The Washington herald., 1914-06-06
HISTORY BUILDERS.
Last Days Of Famous New York
Politician.

written Expressly for The Herald)
~ DR. e. ,. EDWARDS.
In the early winter Of 1915. william A.
Buckingham. then member of the
United States Senate. and widely known
as the war governor of Connecticut, died
,, At his winter home In Washington. From
my earliest childhood I had vivid recol-
lections Of Gov. Buckingham. who used
| often to stop me and speak In the kindly
manner which always charms children
and causes them never to forget the
speaker. In after years my relations
with Senator Buckingham were friendly
and at one time somewhat intimate.
The Senate appointed q committee of
Senators to attend the funeral cere-
monies. which were to take place at Sem
ator Buckfngham's home at Norwich.
Conn. Among the members of the conn
mittee were Hannibal Hamlin, who was
Vice President in Lncoln's first adminis-
trafion; John Sherman. who had particf-
pated largely In securing the necessary
legislation for financing the needs of the
government at the time of the civil war.
and Reuben z. Fenton. who had been
twice governor Of New York and was at
that time the colleague Of Roscoe Conk-
In the United States Senate.
It was an impressive and most diRni-
fed representation Of the United States
Senate which was escorted to the pevs
In the church set apart for those who
were to pay final honors to Senator Buck
ingham- The swarthy features and the
wonderful large dark eyes and tall and
erect figure of Senator Hamlin. who, in
accordance with his custom, wore no
overcoat, and the quick. somewhat ner-
vous movements Of John Sherman. his
yellowfsh hair and beard now beginning
to turn gray. attracted great attention,
since few of those who were In the church
had ever seen either Of these famous
men.
1 was especially attracted by the ap-
pearanee Of Reuben E. Fenton. He sat
absolutely still during the entire cere-
mony. and when the time came for de-
parting from the church he walked
away slowly. with very deliberate step.
not with any companion. but olone, al
though I suppose that arrangement was
by accident.
There was something indescribabIs
about the face and manner of this poll
tcian who in his day was deemed the
ablest man Of his party in New York
State. 1t seemed to me that he had been
more profoundly impressed by his sense
OF the certainty of the end that awaited
even great Senators than were any Of
his associate members of the committee.
Nine years later. met Senator Fenton
and had brief opportunity to chat with
him. He was no longer a member of the
Senate. He sat in the glass-inclosed
room Of the great hotel which C. P. Hunt
ington has erected at Newport News,
looking out upon the sea. He was abso-
lutely motionless and his eyes seemed
to peer beyond the vista of the ocean as
though he viewed something that were
beyond mortal sight
A sad smile passed over his lips asI
greeted him and spoke of the propects
Yes" he said. lit is a soothing prospect
It is a good thing for any one whose
career is about ended to come to a place
where he can look out upon the sea, for
there are many things which will pass
before his mentsl vision"
He was thinking Of his own career.
knowing that the organic disease from
which he then suffered would speedily
terminate il. as il did.
tCorynsht. 1914. by DR.. z. J. Eduards All night,
-eseryedl