The National tribune., 1909-02-25

urgently, anu nevada, CdllIOrnld ana
the other mining regions were produc-
came in exceedingly we'll OF this Ne
tvada was one of the largest producers.
| Lincoln Most Remarkable Man.
| ct found Mr.. Lincoln the most re-
| markable man had ever met. He had
| an astonishing way of getting at the
gist OF what caller had to present.
He seemed to understand by intuition,
and would grasp the whole matter as
soon as the caller had uttered a few
words. He decided with wonderful
correctness. The man who presented
| to him an untenable proposition would
| find the President saw thru ii with
| marvellous readiness, and by a few
words he would make the proposer feel
ashamed of himself.
when in repose the Presidents face
was the saddest that ever beheld. 1t
changed astonishingly in most re-
markable way when his interest began
to rise, and the visitor usually began
to smile before Lincoln did when he
decided to drive home his point by
some humorous story. If the occasion
required it, his face grew instantly seri-
Gus, and affected the visitor with the
Importance of what he was saying. Only
when it suited his purpose did he tell
funny or humorous stories.
A Marvellous Faculty for Business.
1.-The President had a marvellous fac
ulty for dispatching business which
will illustrate by an anecdote. At the
time Nevada was admitted into the
Union there had been no surveys of
the land lying between the Missouri
and Sacramento Rivers. There had
been little surveying on the Sacra-
mento. but that was ALL This vast re-
gion was reserved as mineral land The
miners who fiocked in were allowed to
make their own rules and regulations
as to the mines and the holdings and
the manner of working them. This
condition grew out of the action taken
by the Senate when the California
mines first became prominent. Gen.
John c. Fremont and Dr. Gwynn were
then in the Senate from California
Gen. Fremont introduced bill pro-
viding for a small tax to defray the
expenses of policing and governing the
mines and miners. when Thomas II.
Benton, of Missouri, who was a very
wise man, suggested that it would be
better to allow the miners to work out
their own methods; that there would
be time enough to legislate for them
when they were heard from and their
wishes known. Seward. Chase and
other Senators concurred in this view.
rest, which it did for 20 years. In 1851
Stephen J. Field introduced into the
California Legislature a bill enacting
into laws the rules and regulations of
the miners. This passed, and formed
the basis for a fabric of laws which
became the common law for the whole
mining region, and was afterward sus-
tanned by the Supreme Court of the
United States, tho in some respects it
infringed upon the statute law. 1t ex-
tended over California and Oregon and
the Territories of Washington, Idaho,
Montana, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and
Wyoming.
A Characteristic Story.
'The first disturbance of these set
tied conditions came in the Winter of
1855, when the District Attorney and
Registrar of the Land Office for Nevada
commenced systematic prosecutions
against men for cutting timber on the
public lands. A dispatch was sent to
me concerning this, and 1 took it to
Mr.. Wilson. Commissioner of the Land
once who said that the prosecutions
were under the rules of the Depart
ment, and he could not interfere with
them. 1 then went to o. H. Browning.
secretary of the Treasury, who gave
me substantially the same answer. III
now went to Mr.. Lincoln, and showed
him the dispatch. Before 1 had time
to fully explain the matter he showed
pad of paper across the table to me
and asked, DO you know of two good
men to fill those offices?' 1 said l did.
when he answered, Write their names
there 1 did so. he rang a bell, and
when a messenger appeared sent the
names to the Department with the or
der that the men be Immediately ap-
pointed Lincoln appreciated in the
highest degree the value of the mines
to the country, and did not propose !
10 nave this work interfered with by |
legal technicalitieS. He was going to |
assist the miners as far as he could in |
work of National usefulness. After
settling this matter his face lighted up
in the wonderful way characteristic of
him, and he told me some funny stories
about his life in Illinois.
His remarkable capacity for dis
patching business was shown every
lay. He met substantially every MEM
Der of both Houses every morning. His
practice was to stand by a door be-
.ween two rooms. The Senators and
members would stand in line and pass
1im one after the other. He would
grasp each mans hand, and in the
ewest imaginable words find out lust
what he wanted, deciding the matter
IN the instant, when he would turn his
,ack on the man, and the interview
vas finished. I remember that one
morning 1 was we'll up in the line. and
NY colleague, Gen. Nye, was far down
he line. Nye had the case of a wealthy
Hebrew which he wanted to present
personally to the President, but being
n great hurry upon some other busi-
less. came and showed the papers into
ny hands. and asked me to speak to
he President about the matter. The
anne of the man and some other facts
we're indorsed upon the back of the
apers, and as I came up to Mr.. Lin
oln I held up the papers SO that he
ould read this. He glanced at the
'riting and said: I know all about
hat. Stanton thinks that man is thoro-
2 dishonest. and you tell Nye that if
e wants me to get into a fight with
tanton to just press that claim
Did Nye this. and it scared him so that /
e would not go near Lincoln for a
lonth.
'Mr. Lincoln, in spite of what is gen.
'ally believed, had full control OF his
dnsinistration. / remember that when
Q went to City Point at the time of
lie peace negotiations in the early part
1865, some of us were speaking in
lie Senate of the dangers of allowing
le President to 90 down inta that hos |