The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-09-18
RAPID fire SKETCHES
OF FAMOUS PEOPLE
BY BLACKSTONE

have crossed the highways or LIE,
will be given as they impressed the
the writer, who sat by the wayside
anG saw the procession go by.
The one great parsonage who
stands out most prominently is
General Benjamin Franklin Butler,
lawyer. orator and politician. Hon
or, glory and fame were his. With
out doubt he was the best known
and most familiar figure in the pub
lie life of Massachusetts,. 1t was
always, Hurrah for Ben Butler!'
His picturesque and magnetic per-
sonality, combined with his force
full oratory, were the chief factors
in deceiving the public as to his
real intentions. which were in
brief, the advancement and en-
shrining of one person, namely,
Ben Butler. Some even said he
was a charlatan, but no doubt his
envlous critics were guilty of exag-
geration.
General Butler, after long years
of public service, had one ambition
unsatisfied; that was to be Governor
of Massachusetts,. Now, General
Butler was particularly obnoxious
to the blue blooded aristocrats OF
Beacon Hill who controlled the po-
litical destinies of the old Bay
state. The fiat was issued that no
sacrifice was too great to prevent
what they thought was a browning
AUTOMATICALLY determined and
of invincible purpose the general
said he would be governor-andh he
was; but not before he made five
yearly campaigns up and down the
state. For four successive years he
received the Democratic and labor
vote unsuccessfully; the fifth year
he turned the state upside down,
spent thousands of dollars and
won.
The generals home was at Low
ell and it was his custom TO come in
daily to his law offices in Boston.
He was invariably accompanied by
coal black body servant, one of
whose duties it was, when the gen.
eral was seated in the train, to re-
move his silk hat and place on the
generals head an elaborate black
velvet skull cap, at the same time
handing him long Manila cheroot
= the general was found of dry
smokes.
A peculiar characteristic of the
generals appearance was slight
deformity or dropping of one of his
eye lids, that contributed to his
solemn and majestic demeanor.
Some maintained that he had an
ogre like appearance and kept peo-
Pile at a distance. This was true in
measure and necessary self-pre-
caution on account of the mob of
vain and idle hero worshippers who,
if not controlled, would have over
whelmed him; but to his friends
and intimates he was most gracious
and kindly. Indeed, it is doubt
full if the world at large will ever
know the extent of this mans benfi-
cience.
l will cite one instance from my
own personal experience.
AS a lawyer, General Buffers
reputation was national and conse-
quently his services were in great
demand in all parts of the country.
1t was of course impossible for him
to appear in court personally IN
only small fraction of the cases
that came to him, but having large
office staff he would indicate to his
assistants the correct legal line of
procedure which, added to his
name and reputation, enabled his
representatives to win many cases.
1t was not unusual for opposing
counsel to throw up their hands and
concede or compromise all points at
issue. In addition to the regular
office staff, the general usually had
some half dozen impoverished
young lawyers waiting in his ante
room and to whom the general
turned over hundreds of minor
cases that came to him, enabling
these struggling disciples of Coke
and Littleton to earn a handsome
income.
The generals own income from
his law practice. was very large
running into the hundreds of thou
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