Evening journal., 1913-07-17
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Term That FIOOred an
After Dinner Orator
By H1ilsnd

Abraham H. Brewer was from the
time OF the organization of the once
famous lnman steamship Company
In its day one of the two greatest
transatlantic steamship organiza-
tions, in very close business rela-
ton to that company He was self
made man in the sense that he had
but little schooling His industry,
however. never tagged lie had pc
culiarly keen business judgment His
reputation for integrity was very
high. and he was of considerable
political influence I'm the times when
the New York custom house was the
greatest political force as a depart
ment Of the government in the United
States
Mr.. Brewer accumulated what was
in his day a very large fortune. He
retired to a beautiful country place
after his long service with the In
man company Shortly after the
Civil War closed Mr. Brewer visited
Washington with two or three promi-
nent New York politicians. For Con-
gress he had the greatest veneration
possible, and he regarded the dis
tinguished public men of that time,
especially those who could speak
we'll with a sort of awe.
After his return to New York he
narrated the following incident.
"I went into the gallery of the
Senate with my friends and was
pleased 10 fnd that Senator was
speaking Who they told me, would
have been President of the United
States if President Johnson had
been assassinated. according to the
plan. on the night when President
lincoln was shot
"This Senator's name was La
fayette S. Foster. who was Senator
from Connecticut. They told me that
he was President pro tempore Of the
Senate when Vice-p President Johnson
became President so that If anything
had happened 10 Johnson Foster
would have been President.
"He was a fine speaker He was
speaking against a bill to establish
n mint at Carson City, Neb. He used
superb language / could have lis
tened TO him by the hour. While
he was speaking he said that the
man who would have charge of the
mint at Carson City would be a
sinecurist / thought that was a
wonderful word although ! did not
know then what it meant. After the
Senate adjourned waited around
until / had an opportunity TO intro
duce myself to Senator Foster
told him of the pleasure it had been
to me TO hear him speak I said |
was going to be daring enough TO
ask him what he meant when he SAID
that the man in charge of the. mint
in Carson City would he a siuecurlst.
! / wasn't sure that ] had got the pro-
| nunciation of the word properly. He
very politely told me what a sine
/ curist was.
There was to be dinner at Wash
ington that evening, and good
many politicians were to be there
, Among them was a man who had a
good deal of influence but who was
always trying 10 show of, especially
when he was at a dinner. ! made uI
my mind that If he did anything oi
that kind that evening would
squelch him with the word which
heard Senator Foster use.
We'll it turned out at the dinner
exactly as ] had anticipated. Thi.
man made himself conspicuous, ant
we We're All getting very tired of hi"
constant Interruptions and the little
speeches he insisted upon making
At last stood up and said 70 tho
company Don't you mind this man
he rs only sinecurist And that
was really the truth about him. HC
had political job with good pay ant
nothing to do.
"He called out to me to know wha
that word was. I said to him II
YOU will call upon the distinguished
Senator from Connecticut. Mr Eos
ter who is now acting Vice-Presiden
of The United States, he will tell yol
what a sinecursi u.s. for he described
that kind of man IN speech
which heard this afternoon
We'll this politician was complete
ly hoored by what ! said He ha'
never heard the word and nc did no
know whether 80 was a compliment o
an insult BY and by he went away
leaving before the dinner was ended
and II was two years before he woul
speak 60 me again
(Copyright 1918 by r. j. Edwards
All rights reserved.