The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1905-07-20

I1X -
Mr.. HAYS COUNTRY HOME AT SEwBUBY,
n. H., WHERE HE DIED.
on his off days. which fortunately were
not frequent. He had a prodigious
memory. a fact of which he was not
proud. He was proud of his essays,
however. and memorized nearly all OF
them. He wrote verse then, but not Of
the "Jlm Bludso' variety. That came
later.
Returning to Springfield. young Hay
studied law and vas admitted TO the
bar. In the campaign of 1860 he
stumped the state for Lincoln. Upon
his election the great war president
made Hay his assistant private secre-
tary. 1t was during the dark days of
| the conflict that the young nan wrote
his famous poem, Little B~reeches.' an
effort that he did not appreciate at the
time and which he has never rated at
its true worth since. To cheer the pres
ident in one of the BLACKLIST hours OF
the war Hay wrote the verses to him,
and Lincoln liked II 80 well that he in
sisted on it's publication. AS IA conse.
quence the assistant private secretary
awoke one morning, like Byron, to find
himself famous.
The Advent OF 'Jim BludsO."
II was not until 1871, however, that
pike County Ballads" containing
Little Brooches, - Jim Bludso," Ban
ty Tim" and other famous dialect po-
ems, appeared. In later life Hay tried
10 forget that he had written these, but
the public would not have II. Others
delighted TO remember these rough
verses. so full of human nature, hu-
NOR and pathos, ven though their au-
thor did not. A distinguished English
man once said that Jim Bludso,' he
who would hold her nozzle ug'in the
bank till the last g~aloot's ashore" was
one OF the most popular poems In Eng
land.
II was also In 1871 that "Castilian
Days" came out, which Horace Gree
ley declared the best book of travel he
had ever read. 4 year later appeared
Hays translation OF "Castelar's De.
mocracy In Europe" II was not till
1890, however, that Hays most IA
nous book, Abraham Lincoln; Il His
tory" was published, and the same
year came II later edition of his poems
John &. Nlcolay. Lincoln's other secre.
tary, collaborated with Hay in the life
OF their great chief, Nicolay gathering
the material and Hay writing the book.
Editor OF the New. York Tribune.
1t was in 1870 that Mr.. Hay became
an editorial writer OF the Tribune, n
place he held for many years. II was
here he began his lifelong friendship
with Whitelaw Reid. The two men
have many points in common. not the
least OF which is that both married
rich wives. While Reid was in Europe
for several months Hay was editor in
chief Of the Tribune. John Russell
Young described hat time and said
that while Reid had used whips on his
political enemies Hay used scorpions,
so that there was a sigh OF relief in Ger.
tain circles when Reid returned 'and
the young lion OHay) was vouchsafed
the joyful -manumission OF the Jun.
giles"
II was Reid who introduced Hay into
New York society, and one Of the
match makers OF the metropolis de
cided that the Young author and diplo
mat-HAy was then thirty six-was toe
eligible a bachelor 10 go unmarried, sc
she introduced him 10 Clara Stone, the
daughter OF Il Cleveland millionaire
whom he married In 1874.
Colonel Hays house in Washington
has a rather modest appearance on the
outside, but within IL is artistic and
beautiful. The great diplomats chief
fad was to gather cartoons made ol
himself, and one OF the rooms of his
home is plastered with them. one OF
the choicest parts OF his collection con
slsts OF the cartoons made 10y the IA
nous Du Maurier, the author OF "Tril
by"
In name Secretary Hay was suave
polished and courtly. He never lacked
in yigor, however, and often startled
the diplomats Of Europe by the orig
inality of his moves. lie did not be
lieve In the indirect methods OF ole
time diplomacy and pushed matters {,
a conclusion, He spoke many Ian
guages, aud his grasp OF affairs wa
truly world wide.
j. A. EDGERTON.