Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-12

do with him. and about him, and about
ourselves and the peoples?
1.-The people on the other end Of the
wire urged more conference.-the was
all they had to suggest-and Wilson. Sum-
ner and Colfax all kept repeating that
conferences were just so much time
wasted.
THE conversation lasted more than an
hour. Charles Sumner sent the last
words I'll never forget them: They
were well do what We can. but the
man is impossible. With him as Presi-
dent. God pity us ALL
knowing Of this conversation. which
I've never before repeated, you can see
that 1 wasn't much surprised at john
sons troubles with Congress after his
Inauguration, or at the consequent I'M
parchment proceedings against him. He
started out with the enmity Of the three
most powerful men in all Congress-.
All during the ensuing years. until the
telephone became the chief medium OF
long distance communication. the most
famous men of their day visited Bender
in his office to talk, through him. with
other famous men in the farthest con-
fines of the country. Naturally these con-
versations were always most important.
for men We're not leasing an entire wire
to talk trivialities. Naturally. too. being
important. the principals were particular
as to who should transmit their messages.
Hence, Bender, as wire chief, always
made it a point in such instances to
handle the key himself. and through con-
slant visits he got to know most Of the
biggest men of the country intimately.
Certain it is that he probably -.new more
state secrets than any other one man in
the capital. for at his telegraph Key ne
was the stoical confidant Of them all.
n anti a &C..
sages He was the mechanical recipient
of almost as many. Once it was neces-
sary for him to jump In a cab at =
o'clock In the morning, ride to the resi-
dence Of Secretary Stanton, rouse that
gentleman from sleep and bundle him
down to the telegraph office to hold a
belated conversation with Gen. Grant that
lasted almost until daylight.
AT a later period, during the fierce pres
Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden, Benders
office became a lettering place OF men
of all stations and degrees seeking news
as to who was elected.
kilograms were pouring in every min
ute to practically every member OF the
House and Senate demanding to know
who had wOn," said Bender. and an
swers were going out almost as fast. The
answers were about evenly divided, ana
name of Tilden, only to change his mind
half an hour later and declare Hayes the
winner. Everybody seemed to be up in
the air. Several times Hayes and Tilden
followers met in my office and several
wild fights followed.
But there was one man who was abso-
lutely cool throughout the whole affair.
That man was Senator Zachariah Chan
dler Of Michigan. Chandler got as many
messages as anybody else. IL not more,
but there was nothing vacillating about
his replies From the very start he sent
the same message. I expect he sent It
to more than thousand persons. That
message read: Hayes has 1S5 electoral
votes and is elected"
And it finally developed that he was
right
But of all the unusual experiences which
have befallen Bender during his half CEN
tury Of service at the telegraph KEY none
was more drastic than the one which
came to him in 1873.
The great panic of that year. which fol-
lowed the attempt of Jay Gould and
Jim F'iske to corner the supply Of gold.
was in full swing. Everywhere banks
were being wrecked and men and women
being dragged down to lowest poverty.
Conditions grew worse and worse. and
finally arrived the morning Of that ter
rible day known In the history Of the