The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-06-28
THE CUSHING Lecture.
An interesting Talk on an Inter
eStlng Subject.
COUSIN OF THE LATE CALEB CUSHING
A Brief Sketch Of Caleb Gushing, who
was a Wonderful Man.

The lecture at the court house
Wednesday night, by volney B.
Cushing, was well attended, the
house being filed. There we're prob
ably a few more ladies than gentle-
men present. President White, OF
the Baptist College, introduced the
speaker. Mr.. Cushing made a straight
forward talk for an hour and half,
and while he made no attempt at
oratory, his lecture was interesting
throughout. His aim is TO get the
prohibition voters to organize, and he
thought the prohibition ticket ought |
to get one hundred thousand votes in
this state this year. A collection |
was taken for the speaker, but it did |
not amount to a., great deal He
offered to form an alliance, and to
) take subscriptions for the Chicago
J '.voice," +" but no subscriptions were
handed in and no alliance was formed
Mr.. Gushing is cousin of the late
Caleb Cushing. w n ~ @
The mere mention Of the name OF
Gushing can hardly fail to call to-
mind the greatest and most interest
ing member Of the great and interest
ing family-Caleb Cushing Few men
in American history afford the
material for so puzzling psychologi-
cal study. A graduate of Harvard at
the age Of seventeen, tutor in math-
ematics and physics at that institution
for several years, admitted to the bar
at the age of twenty-five, elected a
member of the legislature the same
year and Of the state senate the fol-
lowing year, his public career was
launched with every indication of
promise. His articles in the reviews
marked him as a man Of splendid
abilities, and the attention attracted
y by these papers led to the first detiec-
tion in the course Of his life.
In 1929 he sailed for Spain on a
pleasure trip and later he extended
his visit to France. On his return be
published two volumes OF Travels IN
Spain and two volumes OF history Of
the French Revolution Of 1890
volumes OF simply astonishing erudI'
tiOn aud Of almost hypnotic interest
In fact erudition was his long suite
In learning and scholarship no man o.
his time III public life at all comparet
with him except Sumner, and Sumner
in only a few particulars. He SPOKE
seven languages with equal grace ant
fiuency and could read and writ
Chinese and Arabic. At the bar h'
was the full match OF Webster th
thundere or Choate the adroit, o
O'Conor that human ant, or Brady Q
Curtis. He was incapable of forgettinI
anything. Vast tables Of statistic
which he had read or heard casual
he could recall ten years later wit
absolute accuracy, He was an ency
clopoedia of Information upon ever
snbiect to which he bad ever give
his attention, and he had given hi
attention togalmost every subject (
human interest. Seward, VIII
cordially listrusted him, never mad
amoye in politics or diplomacy will
out consulting him Seward dlstruste
him, not because he was a dishone'
man, but because he was cratic
was impossible totell where he eweul
stand tomorrow. Elected to the lei
islature in 1926 as a republican,
congress in 1884 and for several tern
thereafter as whlg, he fell in lo'
with John Tyler and turned democra
He was chairman Of the democrat
convention at Charleston and wit
Ben Butler and William L, Yam,
was responsible as much as any 9th
one man for the laying Of The egg th
was hatched at Sumter.
But when the war came he sid
with the republicans, who accepts
him without resentment and us
him Without shame. He represent
our government at the Geneva Awar
where he was acknowledged as one
the most accomplished men Of this
any other country, Of this Or a