Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-11-18
NOT MUCH OF A TAlkER.
John Burroughs, the Presidents
Friend, Noted for His Silence.

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Friend, Noted for His Silence.
John Burroughs, the poet-naturalist.
who accompanied the president on his
western trip, holds the American
championship for taciturnity. He
never talks merely to be saying some
thing or to be agreeable. When the
conversational muse Is with him he Is
the best company imaginable, but
when his inspiration has taken its
fight there Is about as much com-
pany in John Burroughs as there is
In a deaf and dumb person. He pays
no more attention to remarks address
ed to him than II he did not hear
them.
Those who know of the remarkable
development Of this trait In the presi-
dents travelling companion fear that
Mr.. Roosevelt, who is prone to Judge
men by their conversational powers.
experienced some lonesome times af-
ter he and Burroughs shut themselves
out from civilization in the Yellow
stone Park.
One of the presidents intimates,
who also knows Burroughs well, says
there is a wide difference in the way
these two notables commune with ma
ture. The president Is the same in
the mountain fastness as he is In the
white house. He likes to givo voice
and a loud voice at that-to his de.
light and admiration. Burroughs
spends his life in silent enjoyment,
and 1t is said that he greatly dislikes
any effort to change his mode.
AS an instance of his remarkable
ability to keep his mouth shut, 1t Is
related that an aggressive magazine
editor went to visit Burroughs at his
hermit retreat in the Adirondacks a
few months ago. He was well ac-
quainted with the naturalist, having
had a number of business transactions
with him. Burroughs met the literary
man at the door of his hut and offer
ed a warm welcome. Then he took
him on a ten-mile tramp up and down
the hills. When they returned to the
cottage he shook hands warmly with
the visitor and said goodbye, and de-
clared that he was the most entertain
ing guest he had had for a long time.
Not a word had been spoken during
the ten-mile walk, and the visit was
an absolute failure, from the editors
point of view, but he did not have the
ability to break through the cloak OF
silence with which Burroughs had en-.
veloped himself.
Burroughs lived in Washington 40
years ago. He was then an army
nurse. At the same time Walt. Whit
man was employed in the treasury de.
partment. and these two made the &C
quaintance OF a street car conductor
whose first name was Mike. The
three roomed together In q very hum.
BILE place, where the rent matched the
endurance of their pocketbooks. Mike,
judged by the worlds standard, was
the best of, for each month he receiv-
ed 500 In the deprecated paper
money of our time for his services to
the tramway company. He still occu.
pies the enviable position, for he is
now the head baggage master at one
Of the import stations on the Penn
sylvania railroad.
Burroughs secured a little patch OF
land near the capital, where the trio
made a retreat. and this finally be
came SO attractive to Burroughs that
he gave up his government position.
There he tended to the COW, raised
vegetables. watched the trees grow
and studied the bugs and birds, which
were always welcome to his patch.
Human beings were not invited there.
They annoyed the things Burroughs
loved best. His only human acquain'
tances were Whitman and Mike. II
is quite likely that he would not have
tolerated them after he became en-
crossed In his nature studies had they
been laxative, but Whitman could sit
still and look at the garden for hours
at a time, while the a conductor
could always remember not to rub the
naturalist the wrong wav and keep
silent as his companions. When Wash
ington grew out to the retreat Bur
roughs gave up his place. He is moi
happy in the noise and hustle of civ
ilization. He says he must have quiet