The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-04
COMMISSIONER WARE.
,r An ADSIRER THINKS OF
uIM AS MAN AND LAWYER.

the President Came to Select
,,,,, for the Pension Office-A Vet
of the War and a POet-SOme
INDIES IF His Flights of Fancy.
wright, 1902, by Alfred Alleyn.)
where is Ironquill?" This was Col
,..ssvelt's first inquiry of a delega-
tion of Kansas statesmen who met him
Kansas City on the morning of July
~ ,ooo while he was on the way to the
zion of his Rough Riders at Okla
bOma City.
few weeks earlier Col. Roosevelt
- received the nomination for the
100 presidency and this was his first
ended trip since the Republican con-
,tion. His knowledge of noted men
:. various sections of the country was
,,dicated by his inquiry for Ironquill, ="
ne non de plume chosen by Eugene F.
Tere on the borders of the Sunf1ower
safe the vice presidential candidates
a., thought was of this unique liter
nv character whose quaint philosophy,
aIc+bed in pleasing rhyme had appealed
N him for many years.
col Roosevelt was informed that Mr..
ware lived in Topeka. do we go
bTough there?" he asked, and when
.nId mat the capital of Kansas was on
Ne itinerary expressed the hope and
4 iseira of meeting the lawyer-poet. At
ronaka an immense crowd had gath
rad in the outskirts of which Con-
FRESHMAN Long, who was with Col.
Il Roosevelt. discovered Mr.. Ware. Hasti-
r. Mr. Long wormed his way through
he shouting multitude till he had
cached Wares side and, then as hur-
risdly the two wormed their way
tbrough the crowd to the car.
AS they entered Col. Roosevelt came
forward in his characteristic manner
and erasping the hands of the tall.
handsome stranger, he cried; Mr..
Ware. | certainly am delighted to meet
you
."Hunan hopes and human creeds,
Have their root in human needs.
He added, quoting a couplet from
a1ronquilps" best known poem, THE
Washerwoman's Song"
How Ware Came 10 Be Appointed.
Then and there began an acquaint-
ance which ripened fast into friend
shin and has resulted in President
Poosevelts selection of Eugene F.
Ware to be Pension Commissioner of
the United States. The man whose
rhymes have jingled in the Presidents
brain whose philosophy has appealed
TO his reason, and whose humanity has
touched his heart has been selected to
supervise the disbursement of $14O, 000,-
900 annually to the old soldiers and
sailors. their widows and children. He
1,sc TlU
million pensioners who are drawing
quarterly stipends from the United
States government, and will have to
consider about 400, 900 applications for
admission to the pension rolls.
President Roosevelt has a faculty OF
measuring men and estimating their
capacity. Before he made his tour in
the Southwest in 1900 he had fixed in
his mind this Kansas poet as man
he ought to know, and his precon-
ceived estimate of the latter's charac-
ter was confirmed upon acquaintance.
When Colonel Roosevelt was called to
presidential duties Ware was promi-
nent in the list of strong men he had
marshalled in his mind and when the
opportunity came he asked the latter
to accept the burdens of one of the
most trying positions in the Federal
government.
A few months ago, Mr.. Ware, who
is a lawyer of high ability, went to
Washington to argue an important
case before the Supreme Court. OF
course, he paid his respects to Presi-
dent Roosevelt and the latter, with
his customary hospitality, insisted on
his Kansas friend remaining to lunch.
The evening papers that day contained
the announcement that Eugene F.
Ware had been appointed as member
Of the Board of Visitors to
the West Point Academy for this
4 year The announcement was a sur
prise to Mr. Ware, as the President
had given him no intimation that he
Il was to be selected for that distinction.
few weeks later Mr.. Ware was
again in Washington, and the Presi-
dent requested him to call at the
White House. l twas then settled that
the present Commissioner of Pensions,
Hon. Henry Clay Evans, would retire
after five years service and the Pres
ident bluntly informed Mr.. Ware that
he had been selected to fill the position.
The Kansas man was inclined to de-
Il muir and asked to be excused. But the
Presidents mind was made up, and he
Il impressed upon Mr.. Ware the import
ance of the office, which is regarded
H almost equal in prominence and GER
H tainly equal in responsibilities to that
OF cabinet position.
The President explained the neces-
4 slty of having a man of the highest
integrity and soundest judgment, tact
full and diplomatic, upon whom he
could rely absolutely, for popular
and just administration of the great
Il Pension Bureau. When the matter was
& presented in that light, Mr.. Ware nc
s. longer resisted. though he begged for
81 a few months in which to adjust his
business before assuming his new re-
4 sponsbilities.
q Washington Much Interested.
The announcement that "Ironquill
mas been made Pension Commissioner
q put all Washington on the qui vive
Always eager for the new, the unique
ana the interesting, the capital has
Great expectations from the advent OF
ms breezy, brilliant and witty West
erner. So wide has been the exploita-
uon of his literary genius that the
general impression is that he thinks
lyme and talks in meter. Some
s. Of the hard-headed politicians may
nave been inclined to scott at the idea
u poet being called on for such prac-
ucal work as the administration of the
81 Fehslon Bureau, but most people ir
nngton have a soft side for the
man or woman of poetic fancy. They
are eager to see and meet the mar
whose Washerwoman's Song" ex-
pesSes the pathos of humble life
u "hose Kansas Zephyr" has more thar
SSnee driven dull care away from ex'
speaker Reed, besides making merri-
Hent plenty for millions of more or
'rE men.
Tho =.
Inc new Commissioner of Pensions
.Apects to have a great deal to con