Evening journal., 1915-01-06
New News Of Yesterday
The Story. Of a Historic
Cane
By Holland.

At the time the worlSmen 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 it
was necessary to blast much of this
granite inclosure before the walls could
be torn down.
! happened 10 be walking ono 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
Grants first Cabinet and who as sol
dier in the Civil War was frequently
in Washington. hold him that when
workmen were tearing down the old
state Department building. shortly after
the close of the Civil War, they found
that it was of such strong construction
probably rejecting similar construc-
tive work for the Treasury Department
some of the walls in order that they
might be removed for the purpose of
putting up an extension to the Treas
urv Department.
"My brother told me an interesting
anecdote respecting a relic of the old
state Department uilding. haying that
he often wondered what had become OF
that relic, since it would be a valuable
memento of the old building" said Mr..
Cox
81 don't know exactly how il was
brought TO my brothers attention. Mr..
Cox continued. "but | will tell you the
story as he narrated it to me. shortly
a.tcr the original state Department
Building was torn down, ono of the clerks
of the department brought a cane TO e
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 thdre was any
special reason why the cane should be
taken into the Cabinet room for iuspec-
ion. In reply, he said that upon it the
hand of every President from Washing
ton 10 Johnson had at one time or an
other been placed as also the hand of
every Secretary of State, including Will
liam II. Seward. Many of the Senator's
and Representatives in Congress and
many members of the Cabinet had grasp
ed that wood with their hands
''He then went on to say that when
the old State Department Building was
being demolished he took the liberty of
cutting off 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 lie 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
ms n memcnto of the Presidents, see
retaries of state and other celebrities
The cane finally disappeared and my
brother could never find out what had
become of it,"
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell "How
the Civil War Might Have Been Pre-.
vented"
Copyright, 1915, by Z. J. Edwards. All
rights reservcd.l