Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-07-01
HALE At WASHINGTON
GIimpses of Senate Chap|ain's
Life In the Capital.
FRIEND OF EVERY SENATOR.

Delighted In His Intercourse With
Them - Characteristics That En-.
deared Him Equally to Stranger:
and Acquaintances-An Instance oil
His observation-disclosures.
The passing of DR.. Edward Everett
Hale, chaplain of the United States
Eenate, at the age Of eighty seven
took from Washington one of it's most
picturesque figures.
DR.. Hale's face and body, like those
Of Chief Justice Melville Fuller of the
supreme court, once seen, were never
forgotten. Previously the opening of
the senate or house with prayer had
been a perfunctory duty. With DR..
Hale it was different. 1t was the daily
service of 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 carried in a
paragraph. The aged minister took oc-
casions Of illness and death in the
senate to preach little gems of SYM
pathy, consolation and eulogy.
He was 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 most profound
scholars Of the senate, and was very
chummy with Senator Frye of Maine.
DR.. Hale used the vice presidents
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 often comment
ed on as beautiful tribute of love.
With visitors DR.. Hale was patient
and kindly. BE took delight in meet
ing strangers, and the capitol guides
never found him in 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 artlessness of 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 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 visitor.
DR.. 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 Of chaplain over the body
he asked that the senators join him in
the 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. His two banner pupils were
Senators Plat and Depew. Senator
Plat always mumbled the prayer with
him, and 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 absentminded-
ness. A former magazine editor re-
called recently that several years ago
he bought 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-
and sent a letter Of apology,
another story, better one,
to soothe the feelings of the unlucky
editor.
His habit Of ignoring all Of the de-
tails Of his home and business life pro-
voked one Of his brother ministers into
that II DR.. Hale had not
been such success as a minister he
would have undoubtedly been a tramp.
In DR.. Hale's home at Roxbury,
Mass, there is collection Of the most
literary works Of the present
century. Books and prints, pamphlets,
and manuscripts with
but number are hiddeH-away there.
Many autograph copies Of books and
submitted by friends for
his perusal and later sent him as gifts
90 to make up collection Of material
which could occupy the attention Of a
literary student for a lifetime. Much
# the material in DR.. Hale's library
was handed down to him by his IA
her, and his own active life has pro-
iuced nearly an equal amount. His
'wn manuscripts are there, and the
collection will no doubt be preserved
intact by his son. /
His Interpretation Of the National
idea" was given by DR.. Hale as in
'piration for his literary masterpiece,
he parable Of 1.-THE Man Without q
Country" the most remarkable argu-