Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1904-03-24

tue nistoFy Oh Maryiand-Phiiip II.
who was the organizer and first pres.
ident OF the Baltimore and Ohio Rail.
road Company. Francis, who was
governor and congressman, and
Philip Francis who was governor.
secretary Of the United States Trea-
snry, and who was elected 10 the
United States Senate at the close OF
the war, but who was refused his
seat because OF his pro Southern
sympathy.
OF this trio OF Thomases, none OF
whom was related 70 theother Fras-
els Thomas was In his day the most
noted, moi only because Of his achieve
ments. butaIso becausls ct hIss.runfs
characteristics. His was q peculiar
career, aud the career of no man In
public life in the United States has its
parallel. He withdrew from contact
with the world ut the zenith OF his
power. remained hidden in his her.
NIT home in the mountains of Garrett,
then Allegany county, for many years
and then emerged from his retreat
into public life again. being elected
to Congress.
The burning OF that hermit home a
few nights ago recalls the strange
vicissitudes in its former occupants
career. Here are some of the strik-
ing incidents, events and achiev-
ments.
President of the Cheapeake & Ohio
canal in 1874.
Governor Of the State from 1S4l to
1914.
Member of the National House of
Representatives for l5years, or nine
terms, serving five terms as Demo
crat and four terms, during and
after the Civil Var, as a Republi-
can.
Member OF he State Constitution
al Convention in 1850.
Collector OF internal revenue.
Minister To Peru.
His investigation Of the old United
State Bank led to its downfall and
caused President Andrew Jackson
to entertain high regard for him.
AS member OF Congress he was
instrumental in having the United
States Naval Academy located in An
napolis.
These events are not named In
chronological order nor in the order
of their Importance. They are
enumerated to illustrate his varied
and useful career.
But of all the vicissitudes which
mark his career, that which most
shaped his course after he reached
middle life was Thomas quarrel
with his wife (hey were never hap
PLY mated,) a quarrel which robbed
him of the Democratic nomination
for Vice President, when that honor
went to Dallas in 1874, for the ma
tion would not tolerate the scandal
which the domestic trouble had
caused. There were even whisper
ings of the husbands cruelty, of
lashings and Of beatings.
Ii was q domestic tragedy, q TRACE
dy which drove Thomas into the
solitude of thefastnesses OF the Allie
ghenies, where he sought tohide his
face from the gaze OF his fellow men.
There in the home just burned he
passed a miserable existence for
years, a lone existence which began
with tragedy and which ended in
a tragedy, for while standingon the
tracks of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad during the early seventies
he was struck by a locomotive and
killed.
His life was embitted by the ab-
sence OF a solace granted to his wife
"a divorce. He was compelled 70
live dreary, monotonous life. WIFE,
less and childless.
And when he again came forth
from his mountain home into the full
glare OF public life, with his facul.
ties unimpaired, his eye undimmed,
his patriotism fully aglow, he con.
fessed the pitiable tale that he had
lost his reason when he quarrelle6
with his wife; that his domestic
misery was a blank in his memory
and, alas she had married again.
1t was the Civil War, the call O
arms, the rekindling Of the ember.
of his patriotism, that drew Franci.
Thomas from his solitude and i'm
PEELED him again to the front, /;
leader of men, a sculptor Of event.
in tempestuous times-Hagersto,o'
Mail.
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