New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-31
JoHN glGELoW's MEMOIRS.


100 512 tt9 Doubleday, Page q 90.
These TWO volumes complete the
"reminiscences of the late John Bise-
,ov. Ills letters. diaries and other
literary remains. covering the last
,nirtv-t,yo wears of his life, may, so ms
son and executor informs MS in n
predatory note. be utilized i'm the prep
srauon of future publications. One
hopes. indeed. that nothing whatever
.rom .be hand % This observant in
forming and entertaining diarist viii
ice Withheld from the American pub
De.
Tre preceding four volumes Of these
"Retrospccuons' were reviewed at
length in these columns at the time or
their appearance. What was said Of
them then applies also 10 their two
successors. which are as full Of meat,
Of American and foreign historical
facts and comment. Of gossip retalled
in the capitals Of the Old World ana
the New. OF anecdotes and apnrecia-
lions If prominent men and women N
public life and IN literature The
chronicle continues with Mr.. Bigelow' $
departure from Paris at the end Of his
mission there and with a detailed &C
count Of his hunt for and his discovery
~ the manuscript Of Frankiin's auto
biography. Among the great political
events dealt with are the presidencies
Of Johnson and Grant, the Mexican
venture Of Napoleon. the Branco-Ger-
man war and the Tilden-Hayes cleo
ton. There Is much shrewd comment
on New York state politics at that
period. and. incidentally, some inside
history Of the Centennial at Philadel-
phla.
Throughout. the anecdoucal quality
Of these "reminiscences. the shrewdness
Of their Characterization Of men ana
events, the Cleverness Of their pen poT-
traiture promise TO give them pro-
lonqed life. and an interest TO future
historians. II also possible grounds for
Disbursements. John Bigelow wondered
what good Alaska would do the United
states after it had been purchased.
When he met Grant and discussed
with him the Mexican disaster, the
future President Informed him thar
Razaine had made" S2,jOOOOO IN
Mexico. and added that he guessed
that
When Bazaiue cot home 90 France. II
would turn out that DE nad married d
yrrg ucn wife. like the officer DO tAc
Quartermastcr's Department. IN his carrier
military DAYS. who was always dll4lDut-
ing the apparently incomprehehSloie
physical comforts DE enjoyed to inc otd'l
uf his Uncle sam.
Bigclows description Of oliver Wen
deu Holiness physical appearance
with its refercnce to the Autocrats
"puitanlcally shaped head. strong in
the region of self-esteem.' is delicious.
IL did not prevent him from liking the
postonian heartily. Dickens gave him
some entertaining information concern
ing the famous medium Home Bulwer
had faith In the man. but. according 10
Dickens. this was simply because Bull
ver was deaf and did not Ike to ac-
knowledge fl, wherefore, whenever
Home said, DO you hear those
knocks" BulVer answered Yes An
thony Trollope made an experiment
with the impostor that succeeded 10
perfection. lie arranged for a seance
on the following evening. and then said
10 his wife within Home s hearing. 1T
was just -- years tonight since our
dear -- was drowned" Dear --- had
not been drowned at all, but Home pro
duced spiritual evidence that she had
been just the same.
or Napoleon's captivity at Wilhelms-
h6he after Sedan, Mr.. BigelOw observes
that. while IL was magnanimous TO con-
fine him 10 a country seat instead Of
10 q fortress. 80 was also humiliaung
He was not guarded, no restrictions
were placed on his goings and comlngs,
hut there was In all this the unmis-
takable implication that the defeated
Emperor counted no longer for any
thing at all I'm the great events that
were unfolding. Il doubt If II ever oc-
Cured to any Of the allied sovereigns,
who visited Paris in 1919, TO send the
uncle 10 such a place as Wihelms-
bohe." That the Emperor William
was man Of decidedly small intel
lectual equipment IS, Of course. per-
fectly well known The comic papers OF
Austria made the most OF the fact after
The defeat at Sadowa, but never before
has II been so bluntly stated as here, in
an entry IN the diary Of conversation
between Mr. Bigelow and DR.. Kari
Abel. the master Of fifty languages
He is a very nlterate man, and does
nj even pretend TO know anytMnG aDoLJ
var bur no one IS better advised than ne
sonut The number OF buttons on soidleI $
oaf and the way he should carry "a
i,rans4ck AS & measure Of bis mind ana
resources be mentioned this tact, Wnlch
lie saws deserves TO De preserved TOT MS
f.r,. chat King William went 100 times
TO hear "llick ind FLOCK Abel thousht
.Iaf ten times would have driven any
fle goodness Of Providence that an TINS
bower and worldly distinction should nave
descended upon d man whom they cannot
farmt Most men capable OF appreclaunS
tbe emiucnce OF his position would BE-
ruined by II. He does not comprehend
what he has become
Which is probably an oyerstatement
If the case. Certain II is that Will
lam T. knew how to select his men and
TO give them the unfinching support Of
mis- authority. There is sly humor in