Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-07-14

ing than at the time of the democratic
national convention in 1896. AS every
one knows he was a strong figure be-
fore the convention. At one time there
was a belief that he stood a strong
chance to become the nominee. Al
that time Mr.. Bland was at his home,
two miles away from the town of Le-
banon. He had no Geographic or tele-
phonic connection from his comfort
able home to the town near which he
lived. Instead of remaining close to
means of direct communication with
the exciting scenes in Chicago, he con-
tinued to pursue his daily habits On
the farm Along toward the evening
of one of the most exciting days of the
convention there were signs that there
would be a Bland landslide. In the
minds of the knowing ones in the con-
vention it may be that this was not
so but this impression got abroad and
was felt in most parts of the country.
Every telegram that reached Lebanon
said something about it. The same
thing. in a moderate way, had hap
pened a number of times in the two
or three days proceedings. Each
time there had been a rush for Bland.
and each time he astonished the rush
ers by showing them that his concern
was much less manifest than theirs.
On this particular evening an effort
was made to make Mr.. Bland come TO
town. He had been in for the mail in
the afternoon and had purchased some
groceries, but he announced to his
friends, before starting for home, that
he would not come back except under
extraordinary conditions. Some one
told him that the conditions were ex-
traordinary. and that his nomination
was imminent Mr.. Bland shook his
head and smiled IF | am nominated
tonight" he said, Il will hear about it
in the morning"
Accompanied by two or three of the
children he climbed slowly into his
not too gorgeous equippage and drove
out the dusty street in the direction of
his home
Mr. Bland had another reason at
this time for sticking close to the
farm. Help" is scarce down that
way, and at that time Mrs. BANDS
"hired girl had left her, leaving only
a mere slip of a child to assist in the
large amount of general work and the
care of the children. So it became a
part of Mr. BANDS duty to assist about
the house when he could. and this
duty he performed.
About that time some friendly biog-
rapher wrote to him thus:
Though he wears socks. he does not
wear a collar except on Sunday. He
wears knee-high boots. and his trOus-
ers are two or three inches too short.
He chews a quarter of a pound Of to-
bacco a day. He is poor, honest and in
dependent. He lives on a farm near
Lebanon, which, he says. he would sell
for the value of the Improvements. His
house is built of red brick and is two
stories high. His family consists of a
wife and six children. His oldest child,
a girl Of 20, is at school in Washing
ton. The younger children run around
barefooted and are healthy and happy
Mr.. Bland is 81, and his wife, who is 43,
has the placid, quiet face of a Madon-
ma She believes that her husbands
chances of landing in the white house
are slim, and so far as she is concerned
she would rather continue to live on
the farm. She does all the homework
herself. One hired man is kept, and he