Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1913-03-25
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
How a Senatorial Heavy
weight Visited Albany
By Holland.

In a chat which I had on a Septcm-
bor afternoon in 1886. with the late
William H. Barnum he narrated to
me a very interesting anecdote de-
scribing the manner in which a dis
tinguished member Of Congress, many
years earlier, had been transported
from New York city to Albany by the
Housatonic Railroad.
Mr. Barnum had served as United
States Senator and as a member OF
the lower House Of Congress for
some years and also as chairman Of
the National Democratic Committee
in 1880. At the time of his narration
Of the anecdote he was chiefly occu-
pied with the management Of tho
Housatonic Railroad Company. Of
which he was president and which he
purposed to develop highly. espe-
clally with the view Of greatly incrcas-
ing traffic In the Berkshire region OF
Northwestern Connecticut and West
ern Massachusetts.
Senator Barnum was very proud OF
this railroad, and he intimated to me
that no political ambition which he
had ever had was so strong as was
his ambition 10 make this railroad one
OF the leading railroads Of the United
States. at least among the small or
short railroad lines
For some ten or twelve years he
said, "the Housatonic Railroad was
the chief competitor OF the steamboat
line from the Hudson river for pas
senger traffic between New York city
and Albany This shows how popular
railroad travel was even in early days.
They used to take a steamboat at
New York in the morning and after
four hours sail on Long Island Sound
they reached Bridgeport, where they
took cars for Pittsheld. changing
there to the Boston & Albany Road
or as II was then called, the Western
Tor Albany.
Just think Of that Fifty miles by
steamboat, hundred and ten by ONT
railroad and thirty by another in
order to get from New York to AL
bany. Even that beats the Hudson
river steamboats,.
There was a member Of Congress
| think a United states Senator from
Alabama. whose name was Dixon II
Lewis. He was a very able man. He
was also a very popular politician.
do not now remember whether he was
Wing or a Democrat. There was no
Republican party at that time and tn,
Wing party had only been in exist
encc for a few years.
Lewis was a very effective speak
er and was, I believe, held in high
esteem among the statesmen OF his
day for his profound legal attain
ments. He had however, another dis
tinction which. | think no statesman
slice his time has been able to match
He was the most corpulent man whit
ever held public Office at Washington
My recollection is that he weighed
nearly four hundred pounds. David
Davis must have been a STRIPPING be-
side him.
They had to have a special chair
or bench made for Lewis when he
was Senator He was anxious to &c
To Albany by the new Housatonic Rail-
road. II was not difficult to transpor
his immense bulk from New York ID
Bridgeport. believe he went from
Washington to New York by boat
! When the managers of the. Housatoni,
Railroad were told that the famou'
and very fat Senator Lewis purposet
going from Bridgeport to Albany by
railroad train they were for a time al
their wits' ends to know how to ac-
commodate him. They finally ripped
out one seat and broadened the seal
behind. They also put in special
braces of timbers, for the cars in that
day were very light wooden coaches
THE Senator was, l believe, taken
from the steamboat landing to the sta
ton, which was only short distance
away, on a very strong truck. In
order that the great weight might be
balanced, ballas in the form Of heavy
piece of iron was put in the car OF
the opposite side from that where
Senator Lewiss seat was fixed. Their
| It was necessary TO make arrange
ments with the Boston & Albany RoaI
to transport the car through.
THE arrangements all worked per
fectly. But the appearance of this 81
gantic Senator in Albany created
profound impression. ! think he wa
the heaviest person ever transporte
by railroad, excepting possibly Bar
NUNS fat woman. Senator Lewis re
turned from Albany to New York b.
steamboat, and when he reache
Washington he spoke with enthusiast
of his railroad trip through Connect
cut and Western Massachusetts,
Albany"
Copyright, 1918, by E. j. Edwards
All rights reserved.C
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell {
what Senator Barnum Regarded a
a..