Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-22
STORIES OF SHERMAN
NOT THE GENERAL, BUT HIS
BROTHER JOHN.

Inc ola timer was In reminiscent
mood. as he sat with some old fellows. who.
like himself, are prone to draw on their
memories for incidents and events of for
mer and. as some Of them declared better
days" On this particular occasion the talk
concerned the time when during the first
session of the Thirty-sixth Congress the
late John Sherman was one of the promi-
nent candidates for the speakership Of the
House Of Representatives.
THAT Congress opened" said the "old
timer" on December Z. 1859. Within my
memory do not recall Congress where
there were developments Of such a bitter
and acrimonious character. 1t was not
long after John Brown had been hung, and
the excitement growing out of slavery was
at its height.
"One Of the most prominent supporters
Of Mr.. Sherman" he continued was
Henry D. Cooke, who, all will recollect, was
the first governor of this District when 1t
began its brief life as a territory. Mr..
Cooke was from Mansfield, Ohio, Sherman's
own town, and there he published an able
and popular newspaper. Cooke was not
wealthy man then, eS he got to be later on.
He was not only a friend to Mr.. Sherman,
but he knew him as thoroughly versed in
tariff and financial questions, and went In
for him heart and soul.
What Caused Him to Withdraw.
'Mr. Sherman opened up headquarters in
Wizards Hotel, and in his room there was
big supply of native Catawba and other
American wines that were furnished by old
Nick Longworth, father of the Presidents
son-in-law. and the many callers and WELL
wishers Of Mr.. Sherman did not. assure
you, go thirsty. Everything was booming
along nicely, when, all at once, Hinton
Rowan Helper, a North Carolina man,
sprung a book upon the country called
The Impending Crisis-How to Meet It
Well, it raised Cain, and it was charged
that Mr.. Sherman had Endorsed and rec
commended the book and the alleged incen-
diary doctrines it preached. Sherman had
signed paper, as he was charged with
having done, and did not deny it, but he
kept in the ring, and the fight for Speaker
went on.
AT last. however, he consented to with
draw in favor of Mr.. Pennington of New
Jersey, 1t being understood that Mr.. Sher-
man should be chairman of the committee
of ways and means and have the naming
of two other committees. AS a consequence
Pennington was elected Speaker the
forty-fourth ballot Sherman named the
chairman of the committee printing,
and thus secured for his friend Cooke the
public printing-there such office
as public printer Cooke held on to this
for a time, made plenty of money, and sold
out to John w. Forney for 10000.
When Mr.. Lincoln became President
John Sherman was a power in the land,
and he never forgot the friendship of
Henry D. Cooke 1t was through Sher-
mans influence that Jay Cooke & Co. be-
came financial agents of the country,
placed the big loans and amassed the mil
lions they once possessed
Another Story of Sherman.
Among those present at this little seance
was a member of the Oldest Inhabitants
Association, who can generally be called
upon for Renaissance or two. Il knew
Senator Sherman very WELL" said this old
gentleman, "and have always found warm
corner in his heart, matter what others
said about his cold disposition. and so
forth. I'll just mention one or two little
cases, If you'll permit me-" he said and as
went on. saying: I'm my younger days 1.
with another young man named Trumbull,
like myself. in the employ of the United
States Senate used to drive the Senate
mail wagon, and deliver, both mornings and
evenings, the senator's mail. One day, just
after the adjournment of the Senate, Mr..
Sherman called me and said: R, am
going to have a little stag party at my
house tomorrow night. and I invite you
and Trumbull to be among my friends He
was then living in an unpretentious little
house on street, just next to his later
palatial mansion. OF course, l told Trum-
bull. and We were in a quandary. We had
no dress suits such as We thought we ought
to have. so We decided that we couldn't go.
The day after The party, when the senator
asked me why l was not present, / fished
up a little white lie. l told him that the
mail was delayed that evening, and we
were out on its delivery until late hour,
so that we had to deny ourselves the pleas
ure.
This" said the old man, was only one of
the many marks of the senator's kindness.
One evening he asked me what / carried
the mail in, and l told him We used a large
basket Bring it here; I'd like to see it,
said the senator; and when I did so he had
a servant fill it to the top with fine apples
that he had that day received from Ohio.
1t was so heavy when it was filled that it
was difficult to get 1t back into the wagon;
but the fanatics of my associate mail boy
and myself lived on apples for a week l
could tell scores of stories about the warm
heart Of that great man. said the old in
habtapt, land l will some time"