The Washington herald., 1914-12-21
HISTORY BUILDERS.
The Saving of a Reputation.
Cwdttsn Expressly for Ths HeaH.I
By DIR. E. j. EDWARDS.

Some years ago I had an opportunity
FOR an hours chat with Frederick w.
Seward. the last survivor Of the admin
lstration of President Lincoln Mr..
Seward was Assistant Secretary OF State
Tor eight years, serving under his father,
1 hlIiiam h Seward, through the admin
Htrations of President Lincoln and
President johnson.
In the course OF our conversation. Mr.
Seward stated TO me that the remark
attributed to his father at the beginning
Of the civil war that the war would be
| over in ninety days was never made
1t was widely circulated and Mr. Sc
ward, knowing that II was impossible to
make any denial which would catch up
with the false report of what he said
remained silent
Frederick w. Seward said to me that
there was another false report which
had wide circulation for a time until at
last by accident a friend OF Mr. Stewards
discovered the basis for that report and
Immediately took steps to correct it. II
was for that reason possible to head II
on. and after a while II was forgotten.
My father found after he had been
in the State Department for a few days
that II was impracticable for him to go
home for luncheon" said Mr.. Seward.
I'VE lived in a house that fronts La
fayette Square. which had formerly
been a clubhouse. l think at one time
Henry Clay owned the land upon which
the house was built. 1t was only a short
walk across the square from our house
70 the State Department. but father found
that he could not spare even the half
hour which would be necessary for him
to take II he went home for luncheon. He
therefore asked my mother to put up a
light luncheon for him. including a cup
of cold tea All that he wanted was
bit OF bread or some soda crackers. of
which he was very fond. a piece of cheese
freshments across the park to him every
day. I don't suppose 1t took him more
than five minutes to eat his lunch and
he sometimes did It in the presence Of
distinguished representatives Of foreign
countries.
In spite of the usual precautions the
teacup and saucer were occasionally
broken. Therefore II was thought best
TO send over the tea in a bottle. Occa-
sionally some one saw my father poui
something from a black bottle into a
tumbler. and in that way the report be-
gan to spread that father found II neces-
sary to brace up with strong potations
at the noon hour. At last hints were
published in the newspapers that the
Secretary of State took a tlpple with his
luncheon. OF course, as a report OF that
kind spread II was exaggerated until at
last there were pain intimations that
my father was very far from being
teetotaler.
One day a friend. think he was a
Boston man, happened to be with father
when the luncheon came in. Father call
ed for a second tumbler and asked his
friend II he would join in the luncheon.
He poured out OF the black bottle por-
ton which he gave to his friend and
then another portion for himself. The
friend tasted 1t and Immediately set down
the tumbler saying, Why this is nothing
but cold tea
what did you think it was" asked
my fathI
TT looks like Jamaica rum. Is this
your customary tipple at luncheon. Mr..
Secretary
"'Yes, it is. And Mrs. Seward herself
makes the tea for me-
''Thereupon the friend said, now
have discovered what the foundation for
the rumor was that you take strong
drink at your luncheon and 1 shall imme-
dIately take steps to correct it.
He did So He caused to be published
an anecdote in which he described his
luncheon with the Secretary Of State
and of the discovery that the black bot
tie contained nothing stronger than cold
tea.
And yet" said Mr.. Seward, there
were thousands OF persons throughout the
United States at one time believed that
my father was in the habit of mdulging
in strong drink"
(COpgrght. 1914. by Z. ]. Edwards. All nights ~
serTed)
1,ornorroxv DR. Edwards will tell "A 1