The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-02

oldest man on earth" But even the NOR,
bid feeling which Mr.. Hay experienced
over the knowledge that the food OF years
was sweeping down upon him did not Pre-
vent him from having his little joke on this
subject. He had been ailing one Time, ' dIo
friend made bold to ask what the 'rouo'e
was. .L, a,a
Il am suffering from an inc,raoIe dis
ease, answ ered Mr.. Hay. bravely. ,.,o,d
sense Of delicacy prevented the irieI enc
from making further inquiry; but ne oo i,,
the story. to many OF his assocla'es;, neG NJ
Hay, and the report soon spread ar9u nld
Washington that a deadly disease nelo
the Secretary Of State within its grasp:
One intimate acquaintance OF MI. ny
determined to find out, the nature o. ene
Secretary's ailnlent and addressed I'LL o''"
day with the remark:
Il have been told that you are suherns
from an incurable disease. Is 1t true'
1T is said Mr. Hay in a sad tone,
What is the incurable. disease' then
asked the insistent acquaintance. III.
"old age exclaimed Mr.. Hay with
With President Roosevelt Mr.. Hay was
on the best of terms Between them there
existed cordial friendship and confidence
that was never shaken. Inc keyhoHfe How -.
ever much he may have differed with ms
chief in matters Of policy, the word never
heard OF it, and once a course OF action
was determined for the Department OF
State Mr.. Hay set to work to carry u ou,.
regardless of what his previous views as
to its wisdom might have been. He was 90
with Mr.. Mckinley, as with Mr.. Roosevelt.
and no younger man ever cared more LOT
an elder who was not a near relative IMAM
Theodore Roosevelt cared for John bay.
delight. He enjoyed immensely the presl-
dents enthusiasm and activity; ana re-
tunred from many visit to the White House
overfowing with the good nature which
the President engenders. Mr.. RooseVelt
especially did not realize how frequently
his joyful way Of looking at things commu,,
nicated itself to his Secretary OF state ana
drove away the depression from which the
Secretary so frequently suffered.
Most European visitors to- Washington
have been astonished over the ease with
which they were able to obtain audiences
him cordial and sympathetic. very humane
great man, not so bowed by the cares OF
office that he could not find time or inclina-
ton to chat with them upon any common
place subject which might be brought up
In the conversation. AS foreigners found
him so his fellow oountrymen found MN.
Mr.. Hay was simple in manner, jovial at
times, ready to appreciate good tory
and always able TO tell one as good or
better.
It was an indefnable something that I'M
pressed the observer, even when Mr.. hay
was In his most uncon ventional mood. he
was regarded as the best story teller in the
Cabinet, not because his stories were better
or more quantity told than those, OF some
Of his colleagues, but because they were
always appropriate and scored point. His
sense Of the humorous was very greatly
developed Those who knew him well
found him consistently simple and direct,
as ready to take as to give advice, wiling
to be unconventional If the circumstances
full. and above all decidedly human and
ready to overlook faults in others when
they were committed honestly.
To those who were not of his station. in
telectually, socially or officially, MIR. Hay
was particularly agreeable. Nearly every
messenger at the State Department has
some story to tell Of his generosity and
thoughtfulness.
1T seems like the good old times have
come back, said one messenger on Christ
mas Eve, when he had received, as all his
coworkers had, substantial recognition
sensitive himself, the great Secretary. OF
State was consistently careful not to injure
the feelings Of those with whom he was
brought In contact. and the wonder OF 1t
Is that man as i'll as he must have been
for the past four years was able to refrain
from showing irritation on many oc-
caAions.
A little incident will serve to indicate
his goodness Of heart, and how it panied
him II he inadvertently caused distress
day Mr.. Hay told to some newspaper men
a story with so much point and cleverness
10 it that one Of his callers regarded it as
too good to be lost So he sent it to his
newspaper, and on the following day told
Mr.. Hay that he had printed it. Mr..
,,,,la to- ltvrv xrit tha
paper men, with whom he frequently talked
in confidential way, that he was not to be
quoted in the public prints, and he coldly
reproved the correspondent, who left the
seoretary's office feeling very much hurt
foiI Io Menday the eorres Sondent rue
ceived this note. written by Mr.. Hay:
My DEAR: am sorry IL I seemed some
what abrupt on SATURDAY,, had not seen the
para graph. ana was, little annoyed at being
fair o" and Sd 10 s yo a1s
and reflect eject that il made YOU uncomfortable
Yours sincerely. JOHN HAY
In addition to his ability to tell humorous
stories, Mr.. Hay was noted for his aptness
in applying familiar. quotations Some |
of his friends have claimed that like Ma |
caulay, he was always able to finish out
quotation OF any literary merit which
some one else had started. Frequent at
tempts were made to test Mr.. Hay in
this regard and it is said that he was never
found wanting. His familiarity with
Shakespeare stood him in good stead on
many occasions when an appropriate
quotation was needed One morning he
had been reading political address
by Elihu Root and was very much i'm
pressed with Mr. Roots argument. oh,
the man who steals away our reason" he
exclaimed, para phrasing the quotation
from Ma obeth applied to the witches mad
dening herb, "Oh. the insane root that
steals away our reason"