The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-06-08
INNER LIFE OF
COMMODORE MAURY.
Dr. BaxIey's Interesting Pen
Pictures Of the Scientist.
HIS HANDWRITING WAS BAD
In the Congressional Library in Wash
ington His Name is Not to BE
Found-His Connection With
Submarine Telegraphy.
HIS HANDWRITING WAS BAD

SuDIndrne eieSTdPIiys
The Times has received a copy OF the
Niagara Rainbow. which contains the
following article on Commodore Matthew
Fontaine Maury, by DR.. Claude BaNley:
In response to my ring at lodgings in
Sackyille Street, which were usually
quarters for Confederate naval officers
when in London. the landlaoy opened the
door. and, as was about to pass her,
she informed me that Commander Maury
requested that I would call at his room.
lad been aware that that gentleman
was q guest In the house, and, with my.
card. had sent him a. pamphlet on Ameri-
can affairs, which. ] was sure would in
terest him. hut had not presumed, per-
sonally, to trespass on his time. Here,
however was a summons, as 1t were,
from a superior officer: I fastened to
obey. and was ushered into the presence
Of that Savant.
Outward!y, there was little in his app
pearance to indicate celebrity. He was
below the medium height. stout though
not corpuIent and one leg was slightly
shorter than the other: the result Of an
accident in early life. A stumpy gray
mustache only. adorned his face. his
head was bald, and. being large, and with
prominent forehead. seemed out of pro-
portion to his body. His plain black
cloth clothes were not unspotted. and
looked as though they rarely made &C
quaintance with the brush. As far as
I remember. ne wore no jewelry. Evil
IDENTIFY his mind was usually preoccu-
pied by weighty matters. and he needed
the tasteful touch of loving hands to
Fix him up His genial smile and cor
dial welcome dspelled any disappoint-
ing first impression. and his charming
simplicity of manner put mo at my
ease After a half hour of chat on gem
eraI topics and on the stirring events
OF our Civil War, departed, fully i'm
pressed wl.a the conviction that l had
been in the presence of one who was
truly great.
Several days elapsed, during which I
did not again call on him. for the dis
parity in our ages and positions made.
me hesitate to Go SO; when. coming IN
one evening received a renewal of the
summons to his apartment; enfer1ngl
which, I was greeted with the question
What have YOU been doing with your
self all this timer
eve been busy sightseeing"
Where do you breakfast"
I'm my room, sir"
''Wnere do you dine?"
"Around in spots wherever happen to
be at dinner time
Come breakfast with me every morn
ing, in my parlor. then we Will make
an appointment each day, to go out and
dine together
So it was arranged, and continued dur
ing the remainder of my stay in Lon
don: cultivating the most impressive &C
quaintance of my life. and one CT the
war1nest friendships
Commander Maury's chirography was
unusually bad. and he often availed of
my penlnanship TO transcribe paperSE
NEST Of them Of a secret nature. con-
nected with the naval service. The con-
fdence thus reposed was flattering. and
7 never could understand how 1t was
that he so implicitly corfided in the dis
erection of a comparative stranger. who
fell IN his way without even the for
riality of introduction. Perhaps he read
chsra cter as he interpreted nature, for
he had never a doubt, and but once
suggested a caution It was on the oc-
casion of his purchasing a vessel in Eng
land for the Confederate Navy, and.
as he handed me the papers relating to
the transaction. for me TO copy, he re-
marked. Keep q. paddock on your lips"
Three weeks later. when l had returned
among my brother officers at Liverpool.
the ship having been sent over to
France TO receive her outfit. the news
about the new cruiser appeared in the
daily papers. and ] was assailed for not
having mentioned the affair, as, having
heen with Commander Naury ut I'VE
tine, / must have known all about it.
II is rare to find great scientific at
tarInent and love OF poetry so intimately
associated as they were in Commander
Msury for with him the latter pervaded
and freshened the former. Scott was
his favorite poet. anc have known him
to pace the floor by the hour, and repeat
..MarInfon.' or THE Lady of the Lake.
On one occasion We selected as
dining place fashionable restaurant on
the Strand. Gilded pillars supported the
frescoed ceiling. mirrored walls reflected
borrowed light, and cut glass and bur
nisi1ed table service lent a lustre to the
/ dazzling briiliancy. CIeanly shaved or
whiskered lacieys In white cravats and
swallow-tail coats. strutted with self
Importance among the big and little
Britains who RECALLED the inner man.
amid clatter of dishes and ciink of
glass that denoted business. As we
sauntered in, my companion extended to
an attendant his unbrushed beaver and
curved handled walking stick to be
placed on The rack. l observed that the
fellow hesitated to touch them. and
my American indignation mounted: but
the savant oblivious of the slight, con-
tinued to extend the articles until the
man. whose place it was to receive them.
finally did so. When we We're at last
seated, the Commander exclaimed. We'll
Doctor, what can we afford to pay for a
dinner to-day, can we go half crown?"
The tocose question was too much for
.he lackey. / know not what epithet he
would have applied to us. but our
Southern darReys. judging only by
similar lights. might have styled us
poor white trash" Evidently the fell
low considered US something of that
sort, and. as a result. we. were served
with provoking hardness. Had the
nunkey 4nown thai but short while
previous the Duke Of Buckingham had
called on that unassuming gentleman.
and had taken him in hif coach to spend
Christmas week at his country palace,
he would have danced about little
fvelier And had that benefactor of the
civilized world. who has left as a legacy.
the wind and current charts. by which
to-day the ships of all nations sail the
seas. adorned his modest person with
the rltttering testimonials to his genius,