Evening journal., 1912-12-28
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Secretary Of the Navy'S
Surprise Over His
appointment
BY Holland.

William Henry Hunt, Secretary Of
the Navy I'm the cabinet of General
Garfield and afterward appointed
Minister TO Russia by President Ar
thur, spoke of himself as the most
astonished man in the United States
when he found himselef at the head
of the Navy Department leaving a
vacant seat upon the bench OF the
United States Court of Claims.
10 was his position as head Of that
court which gave him the title of
judge Judge Hunt was OF Southern
BIRTH a native of Charleston, South
Carolina, but after his graduation at
Yale he settled in Louisiana and be-
gan the practice of law He was one
of the citizens of Louisiana who
staunchly supported the Union cause
throughout the Civil War
It was his ability as a lawyer. as
well as his loyalty to the Union flag,
which led TO his appointment as At
torney General Of Louisiana. In the
second year of President hayes ad-
ministration he appointed Mr. Hunt
TO a place upon the United States
Court Of Claims
judge Hunt gained great personal
popularity after he became a citizen
Of the District of Columbia He was
a man OF great kindness of heart,
distinguished by courtesy and also by
a certain democratic manner of life.
He was the life of a social gathering
for he was full of "reminiscences Of
war days and he had an especially
keen sense of humor and an ability
graphically to depict a humorous sit
uation and to relate an -anecdote.
These qualities brought TO him the
warm friendship Of James A. Garfield,
who, when Judge Hunt went to Wash
ington TO live, was a member OF the
lower House OF Congress.
On the morning of the day after the
inauguration OF General Garfield as
President, Judge Hunt went to the
court room to take up his customary
business. He complained of feeling
somewhat weary. for he had partici-
pated i'm some of the inauguration
ceremonies and had retired at a
rather late hour
On the previous day he had been
speaking to a personal friend of the
probable composition of Garheld's
cabinet. and had said Not much Is
known about IT, Garfield himself Is
understood TO be a good deal per-
picked There is no doubt that
Blaine will be appointed Secretary of
State and understand that Senator
Allison will become Secretary of
the Treasury
"How about Senator Roscoe Conk-
ling and New York State?" asked the
/ friend.
"Oh. I understand that has all been
satisfactorily ARRANGED Conkling is
TO be appeased by the appointment OF
/ Levi 2. Morton as Secretary of the
Navy"
II was only a few hours after this
/ conversation when Judge Hunt re-
ceived a communication from the
/ President He went i'm some curiosity
of mind as to the meaning of this
summons to a meeting with Garfield
When he met Garfield the presi-
dent said 70 him: Judge Hunt
have thought IL wise 10 apnoint 4
/ Southern man to a place in my cab
met You are the very man whose
! presence in my cabinet would be q
qualification not onlv TO me- but sat
isfactory 10 the fellow members OF
the cabinet Are YOU willing to hc
transferred from the bench of the
Court of Claims TO a place in my cab
inot as Secretary of the Navvg ~
Judge Hunt afterward said "Il
my speech showed as much embar-
rassment as / felt ] don't see how
Garfield could have known whether
7 accepted or not Apparently I did
accept, for the next day my name
was sent to the Senate as the Presi-
dents appointment as Secretary OF
the Navy I have not yet got through
/ wondering exactly how it happened
that almost i'm the wink of an eve
I was transferred from a judicial
position TO The Office of Secretary OF
the Navy"
f1 fota - ~ 1ra.......f e.