The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-03
A DlSTINGUISHED GALAXY.

Vile ID. Hall. i--lf' 4 "
To the Editor OF the 1ntelllgcncer.
sIR:-Reading occasionally after
that graceful and versatile writer Of
newspaper and magazine literature. Mr..
Eugene v. Smalley. now believe OF
ST. Paul, ON tempted to put on paper
fragmentary Renaissance connected
with transltory acquaintance with him
In Washington now more than thirty
years ago.
Mr.. Smalley was then editor OF the
Mahoning Register, published at
Youngstown, Ohio. In General GarAeld's
district. Garfield was in the house. on
the flood-tide OF his rising fame. Mr..
Smalley was clerk OF the house COM
mttee on military affairs, OF which
General Logan was chairman and Gar
field member. Smalley was there, as
supposed. through the friendship Of
Garfield. because he sought n larger
field than was afforded him by the buc-
ole weekly and the Mahoning valley.
was part owner OF n morning daily
IN near the same longitude as the Reg
lister and had gone to spend the winter
IN Washington. Ten years before had
left home In the Western Virginia hills
with an intense, but ill-judged ambl-
ton to become n reporter in one|or the
other houses OF Congress. and sought
:he national capital as the Mecca of
ms hopes. It was just about the time
James Buchanan was coming into the
presidency; and I witnessed his inau-
guration on raw March day
from the midst OF the crowd at
the east front OF the capital. I had not
an acquaintance In Washington save
through letters OF introduction; but
through the kindly help OF Hon. John S.
Carlisle, then In the house OF represent
tatives. to whom had letter. quick
" found work under the official reporter
Of the senate. Mr.. Richard Sutton, by
whom Dennis and James Murphy were
then employed on the floor of the SEN
ate. little time and experience re-
vealed the many lions that lay in the
way OF my boyish ambition; and after
another winter there, gave up WASH
inSton and drifted into a newspaper
nearer home.
was in Washington during the
closing weeks of the summer session OF
1861. Before adjournment Congress had
ordered an investigation OF the ord
nance, department. on complaint of
Norman Wizard. the inventor OF the
built-up steel gun. and of Horati)
Ames. Of Chicopee, Mass. the fabrica-
tor OF 1t. joint committee had been
appointed, had organized and agreed to
begin their inquiry In October. in ad-
vance OF the next meeting of Congress.
Senator W. B. Howard. Of Michigan,
was committeeman on the, part OF the
senate and chairman Of the joint COM
Mittee, By him l was engaged to at
tend the sittlngs OF the committee and
take the testimony. My home was sew.
eral hundred miles west of Washington,
and recall that in returning thither in
October. General Schenck and his two
daughters were passengers on the same
train. as were also Robert R. Hit and
his mother. General Schenck was q
member Of the house military commit
tee. Mr.. Hit was known to me only By
siSht and repvte.. I knew him as the
man who had reported the celebrated
debate between Lincoln and Douglas In
1888: and being especially interested In
Successful reporters, studied Mr.. Hit,
good deal between the Ohio river and
the end of.the journey and made up my
mind then to what his subsequent his
tory has, shown. that he was man OF
much more than common mental stat
ure.
The sessiohs.of the committee were to
be held In the room of the house mill
tary committee. In which there was a
case of books on military and cognate
subjects In the interval before the
sitinSs began, Mr.. Smalley did me a
material service by allowing me the run
OF this library In which there were
numerous volumes on ordnance. By
their help, l was forearmed with some
knowledge of the techn!calities with
which the subsequent investigation was
heset. It did not take me Icing in the
casual acquaintance thus begun TO find
that Mr.. Smalley was a man OF very su,
perior talents. as his later career as ed.
itor. Washington ceres pendent, maya.
zine essayist and miscellaneous writer
a6undantly shows.
The working committee charged with
the investigation was composed of Gen.
erals Logan, Schenck. Butler and Gar
ile!d-all OF the house. l do not recall
that Senator Howard ever attended any
Of the sittings.
The complaint made by Wizard and
Ames was, in general terms, that Gen,
Dyer, chief OF ordnance, and some OF
his suhordinates. had Disseminated
against them in the matter OF, the steel
cannon for the reason. in plain English
that Wizard and Ames would not make
It the pecunlarF interest Of the ord
nance officials TO do otherwise; tina.
sinister means had been employed IN
making tests to burst the guns: and
that colored and false reports had been
made OF results; and on such grounds
payments had been withheld.
Horatio Ames. brother OF Oliver then
governor OF Massachusetts, and o.
oakes Ames (known to fame as havin.
planted Union Pacific railway stock In
C2nSress;where 1t would be most fruit
tu!l. was proprietor OF the great shovel
factory, and Of the brass foundry, n,
ehicopee. ut which were cast the cale-
DRAFTED historic bronze doors that adorn
portions OF the capital.
Norman Wizard. the inventor OF the
pui!t,np steel cannon. well known in
scientific circles. was then a striking
hsure-a tall and handsome person
lace dark and forceful looking.
Ames was large, stout, placld-looklns
out Keen. AS | now recall, he had
something of the pose and look OF Err.
tic. "e '0'
lhelr attorney was Clifford Arrlck, a
Washington lawyer. formerly OF st,
Csaifsv!lle. Ohio. ArrIck was a very
Ganao!e man; able, alert. and thorough.
master of the matter In hand.
* is depression. but want TO saw
WAY the first typewriter work ever
"a" vas In Arrlck's Office in the winter
y. Ia's' 1t was report OF testimony,
sSscuted for him by stenographers
n ~m IN Washington. Clephane g. Nit
...e'!, on the first typewriter made by
tHe INVENTOR. SholeS of Milwaukee, ,rh1