The Washington herald., 1915-01-06
HISTORY BUILDERS.
The Story of Historic Cane.
whtten Expressly for The Washington HeraldJ
By DIR. Z, j. EDWARDS.

0@Ns A<s - I'll " [AAhD5s
At the time the workmen were remov-
ing the walls of the Croton Reservoir,
then situated at Forty-second street and
Fifth avenue, New York City, they found
that these walls were of such massive
| construction and had been built with
such perfect workmanship that II was
necessary to blast much of this granite
inclosure before the walls could be torn
down
l happened to be walking one day in
the vicinity of the old reservoir when
the workmen were blasting the founda-
| tions with the late Charles F. Cox, who
for many years was at the head Of the
treasury OF the Vanderbilt system west
of Buffalo. called Mr.. Cox's attention
to this work and he then told me that
his brother, Jacob d. Cox, who was Sec
retary of the Interior in President Grant $
first Cabinet and who as a soldier in
the civil war was frequently in Wash
/ tngton, told him that when workmen
were tearing down the old State De-
partment building. shortly after the close
of the civil war. they found that it was
of such strong construction-probably re-
fiecting similar constructive work for the
Treasury Department Building-that II
was necessary to blast some OF the walls
in order that they might be removed
for the purposs OF putting up an eX-
tension to the Treasury Department.
My brother told me an interesting
anecdote respecting a relic OF the old
State Department Building, saying that
he often wondered what had become of
that relic, since 1t would be a valuable
memento of the old building" said Mr..
Cox.
II don't know exactly how It was
~
Cox continued. but 1 will tell you the
story as he narrated 1t to me. Shortly
after the original State Department
Building was torn down, one OF the clerks
of the department brough. a cane to a
member of the Cabinet, saying that per-
haps he would like to show it to the
President and to the Cabinet when that
body was in session. He said that he,
himself, had fashioned the cane.
He was asked whether there was any
special reason why the cane should be
taken into the Cabinet room for inspec-
ton. In reply. lie said that upon it the
hand OF every President from Washing
ton to Johnson had at one time or an
other been placed as also the hand OF
every Secretary of State, including Will
lam II. Seward. Many of the Senators
and Representatives in Congress and
many members OF lne OdDlneI ndu grasp
ed that wood with their hands.
lie then went on TO say that when the
old State Department Building was being
demolished he took the liberty of cut
'ng of a piece about four feet long OF
the railing upon the banisters of the
main staircase from the street to the
Secretary of States office. Upon that
railing the hand of every President and
every Secretary of State had been at
some time placed. for all the Presidents
occasionally visited the State Depart
ment. He had been CAREFUL when making
the cane TO preserve the surface Of the
rail. The cane was not much as work
of art, but he thought it was invaluable
as a memento of the Presidents, sec
retaries of state and other celebrities.
The cane finally disappeared and my
brother could never find out what had
become of it."
Tomorrow Dr. Edwards will tell How
the Civil War Might Have Been Pre-
vented"
Copyright. 1915. by Z. ]. Edwards All rights re-
aeryed