The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1906-10-25
AN EXPERIENCE WITH
ANDREW HAMILTON

lated topics was d prominent official
OF a western road guest of one of the
others.
While he had not taken any active
part in discussing the various topics
under consideration, at no time did
he fail to convey his wishes to the
man through the medium Of a youth,
who always appeared at his elbow
when somebody touched the button.
Finally the conversation drifted to
the renewed interest in life insurance
matters, when the visitor suddenly
chimed in with the remark: You can
bet that Andy Hamiltna is all right"
One of his listeners :eplied with i'll
concealed skepticism: What do you
know about Hamilton"
What do know about Hamilton"
was the quick retort. Il have known
Judge Hamilton for 20 years. | guess.
At any rate. it is more than a dozen
years since I got letter one day from
New York railroad man advising me
that his friend, Andy Hamilton, was
about to make trip out to our town
and that he wanted me to take care of
him.
"At that time / did not know who
Hamilton was and paid very little at
tention to the letter, owing to press of
business matters. However, / was
sharply reminded of the letter and it's
writer few days later, when the Of
flee boy brought in Judge Hamilton's
card.
Our legislature was in session at
the time, and | guess some of the
members We're getting about as ran
tankerous as that chap who some
months ago got Senator Depew into
hot water. At any rate, Hamilton
made himself known in short order,
wasting no time in coming to the
point. He said that the great life in
surance interests of the country were
threatened with irresponsible, hostile
legislation at the hands of our granger
solons; told me that | could help him.
So right away | took the bit in my
teeth and suggested getting together
some of the general agents of the va.
rious life insurance companies to see
what could be done.
"'Not at ALL was the sharp rejoinder
of the willy New Yorker. did not
come all the way out here to hunt
ducks with a brass band. What /
want you to do is to quietly place me
in touch with some of your leaders of
the party in power in your legislature;
then l will see what can do
We'll, it happened that certain
chap living in my ward, serving his
fourth or fifth term in the general as.
sembly, was chairman of the commit
tee on foreign corporations, to which
the dangerous measures had been re.
ferred. l told the judge that knew
this man very well and would see that
he was made acquainted with him at
once. So meeting was arranged and
the two men certainly got along on
most friendly terms.
THE judge preferred not to stop at
any hotel, for apparent reasons, so I
put him up at our leading club. He
had about five minutes conversation
in my office with the legislator in ques.
ton, and made an appointment to see
him the following day at two o'clock.
Both men appeared at the appointed
time. and the judge told me that he
had arranged to take ride in a closed
carriage with his new friend.
HE must have had some strong
premonition of the success of the in
terview, however because just as he
was leaving my Office he asked me to
Tim, Gle do
lions to New York and to buy
through ticket on the train leaving our
city that night at nine o'clock. He
asked me to meet him at the club at
seven for farewell bite.
81 was on hand promptly, but the
Judge did not ccme in until, having
despaired of his return, / sat down to
eat alone. / managed to divide what
had been served for one, and we had
a small bottle of champagne together;
but no reference was made to the sue.
cess or failure of his mission.
1--WE took carriage to the station,
where l walked out into the train shed
form of the sleeper, thanking me for
what he claimed had been my inval.
liable aid, inviting me most cordially
to call on him any time / might go to
New York. He was just remarking
that he thought there would be no leg
islation enacted by our legislature that
winter that would be inimical to the
large army of policy-holders which he
represented, when the conductor shout
ed, All aboard
Just as the train began to move he
reached forth his hand and said, Good.
by, old fellow In spite of the fact
that we both wore gloves, could feel
that he had slipped piece of paper
into my palm, which, for the moment,
/ imagined must be his personal card.
But as | walked out of the train shed
! paused under an arc light to make
sure, and what did | find, all nicely
folded up, but brand-new 81, 900 bill!
was so overcome by this first intro