ask II It wasn't ia
Alaska where the gold excitement Is.
Even member Of the Cuban Junta, whose
headquarters are now In this hotel, had
word to say Of It and the first thing
President Mckinley said to me when I
had the honor Of meeting him, was to ask
II the Cuban war had not obscured our
kiondike trade. When the war ends
think we viii find the people OF the coun-
try looking toward the Klondike more than
ever.
Speaking of the Cuban junta, Senior Con-
zaio de Quesada, Its Washington head, Is
one OF the most active men I ever laid
eyes on. You can imagine he is on the
go all the time and II ever a man was
everywhere at once" he is. Quesada il
an exceptionally handsome fellow and in
the hotel a string Of good looking young
women is at his side constantly.
John Jacob Astor and "Joe'' Choate. the
famous lawyer, were on the train on which
l came to the national capital. Mr.. Aston
came to offer his services In the war and
to tender to the government his yacht and
an agreement to equip and pay for an ar
ullery battery during the war. Mr..
Astor Is most peculiar looking person.
He has an enormous nose and his forehead
and lower face slope back from the nose
at an angle which would be an alarming
sign for his intellect were 1t not that the
keen. shrewd intelligence OF his eyes save
him. His eyes make him look what his
face Is. sharp, acute and keen. And speak
ing OF Aston, even Populist ought to be
proud of the way the very rich are coming
to the front. To Astors offer Is to be
added that of Helen Gould, Jay Goulds
daughter. OF 100000. while her brothers
offer the equivalent Of no less an amount.
Here is John Wanamaksr agreeing to pay
the salary OF every one OF his clerks who
enlist and TO insure their lives for 5000
for their families. and also to raise and
equip a fun regiment ana go az private.
Theodore Roosevelt, who is wealthy, re-
signs the assistant secretaryship OF the
y
lieutenant colonel OF irregular cavalry.
The big banks, trusts and corporations are
all agreeing TO do no less than Wanamak-
er. and no Popuhst politician can longer
say that patriotism Is dead among the rich:
while no one poor or rich denies the pa
triotism Of the average Populist
To my mind as honest and sincere man
as there is in congress is Mr.. Bailey, OF
Texas. the young leader OF the Bryan
Democrats. He leaves no political points
that he can fairly make, yet he avoids no
patriotic duty. In fact he has abstafned
from doing some things which, II he were
politician alone. he might have done and
without much adverse criticism from non
partisans. I look on Bailey as far ADLER
man than Mr.. Bryan. and would not be
surprised TO see him take Bryan's place
before many years.
Speaking of Bailey. did I write you that
spent half day with William f. Bailey?
He is we'll and as charming and debon-
aire as ever. has changed hardly a hair.
had just become the happy father OF boy
and is living at Ingieside. beautiful Penn
sylvania stock farm through which the
Pennsylvania runs for nearly mile. He
| is as devoted TO Seattle as ever but is
anxious to and probably will go 90 Cuba
with the army as an aide-de-camp. per-
haps 10 Gen. Lee. Seattle people who re-
member and know the part Mr.. Bailey
took in the attempted abduction OF Mr..
r. B. Albertson know that he Will make
a brave account of himself IL he should
| be placed where bravery is needed.
notice that 5000 Hebrews met the other
day in Chicago and prayed for victory Tor
the United States. There Will be no more
earnest and active supporters Of the war
with Cuba than the Jews. who have long
memories and do not forget their perse-
cution by the Spaniards. Apropos OF this.
when in Philadelphia / mat Jewish
friend a banker. who was speaking to me
| OF DR.. Jose Congosto. now secretary gen.
eral of Cuba, bur who. when 1 was IN
Philadelphia, was member OF the consul
lar CORPS 10 which also belonged. My
friend told me that Congosto. who IS
charming man not long before he went 20
| Cuba, was complaining that he had 10 do
| detective work which was naturally dis
| tasteful IN a gentleman. My friend said
| TO him: 'T have great sympathy for my
| friend Ccngosto, but none Tor his govern
| ment."
And why not for my government"
| asked the Spaniard.
Because / have long memory, ana
| cannot forget how your government per
| secuted my people 40 years ago"
"Ahr' said Congosto. IL she only had
| not For she is suffering from !, now"
| met Fremon. Cole in Washin gtos- Cole
| hecame known az the youngest man who
| ever became speaker OF the house OF repre-
| sentarIves in New York state. A few years
| ago he came TO Seattle and went into part
| nership wfsh r NJ. Reed, jr. While In
Seattle what was known as the Roscoe
| antl-cIgaretie bill was before the legisIa-
| fsre and Cole was engaged TO fight IL. His
/ work was so highly appreciated that he
/ was called 90 New York 10 become counsel
| for the American Tobacco Company, gen
| efaltv called the Tohaeco Trust. which Is
| the producer OF about 90 per cent. OF the
! Aug and cat smoking and chewing tobacco
/ q th~ United States. lie looks Wei and