New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-04

1aStlQ1OuS taste IN Sucn matters. ne Bays bAoN
he had it from Llncolns own lips that the
United States Senatorship was the greatest po-
litical height he at the time expected to climb"
and continues in this wise:
He and met accidentally, about O'Clock, on
hot sgtry evening at "a nag Tadoa on n19t T
ABOUT twenty mleS West OF oII my Ne
turn from a great meeting at petersburg, IN NE
nard County. He had been driven TO the station
there 'U ne train that we intended to take for
Springfield about due. After vainly waiting
car etapdfne on sidetrack there being no build
the floor OF the and fell to talking on all
me that when he was cIerldng in a country store,
his highest political ambition was TO be member
he said aughng have Dgt tRs
canvassl. did not consider myself qualified for
the United States Senate, and it took me long
sure" ne continued, with another of his, peculiar
laughs Il am convinced that I am good enough enough
never get get it Mary This wifei insists, however:
the United States, too" These last words he fol-
his knees and shaking all oyer with mT1h at hf
such a sucker President
He then fell to asking questions regarding my
fluent use OF English after so short residence in
the United States Next he wanted to know
PIE in Germany we're ''infdeis,' answered that
a conclusion might be drawn from the fact that
most of them were not churchgoers. 81 do not
IS that way" ventured to give expression to my
church relative to the existence of God, the di-
vinty OF Christ and immortality. This LED him
did not commit himself but received the impress
sion that he was of my own way of thinking,
His next journalistic excursion took him
further West to report the experiences Of the
goldseekers. but in 1860 he was once more fol-
lowing political events He was one of the party
accompanying Lincoln from Springfield to
Washington. and. though he left it at New
York. he soon went to the capital where he
witnessed the inauguration and kept thence
forth in close touch with public affairs. Again
he gives us interesting glimpses Of Lincoln. but
we can quote only brief passage. dealing
with the new Presidents misery under the i'm
portunties of officeseekers: II Mr.. Lincoln
twice" he says. for a few minutes before the
inauguration. when. in response to an expression
of sympathy with his tribulations he groaned
out: Yes. II bad enough in Springfield. but
II was child's play compared with this tussle
here hardly have a chance to eat sleep.
am fair game for everybody of that hungry
lot His wife again added not least TO his
worries She medded not only with the dis
tribution of minor offices. but even with the
signment OF places in the Cabinet" When the
war broke out Willard eager to service
as correspondent in the field. He on the
staff of The New-York Herald" when he wit
messed the first battle OF Bull Run. Later he
was employed by this journal. In 1864 family
matters summoned him to Europe. and he only
returned 10 this country in time to hear of the
surrender of Lee and the assassination OF Presi-
dent Lincoln.
He carried his memoirs writing in the first
person, down to 1863. The rest of the book, con-
sisting of about a hundred pages is written in
10 ri a business
career which he made for himself in the last
thirty-five years Of his life. The long chapters
relating to his work correspondent
contain interesting passages, but they form only
a fragmentary contribution to the history OF the
subject and are of value chiefly as illustrating
the writer's energy and pertinacity These
qualities wildly shown, OF course in the
brief survey OF Wizards later period. His en-
terprises fnancier. embracing railroad and
other developments in the West, fosterei
through negotiations with German bankers and
investors; his interests were transcontinental
and international He brought ability to his
great undertakings and prospered exceedingly,
but in 1888 suffered serious reverse. The
chapter on this episode contains the following
passage:
His mistaken faith in his enterprises and his
urally sangune disposition led him TO make the
double mistake in the first place. OF assuring
anxious stockholders that the downward movement
and that an upward reaction was bound 10 set in
directly, and advising them to increase their hold
ingS at the lower prices and, secondly, OF trying
sustain his shares by large purchases for his
the specific for the fall OF his stocks, the
financial markets generally were already showing
the first symptoms OF that sweeping and widespread
crisis which had been brought by overspecula-
fall Of 1888 and extending all over the civilized
world for many years. His personal embarrass-
ment much increased by the collapse of the
West Shore (New-YorO Railroad enterprise, in
which. 10 oblige friends. he had taken large In
terest. the greater portion OF which was lost
The details of his business career are too ia
milar to need recapitulation in this place; it is
sufficient to state that they testify. set forth
in these volumes, to the determination and re-
sourcefulness of a who from the start was
bent upon making his way and would suffer no
obstacles TO stand between him and success.
When in 1890 he visited Bismarck, then in re-
tirement at Friedrchsruhe, the prince said to
him, II really glad you came. be-
cause you German who has gained a high
position in a foreign country. a sort OF success
which I have always especially admired because
I know how difficult it Is to achieve" Bis
marcks appreciation would have been perhaps
deeper If he could have read the descrip-
ton quoted at the beginning of this article OF
the eighteen-year-old boy landing in New>York
with practically nothing to help him in gaining
the fortune he had come to seek
NO PNEUMATIC TUBE SERVICE YET.