Evening journal., 1913-08-11
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
ThurlOw Weeds First Ex-
perienCe in the Legislature
By HOIIAud

In the twilight of his life Thurlow
Weed was often reminiscent and he dc
lighted in receiving a little company OF
friends who passed an hour or two with
him after dinner always careful 10 de-
part before Q o'clock. since at that hour
the veteran politician was accustomed
TO 90 10 bed.
He received his friends in a little room
opening OF the main hall Of his house
near Washington Square. New York
city. Upon one occasion ne narrated to
two or three friends an experience of
his early life and associated with the
only office he ever held-that OF an as
semblyman from the Rochester district
to the state Legislature
II was a very young man when
Rochester elected me an assemblyman.
sad' Mr.. Weed II had not brushed up
much against the world az that time
! presume some Of my habits were I'M
conventional. Very likely | committed
solecisms.
AT that time and. think. for many
years afterwards. the assemblymcn
were awarded their seats by lots. / Sc
cured one of the best seats in the
House through a fortunate drawing i'm
this harmless lottery. When ! took my
seat ! was curious 10 see who my
neighhors were ! found that at my
right hand was seated gentleman of
polished manners. attractive person,
dressed In the height of the fashion of
that day. [ observed that he looked at
me somewhat suspiciously. II occurred
to me that he would have been happier
had his neighbor been a man Of the per
sonal appearance and clad in the fash
ionable clothing which characterized
himself.
81 inquired his name and found
him to be Charles l.. Livingston. ]
knew him to be a representative of
the somewhat aristocratic Livingston
family of New York. one of whose
members was Chancellor Livingston
and another the Edward Livingston
who became President Jackson's Sec
retary Of State
"On the second day Of the session,
TO my astonishment, the seat next
To- mine was occupied by an assem-
blyman chosen IN one of the remote
rural districts of the State He was
a typical farmer of that time His
hands were of the kind sometimes
called horny. showing that he had
labored much in the fields His COM
plexion was tanned and his clothing
was neat, his linen perfectly clean,
but his appearance in that respect
was that of a man whose clothes are
made by some country tailor.
"lIc was very cordial however, and
entered into conversation with me as
eoon an ! took my scat that morning.
asked him how il happened that
found him as a neghhor i'm the scat
which had been drawn by Mr. Living
sion. Of Now York.
"'Nell' ne replied. ut was this way;
This New York man came 10 me and
told me that he did not like his seat
lie wanted 10 change He wanted "a
scat near somebody who wore good
clothes He offered me twenty-five dol
lars If ! would change seats with him.
would have done il for nothing but
J was willing to take the Twenty-Five
dollars. guess YOU and ! will get
along an right together
1T cut me 10 the quick Mr. Weed
continued "N8ny hard knocks ! had
received and many struggles were my
lot when ! was getting started but none
of them inflicted such wound as did
this An aristocrat from Ntw York
city was willing 10 pay twenty five dol
lars in order 10 escape neiehborly CON
tact with me, although ho and J stood
precisely alike So far as our relation to
the state assembly was concerned.
made mp my mind that J would neither
speak TO nor recognize IN any way this
man. and for days ! nursed the insult.
Il made my first month or two in the
legislature a most unhappy experience.
and il was at that time that ! began 10
think that never again would I accept
any public office
Copyright. 1913. by +. ! Edwards /;
all rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tell OF
sfTho ATn,, lKrh, Would Not So d.. l..