The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-10-03
THE NEW DENIS KEARNEY.

IFrom the San Francisco Examiner
''Take any part of ten thousand at
one fourteen murmured Denis Kear-
ney to his broker across the edge of the
wheat pit in the Produce Exchange.
No sooner had the leather lunged
broker shouted out this offer than a big
man on the other side of the place
shrieked "Sold!'
Another ten thousand at same fig
ure,'' said Kearney- in tone so low
that his factor could scarcely hear, and
once more the man across the way
cried Sold"
Again and again this was repeated,
other sellers taking the place of the
big trumpeter, until it seemed to me
that this man at my elbow, with the
gently modulated voice, was about to
buy the entire wheat crop of California.
He caught sight of me and said, cheer
lily: Hello, you here2 Taking a flyer
at the market, I SUPPOSE" still speak
ing in the same measured tone, though
there was a, touch of old time nervous
tension as he turned from the focus of
speculation and said, simply: I'm
bull on wheat today, and feel like buy
ing all the visible supply, but l guess
I have enough for the moment. I'll
make my turn on this lot in the p. m
Board and clean up some good money
And he did, adding $4,000 to his bank
roll
looked at this Denis Kearney of to-
day and marvelled at the changes that
the flight of twenty years had wrought
He is the same man who was once the
king of the sand lots and the voice
now so well controlled, then rasDing
and raucous, thundered portentous
threats against the hell born, hell
bound scoundreIs," as he was reported
to have called those who had the te-
merity to challenge his dominion.
THAT expression might have been
justified under circumstances then ex-
listing, but 1 never originated it or used
caf6 Iqr~a7 TO ~ = -
recollection of old times brought up by
reference to these famous words. Then
he explained: THAT hell born, hell
bound business was Incorporated in
a fictitious speech which Chester Hull
pretended that delivered. 1t was made
out of whole CLOTH Nothing of the
kind ever occurred Strange as it may
seem, 1T was from that circumstance
that arose the erroneous impression
that Mr.. Hull wrote my speeches. AS
g, matter of fact, the only speech he
ever wrote for me was that one which
never delivered and knew nothing
about until read it in the New York
Sun. 1t came back here and was re-
published as a joke, but soon after
ward was accepted in sober earnest
That shows how history is made
Several times in his conversation
the retired ruler of the sand lots be-
trayed undisguised pride in his own
literary and Oratorical ability He said
that for ten weeks he Travelled through
the state, making a campaign in favor
of the new constitution, speaking from
new themes every day, often suggested
by the occurrences or inspiration of the
moment, and he thought it preposter-
GUS for any one to think that those ora
tons could have been prepared before
hand by any other person.
''They were all mine. Such as they
were, they came from my own brain.
had but one object and that was ac-
complished. From the beginning to the
end the Chinese must go was my text.
I stuck to it until the law was changed
so as to prevent or at least to curb the
influx of Chinese that threatened to
overWhelm our state"
So he ran on in his reminiscent mood,
this retired agitators who has recently
made a marked success in his extensive
operation on change
The Denis Kearney of today comes in
different guise. AS he acknowledged
my greeting 1 noticed that his left hand
was gloved and the right hand, which
was conventionally bare, bore witness
to the attentions of the manicure. He
carried a set of ivory tablets wherein
he jotted down the figures of his buys
and sells" with a little gold mounted
pencil. The canvas oVeralls and jump
er had disappeared Gone was the
leather apron with its fastenings of
copper rivets Before me was the Denis
Kearney of today-the prosperous spec
ulator in wheat, sugar and oil-those
three great staples that have made eaa