The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-03-21
A man WITH A
RECORD HERE
S. 0. BINGHAM, LIMC0LN'S FRIEND
Fourth Postmaster Appointed by the
Martyred President-Visiting
Relatives in the City.


Yakima home today, 3hrough the
windows of which he views the dis
tant foothills and blue skies, sur
rounded by relatives and friends, en-
joying for the first time the hospital
tiles that have been offered him here.
is S. d. Bingham of Michigan, a
well-known veteran newspaper man,
lawyer, politician and orator. For
many years he has been a wheel
horse in republican politics, and was
one of the most influential men of his
day.
The years have dealt kindly with
this aged, well-preserved gentleman.
His hair and beard are snowy white,
but his blue eyes dance with ANNA
ton as memory carries him back over
the long vista of the years. He lives
again the stirring moments and ex-
elements of presidential campaigns
wherein the honored Lincoln, Grant,
Greeley and many another well-re-
membered figure stood out in bold
relief.
Mr.. Bingham has been for forty
years resident of Lansing, Mich,
where he was the editor of the Re-
public. For fourteen years he was
postmaster of that city. He has
taken an active part in all presiden-
tial campaigns from 1856 to 1894,
and was for several years the chair
man of the republican state central
committee of Michigan. For some
years prior to this he was the prose-
cutting attorney of Ingham county,
Michigan, which position he re-
signed to again enter upon the active
duties of newspaper life.
He had an intimate and personal
acquaintance with the martyred
president, Abraham Lincoln, and was
the fourth postmaster to be appoint
ed during Lincoln's first administra-
ton.
Like all men who have had the
honor of Lincoln's acquaintance, Mr..
Bingham's eyes grow strangely ten
der at the mention of that name.
Horace Greeley, Colfax, Sumner,
Mark Twain. George William Curtis,
p V. Nasty. Chester A. Arthur, Gar
field, and hundreds of other we'll
known men were all personal ac-
quaintances of the Lansing editor.
Mr.. Bingham's first newspaper
work was in Bennington, VT, where
he edited the Banner in 1852. He
recalls with a smile on his kindly
face his first meeting with the cele-
brated Samuel L. Clemens. mark
Twain whom he first met on one of
his lecturing tours. Mark always
liked to hear the rain patter upon
tin roof said he. He built a house
for himself with a tin roof on it, so
VIII 1,n ,;rrI, I'll
there Mark claimed that no matter
how often he went to bed under
that tin roof, the raindrops never
touched it,
Champagne was Twain's favorite
wine. He would sometimes drink
four bottles before commencing his
lecture, because, he said, he had such
an almighty contempt for himself.
Petroleum V. Nasty of the Toledo
Blade was at one time capable of
carrying more whiskey than any
other man living or dead. He has
been known to take 400 drinks in
one day-and what p. V. didn't
know about the good article was
hardly worth while Nasty, as Is
we'll known. in his last years, was a
stauneh temperance advocate and did
much good in that line before he was
called to his long home.
Mr. Bingham was one of the first
graduates of the first law class of the
Ann Arbor university. He is a
rapid, interesting speaker. His pro-
nunciation is clear and distinct, his
argument sound. For thirty-five
years he stumped the state in the in
terest of the republican party, for
which, he claims, he never accepted
one cent in return. Rich men, he
says, never contribute to campaign
funds, it is always the rich corpora
tions. Without exception they do 1t
all
Wilbur F. Story of the Chicago
Times was we'll known to Mr.. Bing-
ham. Story's first newspaper ex-
perience was in Ingham county,
Michigan, and his first editorial was
but two inches long. Later on, with
strong taste and love for newspa-
Der work, half the world knew Of the
notorious copperhead of the Times.
Mr.. Story maintained an independent
telegraphic news service, every cor
respondent being required to send in
something Of a news nature each day.
From this bunch of kilograms the
Times selected what it wanted TO use.
But there were hundreds Of long
messages unavailable and unused
each day Story always paid the toll
a0i paid his men. and were he allie
.Dday those specials would be com
ing yet
Mr. Bingham says North Yakima
viii be a good town to tie to one of
these days, but not before there are
more railroads than there are now,
and, above all, manufacturing indus
tries 1t should be payroll town
by all means
Here in the very heart Of the
richest valley in the world, with
thousands Of acres yet untitled and
uninhabited, with the finest climate
under the sun and some of the best
people that ever lived" said Mr..
Bingham enthusiastically, "this town