The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-01-12
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
EX-PreSident Who Was Lonely in
Private Life.
General Arthur, After Leaving the
White House, Found Himself a
Mere Atom In the Life OF
New York City.
BY e. j. EDWARDS.


Il am sure that was the last mem
Der OF the original cabinet of Presi-
dent Arthur who saw him and had
chat with him." said Thomas l.. James,
VINO was postmaster general under Ar
thur from September, 1881, to Janu-
airy, 1882, and at eighty years of age
Is New York city's dean OF national
bank presidents.
one afternoon not long before Ar
thurs death, which occurred In No
vember. 1886, | had occasion to take
a surface cart was before the days
OF the trolley-directly In front of the
Grand Central station, New York. AS
passed down the aisle heard my
name called. looked around and
saw ex-President Arthur occupying
corner seat In the rear end of the
car. 1t was he who had called to me
as passed by him. | am sure that no
person In the car but myself realized
that one of Its passengers was the
man who had been the twenty-first
president of the nation. Certainly
the man who sat next to Arthur did
not recognize him: for when the ex-
president politely asked him to move
up little SO as to make room for
me the man granted the request re-
luctantly. But observed that his man.
ner changed instantly when he heard
me address the ex-president as Cen
eral Arthur
Have you ever regretted quitting
public life? Arthur asked me, apropos
of nothing, apparently after we had
talked little on general lines.
suppose. Mr. President" | said
in reply, that no man has ever held
high public Office at least In Wash
ington, without occasionally. when in
private life, finding himself yearnlng
again for the excitement and sense OF
power that high public Office gives.
confess that occasionally have felt
that way
Don't you find that you are some
times lonely. now that you are In pri-
vate lifeY the general next asked me.
No, | said, not In the sense that
you mean. | would be lonely, though.
NSio hot Suba6tu III dcliNt pusL-
ness
THAT Al the very reason why I
have decided to resume seriously the
practice of law was Arthur's reply.
or course. ! have had many expert
ences. have discovered what the
inner life of president is, and have
had my share of the sense OF power
xubt rh 10,
have learned, however, since | left
the White House, that almost all OF
the friends president makes are
merely superficial friends. | have
been very lonely since returned to
New York. Nobody comes to see
this city. Therefore am going back
to the practice of the law seriously.
When | left Washington | associated
myself with my old law firm but
cannot say that have worked seri.
ously; | have been lawyer In name
only. presume that may be a little
rusty. But 1t Is not so much for the
purpose of earning n good income that
am going to renew practice as 1t Is
to occupy my mind. shall certainly
rust out completely II | am not active
ly engaged In some kind of employ
ment from now on
And them continued General
James, he looked at me with a smile
which remembered from the days Of
our early association when he was col
lector of the port of New York and
was deputy under hlm-a smile OF
rare sweetness and kindliness-and
said:
You don't suppose 1t will be
handicap to me in getting a practice
that | was at one time president of
the United States?'
"a few minutes later, as my car
reached the street at which was to
leave It, | babe my former chief In the
cabinet room at Washington good aft
ernoon and wished him every success
at the bar; and his parting words to
me were these;
Perhaps you will hear of my maxi
ing an argument before the Supreme
court at Washington should be
very glad IL | had chance to do
that But the chance never came
His death occurred before he could
get fairly started In the active prac-
tice Of his profession"
Copyright, 1911. by r. J. Edwards All
Rights Reserved)