Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-04
NEW AMBASSADORS
Changes and Promotions Soon
to Be Announced.
EN- OF ABILIT 7
WILL REPRESENT UNCLE SAM AT
FOREIGN COURTS.
Several of Them Are Men of Great
Wealth and It's Lucky
They Are.
MEN OF ABILITY

Copyright 1905. by John Elfreth Watkins)
Written for The Evening Star.
Within a few days the President will
send to the Senate important batch or
diplomatic nominations.
WhItelaw Reid who has plucked the choic-
est diplomatic plum, is a warm personal
friend both of the President and of Secre-
tary Hay. He has lately been guest at
the White House and his daughter is
chum of Miss Roosevelt. John Hay was
Il guest at ''Ophir Hall" Mr.. Reds pala-
cial country house near White Plains, n.
Y, when the noted editor received the tele
gram notifying him of his nomination to
the vice presidency on the Inflated second
Harrison ticket. These two diplomats have.
in fact. been close friends since the belli-
cuse days when Reid sat in the press gal
leri,s of Congress and Hay was secretary
To President Lincoln. Before visiting the
Capitol in those times it was the astute
young journalists custom to call every
morning al the White House. where young
John Hay gave him the routine news.
\ close personal friend of the veteran
editor told NE the other day how the strict
religious scrupleS Of an ANCESTOR stood be-
tween Whitcla@ Reid and a birth velvet.
His paterHal grandfather was d Scotchman,
WI" landed here IN the seventeen hundreds.
il" crossed from Kentucky into Ohio about
$50 and bargained for the site OF the pres
car wealthy city Of Cincinnati. then a plain.
lie had the guineas and shiliinSS to pay
Tor the ground, but a condition of the
transfer was that he should run Il ferry
across the Ohio river seven days of the
week. But this Reid was a stern old Gov
'nfnter, and rather than desecrate the
Lords day threw up the bargain and set
lied near Xenia. Ohio. Whitelaw Reid is
Scotch also on the side of his mother. who
Marian Whitelaw Ronalds direct
descendant of ne highland
Ronald.
A Self Made Man.
As looked at Mr.. Reid the other day
was impressed that no one would ever class
Linn as a self-made man. which he is True,
- married vast wealth. but he made his
name and his fame and laid the firm foun-
d'uon of his fortune In his bachelor days.
II" was poor lad. Coached for the Miami
I diversity by parson-unce, another strict
t"Nrnanter. lie saved the expense of one
college year by entering as sophomore.
W hen the senior year came around there
VAS grave doubt. however. whether there
would be money enough in the family
Ccuers to last until he might get his
diploma But he was graduated with high
houors. and when only nineteen was prin-
Clpal of a country school, with immediate
pupils older than himself. In this one
years teaching he saved enough to repay
his father the expenses of his senior year
AT college and to buy the Xenia News
While teacher he had been the republican
boy orator in the Fremont campaigrl-the
first OF the c.. o. P--and his editorials in
the News later resulted in the election of
l.irculn delegate from his district to the
famous convention of 1872 Next he was
heard Of as legislative correspondent In
Columbus for the Cincinnati Times. After
a few weeks he offered more by the
Cleveland Herald and still more by the Gin
cinnati Gazette. Re d took all three en-
gagcments earning SIS week, which he
regarded as a princely salary. Perusal of
tn files of these journals shows that he
daily wrote three letters. distinct in tone
but ON the same political themes The
Gazette. then the foremost paper OF Ohio,
was well pleased with his services that
il promoted him to the city edftorship at
tie end OF the session.
As Wan Correspondent
Al The beginning of the civil war Reid set
of Tor the front as war correspondent FOR
The Gazette. His letters. signed Agate"
attracted wide attention in the middle west
and sent the circulation of his paper flying
upward. He made great scoop on the
battle of Pittsburg Landing. his letter
eriug ten columns of the Gazette His al
ready liberal salary was raised in reward.
In 1872 Reid came to Washington to repre-
sent his paper and shortly afterward re-