Anecdotes of Senator John C. Spooncr
IOHN C. SPOONER, recently given
his third election to the United
States senate by the republicans
:;:,'iir.;J of Wisconsin, was, in the 'COs,
nrlvate secretary to the late
Governor Lucius Falrchild.
The venerable Senator Starks of Sank
county called upon the governor to discus
a bill which he had helped through the leg
lslature. He was afraid that Governor
Falrchild contemplated vetoing it, and was
prepared to do some plain talking in its
behalf.
The discussion had begun when the old
senator caught sight of the private secre
tary. Colonel Spooncr was a young man
then, about 22, and had the appearance of
one much younger.
"Governor," Bald Starks, "I wish you
wou'd send that boy out of the room."
Governor Fairehild glanced around.
"I see uo boy, seuator," he replied.
In a half-pctulant manner tho senator
pointed to Spooncr.
"What's that but a boy?" he demanded.
"Step this way, John," said the governor.
"Senator Starks, allow me to Introduce my
new private secretary, Colonel John C.
Spooncr."
Then, as the senator endeavored to re
rover from his embarrassment, the gov
ernor, who was much given to saying nice
things to and about people, added:
"Take a good look at him, senator; Wis
consin is likely to send 'that boy to the
United States senate one of three times."
"That boy " at that time, was a graduate
of the Wisconsin university, and had served
as a soldier in the civil war, winning two
commissions one as captain and the other
as major and was even then a good law
yer, as he Is today one of the first In the
nation.
Seventeen years later there was a three
cornered contest for the Vnlted States Ben
atorshlp In Wisconsin. General Falrchild,
who had been secretary of state, governor
for three terms, consul to Liverpool, consul-general
to Tarls and minister to Spain,
desired to round up his career In the sen
ate. Colonel Spooncr had given three
months of his time to canvassing for Blaine
In 1884, and had done tt so well that from
all parts of the state came a demand for
his election to the senate. The third can
didate was the late Judge William T. Price,
then in congress. When Trice's lieuten
ants found that he could not win they
wired for a request to help Spooncr. The
Judge complied; all but one of his support
ers cast their votes for Spooner and he was
nominated on the first ballot.
The first man to offer congratulations to
the new senator was Governor Falrchild.
Ia 1882 the first time that Jerry Rusk
was elected governor of Wisconsin, Colonel
Spooner was so busy a man in his profes
sion that the minutes counted, and it hap
pened twice during the campaign that he
missed a train, and each time was obliged
to hire a locomotive in order to keep his
peaking engagements. He Lved In Hudson
then.
The first time that this occurred he wa3
to make a speech in New Richmond. The
last train bad gone. There was need of a
Episodes and Incidents in
,L. J V. .l.tn hall T SfA
XV I Kitchener's knowledge of the
SW I - t, n Riintl Irlrwl
ugurev was ui itio "ft " - .
and in consequence all he suc
ceeded in doing was to tie him
i
self and his partner In the most absurd
knot, to the Intense amusement of the
others in the set and of the large crowd
looking on. The hero of Khartoum was
beaming with delight, and so he blundered
through to the end. When the music ceased
at the end of a quadrille he was in the
middle of the room looking for his partner,
and laughed heartily when she came up
and found him.
When Beerbohm Tree was Introduced to
Gladstone the statesman seemed to be em
barrassed as to the turn the conversation
would take. Finally and naturally politics
was the subject pitched upon. Gladstone
asked if actors were, as a rule, liberal or
conservative. "Mostly conservative," re
plied Mr. Tree. "Dear me!" exclaimed
Gladstone, "I wonder whether there are
any exceptions to this ruleT" "I should
Bay," responded Mr. Tree, rather wickedly,
"that the scene shifters are radicals to a
man."
A certain young Canadian officer of en
gineers ie credited with having "put down"
Lord Kitchener during the- troubles In
South Africa. The young man was In
charge of an important piece of railroad
work. Kitchener appeared one morning
and expressed disapproval of some fea
tures, talking In characteristically biting
fashion. The young officer has bis share
of the Independence which cornea of living
on this side of the Atlantic, so he said;
"Am I bossing this work or are you?"
Kitchener looked at him, recognized a
young fellow after his own heart and
walked away with a nod of approval.
Congressman Cannon sometimes Indulges
in metaphor when addressing the house,
and at such times be declines to be bound
by any rule. As a consequence his meta
phor sometimes Is mixed. He was arguing
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SENATOR JOHN C. SPOONER OF WISCONSIN.
rousing republican shakeup In that town,
and it would not do to disappoint the com
mittee. "I must be in New Richmond tonight.
It Is too far to drive. Bring around an
engine," he ordered.
The locomotive came, and the young law
yer made one of the beBt campaign speeches
ever heard In New Richmond.
On the way back the colonel sat at the
side of the engineer, and, after watching
the latter for some minutes, asked for the
privilege of running the locomotive. Tho
men exchanged seats, and the future sena
tor immediately proceeded to double the
speed. The locomotive Jumped along at a
mile-a-minute gait until a short turn in
the track was reached, when the new engi
neer was thrown to the fireman's side of
the cab, and the regular engineer resumed
against a proposition favoring a rallrond
one day. "The railroads have been before
the senate on their knees praying and pray
ing and praying," Bald V'ncle Joe in his
preacherlike tones, and then, stopping a
moment and looking about the house, be
concluded to finish with an expression that
might better appeal to the understanding
of many members, and added: "And, gen
tlemen, let us call their hand."
J. L- Toole's fondness for practical jokes
Is well known, relates the New York Trib
une. One of the best the English comedian
ever played was after he had been photo
graphed In the get up of Old Ecclcs, the dis
reputable father in "Caste." Without
changing his clothes he went out Into the
street as he was and walked to the house
of a parvenu notorious for his pride. The
door was opened by a pompous man servant,
and a vista of flunkies was seen down the
passage. "Would you tell Mr. Smith," said
Toole, in his beautifully clear enunciation,
"that his brother from the workhouse has
called?"
William B. Leeds, president of the Rock
Island railroad and formerly known as the
"tlnplate king," has purchased a half in
terest in the racing stable of Andrew Mil
ler, a member of the New York Jockey club.
During the running season Mr. Leeds will
race in his own name and colors. To com
ply with the rules of the club, which pro
hibit two members of a firm rrora racing
horses from the same Btable, each member
of the new firm will preserve his indi
viduality and race different strings. Mr.
Leeds made a big fortune in tin and steel.
When a multi-millionaire he drifted into
the railroad business and soon became
head of the Rock Island system.
"Nick" Longworth, the Cincinnati mil
lionaire,, who will be in the next congress,
was taken down with chtckenpox while vis
iting Washington. During bis Illness he
received by express a Noah's ark, a rattle,
some lead soldiers, a jumping jack and a
doll. With these toys was thla note, signed
charge. Then, as the colonel regained his
eat behind his laughing companion, he
confided: -..-'.. v " '
"Your confounded old horse doesn't stand
the spur worth a cent."
That was the Wisconsin senator's first
and last experience as a railroad engi
neer. Early In the first Grant campaign nn
ambitious republican county chairman in
the northwestern part of Wisconsin sen
to the state chairman for a first-class
speaker, naming the best ho had. The
noted speaker was to arrive at 4 o'clock
in the afternoon by stage from Sparta.
A fife and drum corps had drawn a large
company to the village hotel to welcome
the spellbinder, but the stage brought only
one passenger a boy. Great was the glee
among the democrats, and deep the gloom
the Lives of Noted People
by half a dozen of his Cincinnati cronies:
"Dear Longworth We heard with great re
gret that you hod been suderlng with th
chiekenpox. Having every reason to sup
pose that the mumps, measles and whoop
ing cough will follow In their regular order,
we send you a few of tho things usually
provided for the amusement of patients suf
fering from these disorders."
General Manager House of the United
Railways of Baltimore recently received
the following letter, together with a 5-cent
piece:
"Dear Sir A few days ago I took one
of your cars to my home on Gllmor street.
The ca" wub crowded and the conductor
fulled to reach me. I left at my corner,
the conductor being too far in front to pay
blm, and I Inclose tho amount of my fare,
which would have been sent you sooner but
for the fact that I huvo been out of tho
city."
Mr. House reported the occurrence to
the directors of the roud, and by their
instruction sent the honetst patron an an
nual pass, with a letter remarking on the
urfUsual nature of the case. The honest
patron told a neighbor, who. spread tho
news, and the next development was the
receipt of another letter containing a D-cent
piece and this bit of gushing confidence:
"Dear Mr. Houho I neglected to pay my
fare yesterday, and inclose it. Please send
me a pasts."
Baron Speck von Stcrnburg, the newly
elected charge d'affaires from Berlin, was
at a dinner where in a purely humorous
spirit tho courage of the various nations
of the world was being impugned. The
German's courage was pretty severely at
tacked by an Englishman. Baron von Stern
burg took revenge on him with this brief
lory: "An Englishman and a German
were to fight a duel. They were locked In
a pitch-dark room together with cocked pis
tols. All was still and neither could tell
where the other was. Finally the German,
not wishing to have murder cn his soul, tip
toed to the chimney and fired up it. There
in thf republican ranks the meeting wouU
have to be given up. The one passenger
finally made himself known as the speaker
that Chairman ltublee had sent to the
Fulls to address the meeting. When the
democrats heard that, they were hilarious.
The Idea of that boy making a speech.
Hut they would go to see him fall, and to
laugh at their opponents' discomfiture.
Hut In the mall was a letter from Chair
man Rubier, afterward minister to Swit
zerland, explaining wliy Judge Blank could
not go to the Falls, and assuring tho
county leader that Colonel John C. Spooner
was a flno speaker and would surely please
the audience. On the strength of that let
ter tho republicans went to work to get up
a large meeting, and they succeeded.
Tho speech was a rouui-r. When the
colonel had spoken an hour and a half tho
crowd demanded that he go on. He went
on for another hour, and when he sat down
cheer after cheer was given the young
speaker cheers that were as loud and aa
enthusiastic us those glveu tho presidential
candidate.
A great many democrats kept their prom
ise to go to the meeting, but a good share
of them Joined in cheering General Grant
and Colonel Spooner, and ceased from that
time to bo democrats.
From that day to this that boy passenger
Cf 1868 has been one of the greatest men
In Wisconsin in tho eyes of the people of
Black River Falls.
In physical courage Senator Spooner haa
never had any superior among Wisconsin's,
public men. There has not been n session
of congress during his terms In the senate
wheu he has not demonstrated his intel
lectual strength, and his moral courage ia
unquestioned by those who know him best.
In a city where Colonel Spooncr went to
attend court there lived a bully who wsa
deemed n dangerous character when In hla
cups, ami ho was sure to be drunk on all
unusual occasions, such as n term of the
circuit court. While on their way to the
court house one day Spooner ami two or
three other lawyers were advised by a
native of the town to take another street.
"Bruiser Bill" would soon meet them, and,
as ho was blltid drunk, there would likely
ie trouble.
"Thank you," said Colonel Spooner, "but
we will stick to this street."
"Bruiser Bill" was talking to a woman
when the lawyers camo along. As they
passed tho bully they heard him make an
Insulting remark to her.
Spooner Instantly wheeled around, threw
off his coat and faced the Insulter.
His companions hastily endeavored to
pull htm uway.
"Come on, loloncl," they pleaded; "that
fellow will chew you up In a minute."
"I can thrash any cowurdly dog that In
sults a woman," was the senator's reply.
And he made good his words. The bully
had au opportunity to make only one pasa
at his opponent. After that tho lawyer
good right fist hit blm in the right spot.
"Bruiser Bill" fell like a shot bullock, and
he didn't need hitting again that or any
other day. The lessou made a sober, de
cent man of blm.
was a shriek ard the Englishman, badly
wounded, came tumbling down."
Although Senator Elklus of West Virginia
does not often attend the races nowadays.
It was different during his early manhood.
One day he and a chum slipped off together
from school and on the way to the track
came ucross their professor, who said In
surprise: "Young gentlemen, what does
this mean? You should be at your leaons."
ElkiiiB snld: "Sir. we wanted to go to
lessons and also to the races, so we tossed
for it and it came dowu for the races."
"What did you throw up?" "We threw a
lump of coal up. If it stayed up we went
to school; If It came down wo went to the
races; and hero we arc, sir."
Rome years ago there was a man In De
troit who was the original "Pro Bono Pub
lico." He wrote letters to tho newspapers,
to railways, to the municipal officials and
to about everybody else on all sorts of top
ics. He had a remedy for everything and
considered it his mission to write to peo
ple and tell them what was what on every
public question. One day President Led
yard sent for C. W. Russell, general coun
sel of the Michigan Central road, and said:
"Russell, I'll 'raise your salary $2,000 a
year if you will keep that man from writ
ing to me for a year."
Russell accepted. He hunted up the letter-writer
and said:
"I want to make a business proposition to
you. If you will stop writing letters to Mr.
I-dyard for a year I can get a rise in sal
ary of $2,000 a year. If you will quit I'll
split with you and give you $1,003 of It."
A bargain was made. The arrangement
went along all right for seven months.
Then the Michigan Central pulled off a
wreck somewhere in Michigan that was a
wonder. Next morning Mr. Ledyard got a
ten-puge letter frcm his old friend, pro
testing against tho loose management of
his railroad. That letter was referred to
RuMM-U, and ho didn't get his raise. Tt).,
temptutlon was too strong for this wrlUr.
to resist, even for $1,000.
