The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1901-03-22
THE HARRISONS.

Emporia Gazette: Two weeks ago
today the writer of these lines spent
the morning with General Harrison in
his library, a big comfortable home
looking room, and the General stood
with his back to the natural gas CRATE
fire and toasted his coat tails. He
yawned gently and said:
''Well, sir, | am feeling stronger
today than | have felt for years. [
am enjoying life. don't feel that 1
am out of it. l have gratified every
personal ambition; the people have
been more than generous to me. Yet
| feel that | have some part in the
world, that have some duties to my
country unperiormed. | have con-
victions-naturall one must
stand by his convictions and spread
them widely as he can. So am not
going to go into a she'll"
He seemed in fine spirits and in per-
feet health. The night before he at
tended a dinner given for the Emporia
iuhhs anu dlltl w I'll u Ntllb OOb w d
meeting of the Contemporary club,
where the visitor appeared and read
a story. Mrs. Harrison said it was
his first appearance at public func-
tioD for many weeks, as he had been
fighting off the grip. Friends have
since said it was his last appearance
in public.
The Harrison home is a big, roomy,
brick mansion of the style of archi-
lecture prevalent when Major Hoods
home and the Moore home were built
it resembles them but is not 50
large as either and stands among
some maple trees well back in sew
enty-fve foot lot. The house is hand
somely furnished with heavy old
fashioned furniture, and interesting
trophies of great events and memen-
toes of great personages adorn the
walls. The house is essentially IA
home looking place. There is nothing
austere. nothing palatial about it. In
the parlor, which is like half the'par-
lors of the two-story houses in EN-
poria, is a beautiful luminous paint
ing of a snub-nosed little girl in a
garden of apple blooms. There is a
speck of dirt on her childish face and
her clothes are not stiff and starchy,
but show that she has been playing in
the garden. The picture is a portrait
of little Elizabeth, the Generals five
year-old daughter. A great French
artist-whose name sounds so much
like all great French artists, that one
is afraid to try to spell it-painted the
picture last year in Paris, while the
Harrisons were there and the General
was attending the sessions Of the
Venezuelan commission. He got $780,
900 as attorneys fee the other day
from Venezuela.
The Harrisons live simply and
wholesomely probably keep but two
girls for the big house, and doubtless
have no more frills than dozen En-
poria families, They are beloved in
indianapolis and since his return
from Washington the General has
taken part in the town things in In
dianapolis and has become part of
the spirit of the community He is
respected by everyone, and he was,
until his death yesterday, "a plain
every day acknowledgements friend,
always ready to help, always kind,
courteous, punctilious to a fault in
matters of personal obligation, a
whole souled Christian, American
gentleman. His country could have
better spared many another states
man. lie was needed as an example.
In his home town and his home state
he will be deeply mourned. His death
will be a source of sincere regret all
over the land.