The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-08
STORIES TOLD OF tom REED.
ASPERI7IES ~ THE MOI Sc ONCE
MOVED MN TO TEARS.
How He Rubbed Ills Clerks Hair Wrong
Way-He soon Lost the Looks Of
Country Lawyer-Nc,fI Would Believe
the SpantarGis blew ~ the Maine.

Country Iawyer-Nc>ft Would believe
the spaniards blew ~ the Maine.
WAsHiSGroN Dec. Thomas y. Reed
death came a. painful surprise and severe
shock to the people Of Washing on, among
whom he had lived for many years during
his brilliant career as public man. Al
most everybody in Washington had been
80 long accustomed To sec his cheerful
face and massive figure that they looked
upon him az friend, and spoke Of him
always as TON" Reed
During the twenty-five years that he
served in Congress he was transformed
from big. bury, unsophistiCated country
lawyer into "A wel-poised experienced,
polished statesman and man of the world,
as popular aud forcpfu in the drawing
rooms of the Wc~' End "a in the committee
room and halls of legislation AZ the
Capitol.
In the three years that he has been
resident of New York Mr. Reed has made
frequent trips 10 Washington, and from
the moment of his arrival 20 his departure
he was a much-sought dinner guest. his
brilliant conversation AVID witty satire
making him always q marked man.
For many years after Mr.. Reed first came
70 Washington and up 70 the time when
he was first elected speaker he lived in
a dingy little suite Of rooms in Il small hotel
or large boarding mousse, and the drawing
,oms "A" h'tic of hi %. for he was III those
DAYS literally burner Of IN" midnight oil.
a. later years hr dNvlt n "A more fash
ionabe Motel, bIt In a most modest way,
and the only ont"riai'l' a. which he "as
the host was an occasional dinner to his
set of Congress Crout"~ at Harvey :, here
canNas-bdCk duck was generally the main
object discussed
When Reed voluntarily closed his great
career in tho House of Representa- ives
and shook the dust of Washington from
his feet the most forceful character of mod
ern day, IN legislative history took his
leave, and his place has never been filled.
Last sunday afternoon, Just after sun
down, Mr.. Reed came back To the capital
for the last time and wrote, IT b H. ed
New York, on he register of the Arlington
Hotel and after dinner CEatted tor an hour
with a do2, n newspaper correspondents
and several SENATOR and others who from
time to me joined the group.
After the company broke TAP one Of those
present said.
DO you remember when Reed was run
rirg ~" Hous" Of Representatives in the
Fifty-f i CoUGr's With an ron hand.
and wh,u ", earned the sphrique, OF
Car? Well If you do, il must h" interesting
10 you 20 rot" III" chang" that las come
Then tho DID liners in ~" party recalled
the famous Tor z session of 500 VIXEN Rec!
greater in ply cal bulk than at ypreyi-
ou~ or subsequent tmo in his life occupied
the Su"at"r's ro-trllm, wearing a ncglig6a
flannel shirt, no waiStCOai. a broad blue
silk sash around his generous stomach,
the ends fall nc down almost 10 his knees
and with Il hist" ra'-'ail mustachc marking
he stiff upper lin
A picture of Reed taken In those DAYS
10 g1 I'M. 11.1 i,r
mustacho WIS sacrificed several years
ago. and the shirt and sash exist only
In the memory of tn" old hqhituds of the
Capitol In place of tho loose-ftting New
England cut CLOTHES Mr.. Read had come
10 wear the stylish garments Of a New
York tailor, his big round head was covered
nv a soft black hat. and the fact tina, he
had lost forty-fiv" pounds in weight within
the past wear or two served 20 heighten
the contrast between he Reed who wa.
the Car and Reed tho able and successful
corporation lawyer Of 1902
There l. vat one opinion IN Washington
as 10 Mr. Reeds ability II is universally
admitted that he was great mar, great in
men great in his influence uvou Legislation
during the quarter Of a century in which
he was a pillar of strength In the public
service. II is generally admitted also that
he was n close student, a deep thinker. a
logical reasorer, and e. .ept in rare cases.
But even Mr. Reeds warmest admircr
will not deny that his prciudico~ led him
TO reach CONCLUSIONS ahout mon and meas
res that he aftcrward lear ed were ILL
founded and that li- fouduc-, for satire
and repar'ee caused him TO -av thing. tLut
aftprward he regretted
Senator Aldrich Of Rhode Island. who
knew Mr. Reed ~ well as any man in rullr
life and as long, said to-rigL' that Ro.1S
death was great los to tho country thai
h. was q very great man, whose one con-
spcuous fault was TINT lie was too prnpn o.,
prejudice. The seem, to hc the general
opinion of those who knew Mr. Rood
we'll
Mr.. Reed vas opposed to every s,o,
taken by the Mckinley adminisi ra,inr
with regard 70 h Nag with Spain. and
Therefore he always insisted that The Naira
was blown up by accident and not Lv
Spanish torpedo. and no report of nNurr,.
could convince him To the contrary
He even went 80 far a. to a,,clar. To,
the American officers We're playing cards and
registering ana never knew wLpt caus.i
the explosion. Although personally a very
popular man with his friends and IA, mn, l., |
AZ large Mr. Reel was no "jo.l,cr ~ I,'a
another slang word Of tie ,iav l., ~.
much NOR" of n "knoCkor" and. ildyi"y
by the testimony of his old Main. frinnBe |
he belonged To that specie, from birth
P'mln PulSi'"r, IN" present cinr. |
Of the Scnat" Commute" on Naval ,cai,N |
was "A court reporter in Maine when R,nd
was winning his spurs as "A LAWYER and ba
says that on" day in court the counsel
opposing Reed IN The case, a s,avc oani,i
man. in passing by Pulsifors chair e"n,iv
smooth"d his hair Reed, a moment Iatat
walked aor'.s u" room and rubbed PM.
lots hair backt ewrongway and ACCORDING
TO Mr., Pu'sier. n" hat b,en rubbing soIro
people hlir I h" wrong way ever since
During his long spry.C. in Conpr,ss NJ,
Reed never delivered a culogy He was
opposed TO IN" practice, and though, Ito
House should proceed with is Tng,IIr,
business and nj the usual hour adiourn
out OF respect TO the memory Of doCSa1rJ
member. He thought Sunday an nrr RI.
pirate day for funeral scrN ices in Congr...
and that the eulogy should not bo nrint,d
in the Record. but in book or pampL.,
form, and he highly commended lie Ios,
request OF an ante-bollum MiS.iss;ppi
member that no euiogios should me nrn
nounced over him, but that the Udus.
take up certain bill lie had introduced and
pass 1t the day of his funeral. GU, of re-.
spect to his memory" And the Uou.e
did ''''H
Mr.. Reeds satire was 10 mcrciless Nj.
sarcastic wit 80 ready, and his ability 10
handle himself in debate ~ perfect tLa, scw
who knew him We're aware that he wns
man OF delicate feeling who would suffer
keenly from harsh word Tho fL,lt.,a
OF who fought him fairly never seemed
to trouble the big. i,utpy' ,.,,,,