New-York tribune., 1906-09-30

The visitor TO the slzyEcraper district has often
seen the hollow pit at the, street corner the
putting engines and the network of derrfchs in
cicasing that a skyscraper lis going UP at
that point To the daily visitor the spot becomes
q nouotonous one. He goes past it on his way
10 the Office in the morning and there seems TO
be no change in the appearance of the barren
square of ground since the night before. At
night he passes Il again It has changed little
sn aspect since the rays Of the morning sun fell
upon H. Perhaps he stops for moment 20 lean
over the rough guardrah. There is no marked
activity noticeable Occasionally an iron bucket
fHIled with yellow earth comes up out of the
ground through an iron tube. Day after day
and night after night, without cessation. the
p11ffs of steam escape from the pipes with hol-
low coughs One morning the putting is not
heard Swiftly the walls OF the skyscraper rise
IN an effort TO reach the fluffy white clouds
iwhdch,g1ow end cben hoat across the sky. Surely
It goesup. for a firm foundation of cement rest
snR on bedrock has been carefully laid. The
rrafue OF f,re long. tedious unseen work is then
Feoogrized
year and a half ago number Of New York
Asseu1hiy1nen were looking for a lawyer TO con-
duct an investigation of the cost Of gas In New
York City. They called on number OF different
lawyers but each for so1ne reason or other de-
tcltned 90 accept zhe appointment as counsel to
the couannrttees
Charles e Hughes is The you want, g
szad two or tnree OF them
well. 1ers-see-fhis man. Hughes" ct last they
said
They went TO see him He thought that It
was 70 be an Investigation OF The political white
washing kind. and he declined
Then The committee sent this message:
we are otter the truth. We mean TO find It
NO one can can US or
THAT'S Different" was the reply. ~I will serve
you ON those teTus!
Mr. Hughes was found % be a man who could
hanc1e a verbal probe sldlfully. Figures did not
seem 70 trouble him any more than they would
an expert ecoountart- He seemed 20 understand
all about gas. He laid bare the secret Of the
gas companies. His name became known as a
slf1ful ana thorough examiner.
Then he went 70 Europe a trip he takes near
~ every year. TO stretch his legs the Alps.
He received a message asking him TO become
one Of the counsel Of the Armstrong insurance
investigating committee. He accepted.
This man Hughes don't know about" re-
marked Andrew Fields. OF the Mutual Life In
surance Company, soon after the investigation
began. month later Fields was in California
away from the public gaze He had become ac-
ouainted with Hughes.
II is said that there a stage in the investi-
cation when some Of the committee hesitated
about going into the political side which was de-
veloping.
VERY well. gentlemen" it is said Mr.. Hughes
replied. IN effect, you may go ahead you
wish. viii withdraw at this point and explain
10 the newspapers the reasons for my with
drawal" The hesitating committeeman decided
TO "hew straight" for they had also become ac-
Quainted with this man.
Richard A McCurdy. then president Of the
Mutual Life Insurance Company. on October l9
learned 70 know him better when his attorney
charged Mr. Hughes with being unfair
"The record" Mr.. Hughes replied. speaking
slOwiy and emphasizing each word, lis far more
eloquent than anything that can possibly say
SIS 20 the extreme courtesy and fairness with
which every witness has been treated. II have
erred at all. IL has been IA showing courtesies
pn many occasions when the circumstances 1usti-