The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-12-26
THE. RI: HUGHES
Continued from Page 81

Hughes never charged anybody as
much as his services were worth. Hell
received a $4,000 fee for his work
with the legislative insurance commit
tee last year, although very few men
of his professional standing would
have been satisfied with less than S25.-
600.
He is a man of tireless industry. AS
one of his friends said, His only vice
is overworking." He appears at the
executive chamber in the state house
at 8 O'Clock every morning, where he
expects Mr.. Robert H. Fuller, his pri-
vate secretary, and Col George Cur
It's Treadwell his military secretary.
to have his mail ready for him, and,
with a short interval for luncheon. he
works uninterruptedly until $50 or I
in the evening. Then he goes home to
dinner, but often returns to the state
house again and remains there till
midnight, or until he clears his desk.
Col. Theadwell, who has occupied a
similar relation to several other gov
ernors, says that Mr. Hughes dispatch
es business more rapidly than any
man he has ever known. and looks af-
ter the details OF administration more
thoroughly than any of his predeces-
Sors. He has a very keen eye for de-
tails, and in visiting state institutions
goes through them from garnet to Gel
FAR and notices everything He makes
no notes, but carries his impressions
in his mind and, at the first opportun-
ity, calls the attention of the COM
missioners in charge of that particu-
lar institution to the defects he has
noticed He is making the rounds Of
the charitable and educational and re-
formatory institutions supported by
when he is coming. If business at the
office happens to be slack, he sends
Col. Treadwell to make the necessary
arrangements and takes the first train
to some hospital or insane asylum or
reform school, and surprises the super
intendent and his assistants. He does
the same with the National Guard, in
which he takes a great interest. Like
the Emperor of Germany, he often
turns up at an armOry at unreasonable
and incOnvenient times. Previous gov
ernors have left matters Of detail to
their subordinates, but his bump of in
quisitiveness is very highly developed,
and he has gone into everything con-
nected with his administration with
the same thoroughness that character
lied his practice as a lawyer.
1t is said of Mr. Hughes that when
preparing a case he educates himself
concerning it's teChniCalities until he
becomes an expert. He has mastered
several sciences since he graduated
from college When he was retained
by a beet-sugar company he would not
go into court until he had learned
enough about the business to qualify
him for superintendent of a factory.
When he had a suit involving a pa
tent for an automatic organ he had an
instrument sent to his house, took it
apart, put it together again, and learn
ed by practical inspection the tech
nicalities of construction.
By the application of these same
methods in the investigation of the
state institutions he has familiarized
himself with every detail, and is there
fore able to go before the appropria-
tions committees and tell how much
money is needed, what it is needed for
and why it should be expended
The governor is a man of method
and system and order, and that is one
reason why he is able to accomplish
so much. When he was five years old
he prepared a memorandum entitled
Charles e. Hughes Plan of Study"
in which he divided the days into
hours and assigned each hour to a par
ticular purpose He has carried that
rule with him throughout his life, and
Attitudes much of his success to its
observance.
He has an extraordinary memory,
which was displayed curing the insur-
ance investigation, when he conducted
the examination of witnesses almost
entirely without notes. Between ses-
sions he informed himself on the sub
iects concerning which he intended to
draw out evidence, and was able to
retain the points in his mind without
making memoranda He is equally
remarkable as a mathematician, and
would have made a successful account
ant if he had turned his attention that
way This talent enables him to I'M
derstand the most complicated ac-
counts, which would puzzle an ordin-
airy lawyer and he displayed it in the
legislative investigations which he
conducted into the affairs of the gas
companies and insurance companies
of New York.
Gov. Hughes is affable, genial and
unassuming, but never loses his dig
nifty. never permits familiarities, never
plays, has no taste for society, and, al
though he belongs to a number of
clubs in New York city, seldom cross
es their thresholds. He is not what is
called "a clubable man" He never in