The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-07-11
HALE At WASHING TON
GIimpses of Senate ChapIain's
Life In the Capital.
FRIEND OF EVERY SENATOR.


His observation-disclosures.
The passing of DR.. Edward Everett
senate, at the age of eighty-seven.
took from Washington one of its most
picturesque figures.
/ DIR. Hale's face and body, like those
of Chief Justice Melville Fuller of the
supreme court, once seen, We're never
forgotten. Previously the opening of
the senate or house with prayer had
been a perfuDctory duty. With DR..
Hale 1t was different 1t was the daily
service of q minister to God which
came to. be recognized in the years
that he occupied the post as one of
the most eloquent Of the day, even
though so brief as to be cal FRIED in &
paragraph. The aged minister took oc.
casions of illness and dea til in tho
senate to preach little gem of SYM
pathy, consolation and eulogE y.
He was a friend of every man in
the senate. He delighted in his inter-
course with the senators and loved to
talk of affairs and books with them.
He was close to Senator Clark of
Arkansas, one of the mostI profound
scholars Of the senate, and was very
chumnly with Senator Frye of Maine.
DR.. Hale used the vice president
room as his Office 1t was here that
his daughter helped him don his big
black ministerial robe for his morning
prayer. and from this Office the little
pages escorted him to the senate cham
Der. The effectiveness of the daugh-
ter Of the minister was Cften comment
ed on as beautiful tribute Of love.
With visitors DR. Hale was patient
and kindly He took delight in meet
ing strangers, and the capitol guides
never found him i'll mood when they
could not approach him. Although he
was man who had travelled little in
the west, his knowledge of the United
States and it's citizenship was great.
He had the artIessness of a politician
without its wiles. If a guide intro
duced the chaplain to a party from
Marion. o., or Tallahassee, Fla, or any
other place it recalled to DR.. Hale the
memory Of a man who had lived there.
With this he put his visitors at their
ease He signed autographs cheer
fully, and the senate pages never
feared to ask him to write his name
for a visitor.
DIR. Hale's great influence over men
was not sufficient to teach the United
States senate to pray, although he tried
hard enough. When he first assumed
the duties CT chaplain over the body
he asked that the senators join him in
repeating tn Lords Prayer at the end
of his BRIEF morning sermon. Day
after day he called on the senators TO
pray, but the response was so feeble
that he despaired and abandoned the
practice. Els two banner pupils were
Senators Platt and Depew. Senator
Plat always mumbIed the prayer with
him, end Senator Depew came In
strong at the end. The pages respond
ed to his efforts, and all Of the little
fellows, lined up daily and participated
in the prayer.
Dr. Hale was never able to master
the details of his own affairs, and he
was frequently placed in an embar-
RAISING, position by his absentIlinded-
ness. A former magazine editor re-
called recently that several years ago
he bought a story from DR.. Hale and
later found that another magazine had
bought the same story. When DR..
Hale's attention was called to it he re
nembered and sent a letter Of apology,
inclosing another story, better one,
to soothe the feelings of the unlucky
editor.
His habit CT ignoring all of the de-
tails of his home and business life pro-
voked one of his brother ministers into
asserting that if DR.. Hale had not
been such a success as a minister he
would have undoubtedly been a tramp.
In DR.. Hale's home at Roxbury,
Mass, there is a collection of the most
valuable literary works OF the present
century. Books and prints, pamphlets,
monograns and manuscripts with
out number are hidden away there
Many autograph copies of books ard
manuscripts submitted by friends for
his perusal and later sent him as gifts
go to make up collection of material
which could occupy the attention of
literary student for lifetime. Much
of the material in DR. Hale's library
was handed down to him by his IA
ther, and his own active life has pro-
duced nearly an equal amount His
own manuscripts are there, and the
collection win no doubt be preserved
intact by his son.
His Interpretation of the National
Idea" was given by DR.. Hale as in
spiration for his literary masterpiece.
the parable of 1.-THE Man Without
Country" the most remarkable argu-
ment for patriotism and fidelity to the
land of ones nativity ever written.
According TO DR.. HaIe's explanation.
the theme Of the story, the need that
just such forceful, active, partisan pa
triotism as inflamed his own heart be
brought close to the hearts OF Ameri-
cans. was working within him at least
fifteen years before IT found express