Evening Star Newspaper, April 27, 1895, Page 14

14 See iate VIGOROUS OLD AGE The Eighty-Fifth Birthday of Sena- tor Morrill. A CHAT WITH HIM AT HIS HOME A Long and Honorable Career in the Public Service. A REMARKABLE ee USTIN SMITH MOR- rill of Vermont, in the estimation of many,' comes as near to be- ing America’s “Grand Old Man” as any other man in public life teday. It was barely a fortnight ago that he celebrat- ed his eighty-fifth birthday,Easter Sun- day being the anni- versary this year. A statesman full of years and honors, strong in his age, and blessed with the esteem of all the People and the respect of all his col- leagues, in these respects Morrill is to the United States what Bismarck is to Germany and Gladstone is to England. For forty years this man has been laboring in the halis of Congress, and today, in the beginning of his eighty-sixth year, he is as vigorous as at sixty, and as full of deter- mination to accomplish his projects. His term as Senator from the state of Vermont will end in two years, but it is the general expectation of all that he will be again given the seat in the upper house that he has now held for twenty-eight years, a: longer term of continuous service than has ever fallen to the lot of any other Ameri- can Senator. There is little variance between the ages of the three statesmen of ripe years. Bis- MAN marck has just turned his elghtieth birthday. Mr. Gladstone was born in December, 1809, or five months before Senator Morrill, whose birth occurred at From a Recent Photograph. Strafford, Vermont, on the 14th of April, 1810. But Senator Morrill is the only one of this remarkable trio who is today in public service. Both Bismarck and Glad- stone have retired, and there ts little likeli- hood that they will ever again assume pub- lic functions. On the contrary Senator Merrill, in talking with a reporter for The Star the other evening, at his charming home on Thomas circle, expressed his pur- pose of continuing, in the sessions of Con- gress yet to come, the line of work that he has laid down for himself, and which he has made peculiarly his own ever since he entered the Senate in 1867. America cannot produce a man whose lorg and successful career has affected him Jess than Senator Morrill. To approach him is to meet a man of simple habits and tastes, gentle as a woman, modest as & girl about his own achievements and tal- ents. He dreads nothing so much as flat- tery and adulation. To him the world is a noisy place, and he retires from it as much as possible, eager mainly for the quiet of his home—an ideal home, where all is peace and comfort. The house itself is character- istic of the man, a plgin, unassuming dwell- ing of modest proportions, partly crowded out of sight by its more modern and ambi- tious neighbors, one of which has rudely thrust, as it were, Its elbow in the face of the old residence, as though ‘impatient at its refusal to be replaced by a more elegant edifice. As it stands today, the house is a landmark in the region of Thomas Circle. When Senator Morrill bought the propert: twenty-five years ago, he felt, as he said the other night, like an adventurous woods- man who was pushing out beyond the fron- tier. But being then sixty years of age, and fully expecting to spend the remainder of his days in quite private life, he chose for his home this property, then suburba with but one house of any size near him. His was then the most northern of the city houses in that region. It is related that shortly after Mr. Mor- rill bought this ground in 1870, paying the then good price of $1.50 a square foot for = Vr Rpubbrcom Saale, orgy: the Snake, Sere mot Demeereti wil nthe Ht lh in December, on muither the, Ripudtcams bam a yn, abe bat Shitty Ux empringlaon, Fh Oar Leet wl be of very apericenelte, wake on de weil fr Ue ox, etfs - Dar emogersh of Wien ad, 08 WEL of o Wwe f Farree Commrtins on Iamamte, one cad rylh THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 1895-TWENTY PAGES. opens the parlor, which communicates by wide doorway with the sitting room, and beyond that still is the dining room, where western windows give a glorious light in the afternoon. Opposite the dining room, across the hallway, is the library, the Sen- ator’s work room, where hangs.a splendid Portrait of himself. Here are books, por- traits of friends, souvenirs. of his official career, appliances for writing, and soft shaded lamps to give pleasant light. The furniture of this library is interesting from the fact that it includes a massive oaken chair, handsomely carved, and a small desk, also of oak, that were used by Representa- tive Morrill of Vermont, who sat in- the House for twelve years. When he was ad- vanced to the Senate he secured these relics Morrill Fesidence. of his busy days a: Representative, and has cherished them ¥ souvenirs of the days when he was labo. to revise the tariff. A deep grate shows ¥where the true Ver- monter can warm his chilled body in the winter, and though it was empty and use- less the night of the visitation—it seemed a rude bursting in upon a quiet home cir- cle—the imagination easily pictured a roaring fire, around which stcries have been told that would fill volumes with in- teresting matter. Could that old grate but talk, what tales it could relate! What tales of hard work done within the flickering of its blazes! What narratives of tariff bills drewn and ccnsulted upon and polished into final shape in those narrow walls! What con- ferences over weighty political matters, for though Senator Morrill will not admit the fact, being extremely modest, it is never- theless true that he has been and ts one of the most safe men for the leaders of his party to consult on matters of great mo- ment, a conservative adviser, a careful politician, a shrewd manager. Perhaps a handsome ink well and tray standing on the table in the center of the room may tell in part of the esteem in which the venerable Senator is held by his more active political associates. It is fully a foot square, and bears this simple in- scription: “Justin S. Morrill, from Mat- ae S. Quay,” followed by the date of the One of the most remarkable features of Senator Morrill’s extreme years is the ex- cellent health that he now enjoys. He spends his time in a regular routine, rising early, and also retiring early. His tastes at table are simple in the extreme. Having always been a man of very abstemious habits, he has preserved a strong constitu- tien, which stands him in good stead in these days when he has passed the mark of four score years. The days are filled with little matters of business, there are callers to receive, letters to write to friends and constituents, calls to make, and many other jtems that quite fill the time of a tman of advanced years, to whom minutes are not as long as they were half a century ago. There is more to do, of course, when Congress is in session, for the Senator is one of the most regular attendants at the Capitol of the members in either branch. He is early in his seat, and though he can- not now endure the fatigue of night sit- tings, he does not leave the Capitol until the real work of the day is over. The Family Circle. The Washington winters agree remarka- bly well with Mr. Morrill, and he prefers them to the rigorous climate of Vermont, which {s now rather more than he can en- dure. So he comes to the capital early in the fall, and remains here until after the trees have blossomed, and the heat begins to tell upon him, when the Thomas Circle hevse is closed, and the family go to Strat- fcrd, which has been the Senator’s home sirce his birth. These two places—Wash~ irgton and Strafford—now constitute almost \the whole of the Senator's itinerary. In former years he and Mrs. Morrill and Miss Swan, Mrs. Morrill’s sister, often went abroad, accompanied by the Senator's only child, now ‘a man of about thirty-five. These tours are not now taken with such frequency as before,.as both the Senator and Mrs. Morrill have passed the point when they can well stand the fatigues of Jeng travel. These four constitute the household. There have never been other children than Mr. James Morrill,who is his father’s secre- tary and general ald. He was to have been educated for the practice of medicine, but preferred the taw. His father’s great age, however, renders necessary the aid of one who is near to him, and who is devoted to his service. There is one charming custom that is preserved in this delightful household as a relic of other days, when fashion was not so exacting in its demands upon its vota- ries. Every evening after dinner there is a quiet rubber of whist, played not in the modern fashicn, with ‘signals or duplicate packs or scientific systems of leads, but in the good old sivle of holding thirteen cards and playing them for all they are worth. ‘The Senator is an excellent player, and has rll mde ombtiua UF om w WRITIN HIS HAND the ground, he w: Williams, the wife = Attorn General, with having bought She urged him to go beyond dence. “Come out he said, “where far “in town.” the limits of urban re to Rhode Island avenu we have bought for 50 cents a foot, and you » much ground for the same you are paying here that you can keep chickens.” = “I told Mrs. Williams,” said the Senator, chuckling softly at the recollection, “that I did not feel that I had the blood of the pioneer sufficiently strong in my veins to push out into the wilderness.” ‘The prop- erty on Rhode Island avenue is now being das the site for the new St. Matthew arch, and is valued at ten times as much as Mr. Williams then paid for it. The Comfort of Home. The Morrill home, plain outside, is the perfection of comfort within. The fr-aish- ings are handsome, but never flashily so. ‘Vhey bear rather the stamp of those other days when folks sought more than mere feshion in the interlor equipment of their houses. The floors are covered with rugs and carpets so soft that not a footfall is ever hear he walis are hung with por- traits in fid old frames, here and there a landscape by a master brush, a dainty tching or two, a ater color in a nook at this hand, a quai: plor effect in another corner. The whole mosphere is that of the great forest, quiet, perfect. ‘The rooms are almost r e suga maple woods of far-away Vermont. It @ staunch Vermont household that enjc these comforts, true to the state and to every interest of her peopl There is a wide hallway from which | a great record of victories in the annals of the house. The Old Style Whist. | There was a time, a few years ago, when | there was quite a circle of whist players, of which Senator Morrill’s family was a part. There were two or three “Supreme Court families” included within it, as many sen- atorial families and perhaps others. But one by one they have fallen victims to the new cult of science in whist and have fall- en away, and now there are left only a few of the older folks, who prefeg to play whist as a plain, old-style ga without any thought of science and without reference to the great mass of literature that has been produced upon the subject. The Mor- rill whist table is one of these, and it was one of the evening rubbers that the re- porter—who immediately felt very much stricken in corscience for his intrusion— interrupted when he called the other even- ing. ‘The Senator greeted his guest with quiet hespitality. He is tall, far beyond the av- ‘ht of men, but his shoulders are in these days bent, and he is not now seen in the full glory of his splendid frame. His faculties are all perfect, except, as he said later, when he tried to read some of his own handwriting, that the right eye is a little weak in the upper half. Yet with the remaining three-fourths of his sight he does a great deal of reading for a man of his years. His hearing is as acute as ever. ‘The reporter tested this point once or twice by letting his questioning voice fall below | the ordinary tone, but never once did the Senator ask for a repetition, but each time responded promptly. It is litle short of marvelous that the Senator should today write such an excel- lent hand as that which he is able to pro- duce. A specimen of his chirography | shown on this page. It is a part of a state- ment for which he had been asked, expres- sive of his views of the coming organiza- tion of the Senate. It will be recalled that Mr. Morrill is today the ranking republi- can member of the committee on finance of the Senate, and it is generally expected that if the republicans effect a reorganiza- tion he will be rechosen as the chairman. This position formerly belonged to Senator Sherman, but he relinquished it when he resigned from the Senate to enter the cabi- net of President Hayes. Mr. Morrill had succeeded to the chairmanship of this im- portant committee when Mr. Sherman re- turned, and has since been the chairman whenever the republicans have had control of the Senate. Mr. Morrill demurred when asked for an expression of opinion on the outlook as to the reorganization. Views on Senate Organization. “TI do not care to get into print,” he said. “It has ever been my aim to keep out of print. I have not such an exalted opinion of the value of my own views that I want to see them put before the people, and I would prefer to have nothing to say on the subject of the reorganization.” However, he relented and later prepared the statement that is here given. The Senator wished it distinctly understood that he had been sought for the interview and that he had preferred-to remain silent on the subject. This is what he wrote, with lead pencil on a tablet, in a firm, small hand, keeping his words on the straightest of levels, just a trifle above the blue ruled line on the paper: “The repubiican Senators will not be am- bitious to organize the Senate when it meets in December, as neither the repub- licans nor democrats will have a majority, but the half dozen populist members will control the whole subject. Politically, the organization of the Senate will be of very questionable value, as it would fix on the party responsibility without any prospec- tive political advantages. The majority of the Senate, as well as a majority of the committee on finance, are and-will be in favor of the free coinage of silver, and, whatever the position of the House of Rep- resentatives may be, the executive branch of the government will not favor it. If the executive should ask for an increase of Tevenue, some non-partisan measure will be at once offered, but it is unlikely that any general revision of the tariff will be immediately attempted, as we cannot safe- ly expect that a republican tariff bill will be suffered by the President to become the law of the land with his approval. Little beyond the consideration of the regular ap- propriation bills can be safely promised from the action of the next session of Con- gress. The organization of the Senate may be thrust upon one party or the other, but neither party will hanker for it nor offer rewards for its possession.” And this bit of literary matter, too, is characteristic of the man and of his whole career. It is compact, not a word in excess As He Appeared in 1867, and to the point. There was never any surplusage about Mr. Morrill or his work, as his friends—he has no enemies—declare. It would seem impossible for a man of his years to attend to his own correspondence by hand as faithfully as he does, yet he insists upon answering personal notes by manuscript replies, believing that the type- writer is not a polite engine of communi- cation. He is kept very busy just now with Lis letters, for he has received scores of netes and telegrams since the 14th of this menth congratulating him upon the arrival of his eighty-fifth birthday. On that day the house was filled with flowers, the gifts of friends, until it looked like a conservatory. Guests came in a cerstant stream, too, to shake the hand of this grand old man, who has_ passed through nearly a century of existence, and has never had a stain on his good name, a reproach cast at his character, or a sug- geetion made of harboring other than the righest and most patriotic motives in all that he has done in his public servic There is no one man in public life today who is as free from the stain of calumny as Senator Morrill. The tongue of scandal is paralyzed in his presence. “I have been asked many and many a time,” said the Senator, as he led the guest to the library, “for a statement of my life and career, but I have always de- clined to give my biography at length. It is distasteful to me, and to my family. Notwithstanding this demur, the Senator at last started in to talk about his early life, and for over an hour he spoke in a most charming manner of his life, mod- estly skipping all references to his suc- cesses and evidently endeavoring to give a mere skeleton sketch of his career. Such a career, though, needs a tremendous frame, and this was not complete without the frequent suggestions of Miss Swan, the Senator's sister-in-law, who is a consider- able factor in the household and a stanch admirer of the aged statesman. It is a noteworthy fact that Senator Morrill, in his modest view of the value of his own services, has achieved the distinction of covering the longest public career with the shortest biography in the Congressional Directory—that interesting volume of seif- told tales. A Modest Biography. It is literally the briefest sketch in the book, and reads as follows: “Justin Smith Morrill of Strafford was born at Strafford, Vt., April 14, 1810; re- ceived a common school and academic edu- cation; was a merchant, and afterward en- gaged in agricultural pursuits; was a Rep- resentative in the Thirty-fourth, Thirty- fifth, Thirty i Thirty- eighth and y eS; was elected to the United States Senate as a Union republican to succeed Luke P. Po- land, Union republican, and took his seat March 4, 1S was re-elected in 18’ in 1878, in 1884 and in 1890, His term of ser- vice will expire March 3, 1 * Just six lines of the directory to express the work of elghty-five years! There are some bi- cgrapnies in that book of over half a page, written by or for men who were serving first terms in the House and had never be- fore been heard of out of their own coun- ties. “I started in business for myself,” said Senator Morrill, “with a capital of $150, ved fromm my salary as clerk in the dif- ferent mercantile establishments in which I had worked in Strafford and in Port- land. My opportunity came in this wise: A merchant of Strafford died, leaving his accounts rather mixed, and the heirs ask- ed a friend of mine, Judge Harris of Straf- fcrd, to recommend to them some young man who could take charge and get things in shape to close up the business. He kindly referred them to me, and I took hold and for six months was busy settling the estate. At the end of that time I made the heirs an offer for the business, and, with Judge Harris as partner, bought it. My good friend supplied the rest of the capital, the bulk of it, I should say. Business was good with me, and I established branch stores and was what I considered fairly prosperous. I made Strafford my home, and in 1848 I came to the conclusion that I had made enough; that it was time for me to retire from active life and to get married. Flected a Representative. “I wanted to pass the rest of my days in quiet, and I determined to buy a farm out- side of Strafford and there settle down. This plan I carried out, and for seven years I lived there as a farmer, having married at the age of forty. I was offered the position of cashier of a bank, but I declined. I also had a good chance to buy out a large Boston mercantile establish- ment, but preferred my quiet life. But it was not to be that I should be permitted to rest thus. In 1854 some of my friends came to me and said that if I ever wanted to go to Congress that was the opportunity. I replied that if my town and county were solid fcr me I should enter the canvass for the nomination; otherwise I should not propose myself as a candidate. I did not_want any struggle. “The result was that at a meeting of the leacers of the qpunty held at the court house they agreed tp stand by me, and I went into the aenvention, and was nomi- nated with practical, unanimity. I was a candidate on tke -yegular whig ticket, but a man who, ;as a liberal, took away many votes, from the regular ranks of the sparty, and I squeezed through by the very.parrow margin of 160 votes. Two years later I was renominated without oppositign and secured a majority of between 9,000 and 10,000. Since that day, Iam happy to say, I have never been with- out the practically solid support of my dis- trict and my state, Jt is very gratifying indeed.” nee The Senator paused for a moment to dwell in his mind mn early scenes in his career, and, then resumed: “I had served six- years in the House when I felt that I ought. line further service. I wag tired, anagi told the managers, but they would to me. Said they: ‘These..are war times; we need you. Six years ago we elected you because you wanted to be elected. Now you must serve because we need you.’ The first thing done by the convention was to pass a resolution declaring that declinations would not be re- eeived; and I was renominated on the first ballot. I served in the House through the war, and did-a good deal of work, mainly upon the tariff and kindred matters, The War Income Tax. “Tho -resig@ation.of the members:-who joined the south left the ways and means committee with many vacancies, and I was the ranking republican. Speaker Grow told me that I could have the post. He added, however, that his state, being greatly inter- ested in tariff matters, would be highly gratified if Mr. Thaddeus Stevens, then in the prime of his career, a very great man indeed, could be given the chairmanship. I readily assented, not caring for the great responsibilities of the chairmanship. “But I was made chairman of the sub- committee in charge of the tariff bill—that was in 1S800—with Winter Davis of Mary- land and Wm. A. Howard of Michigan as my colleagues. They were both fine, lov- able men, and we worked together harmo- niously. I had a good deal of aid, too, from the chairman, and also from George H. Pendleton of Ohio, who, though a demo- crat, gave me some of my most valuable advice in the preparation of such legal measures as the income tax law and the tax on bequests and legacies. I recall that he said to me, after he had worked with me over the legal points of one of these bills: ‘There, Morrill, I have helped you get that bill in shape. Now I shall take great pleas- ure in voting against it.’” Miss Swan at this point told how young Master Morrill, then a little boy, went fre- quently to the House and sat by his father during the great debates. Mr. Stevens and Mr. Morrill were the closest of friends and sat side by side. Mr. Stevens was very fond of the little chap, and often held him on his lap, calling him by the pet name of “Little Ways and Mears.” When a vote came he would hold “Jimmie’s” hand up to be counted for the vote of the great Thad Stevens. . Mr. Morrill lingers lovingly on these memories, as they form a part of a most delightful though the busiest part of his public career. He went cn to say that the work that was done in the sixties while he was in the House was very hard indeed, and his sister-in-law reinforced this state- ment by saying that often the Senator has worked all day and all night at the Capitol and at home on tariff bills. Tariff Bill. Mr. Morrill says that his early experience in the country store, and finally in his own establishment, gave him a knowledge of commercial matters that was invaluable to him in the preparation of the bill that has long been known as the ‘Morrill tariff,” a name which he modestly says was given to it by the democrats to “give it a bad odor.” The great task attempted and ac- complished in this measure was the change of almost the entire system of revenue from taxation on an ad valorem to a spe- cific basis. That 1s, his effort was to pre- vent frauds by undervaluation. This sys- tem has now become a part of the great revenue scheme of the government. “In 1866 Senator Collamer died,” re- sumed Mr. Morrill, “and the governor of the state wished to appoint me in his stead. I declined, however, and preferred to stand for électfon in the regular way. Judge Luke P. Poland of the state supreme bench was appointed, and there was a little skirmish between us the next year for the election. He retired, however, be- fore the balloting and I was given’ the seat. I have never had serious opposition from that day. It is very gratifying, very pleasing, to look back and feel that I have never asked my state for a_ re-election. When the time has come for the renaming of a Representative or a Senator I have left the people free to choose, and it is the fact that never have I written a line to ask a voter or a legislator for his suf- frage. It is a fact also that I have never spent money to bring about my election. I can say that with exact truth.” Beautifying Washington. When Senator Morrill went to the Senate William Pitt Fessenden of Maine was chairman of the finance committee. He immediately determined to have the Ver- monter as his chief lieutenant, and asked him to accept a place on the, committee. Mr. Morrill demurred, saying that two New England men ought not to have places of such an important commitiee. But Mr. Fessenden forcibly declared that he “‘want- ed some on to help him,” and Mr. Morrill was chosen. He was later made chairman of the com- mittee on public buildings and grounds, and it was in this committee that he did his favorite work, namely, that of beauti- fying Washington, with handsome public buildings. That has been his main hobby, ig he may be said to have a hobby, for the past twenty years. It was largely through his efforts that the liberal ap- propriations were made for the State, War and Navy building. Some people believe that this enterprise did much io finally discourage the promoters of the scheme that was then being strongly pressed for the removal of the national capital to Missouri. Fully two decades ago Mr. Morrill went to work to secure a new home for the Con- sressional Library, and bent his energies at once to the purchase of the land on the east of the present Capitol grounds, where the handsome library building nearly com- pleted now stands. There was a counter proposition to locate the library in Judici- ary Square, on the site now occupied by the sensiun office, and this was fathered by some of the most influential men of the time. But so vigorously did Mr. Mor- rill antagonize the project that when the proposition was brought to a vote it re- ceived but six voices in support. Supreme Court Building. Mr. Morrill tried to have the entire stretch of land on the east front purchased, on both sides of East Capitol street, the northern half to be used for a Supreme Court butlding, but this part of the pro- ject was defeated, though the land could then have been bought for much less than it can be secured for today. Mr. Morrill, however, is yet hopeful that the block will be bought, and it is this undertaking that he is to push during the remainder of his official career. He says that he will not rest satisfied until he sees a handsome home for the Supreme Court standing on the grounds op- pcsite the library, and he firmly believes that his great object will be accomplished. That will then be & splendid monument to the untiring energy, the zeal and the tact- ful skill of this great worker, who, in his eighty-sixth year of life, and the forty-first year of official service, is planning a pro- ject that would discourage many a younger legislator. Senator Morrill has not occupied such a prominent place in the political structure of the country for so many years without having been offered other and higher posi- tiors, which, however, he has steadfastly declined to accept. On one occasion he was offered the post of minister to Greece, but preferred his seat in the Senate. President Hayes urged him to accept a seat in his cabinet, and offered him any cabinet seat but two which had then been prom- ised. It is presumed that these were the state and treasury portfolios, which had been given to Senators Blaine and Sher- man. “There is no gift, no office to which I could be appoimted, that I would accept in preference to a seat in the United States Senate. I consider that the highest honor that could be bestowed upon me, and the highest function that I could perform.” By the time that all these matters had been told, the clocks in the house were tinkling the hour of 9, and the Senator brought his more than interesting narrative to a close. “We have bored you enough for one sit- ting, young marf,” he said, kindly, as the reporter arose to go. “‘Do not flatter me in what you write. We have given you, un- consciously, a good deal of gossip, and the less you use the more you will please me.” Then the man of nearly a century re- tired, and this quiet, peaceful home was closed for the night. Lines On Serator Morrill’'s 85th Birthday. What message am I ncw to send, In greeting to my ancient friend? His eighty-ffth, I come to see, As promised, Lrings a task to me; ‘That ts, as long as we should live, A word’ of greeting I should give, On each birthdzy as it comes In simple verse, or prose profound. And now, what more is there to say, But, “Sir, good morning”—“Sir, good day?” Congratulations of the past, Renewed, hold geod fiom first to last. One painful thought, though, comes to mind, ‘To mention which I'am inclined: Who would have dreamed, dear boys and gals, Of “cruelly to animals,” By one so tener as our friend? How could he thus our nerves offend? Yet, not a lam}, nor pensive heifer, He ‘skinned alive an ars, named Peffer! This Moody act, "tis strange to say, Has met approval all the way From ‘Quoddy, in the Piné-tree State, ‘To Dixte und ‘the Golden Gate. And now, sinze he tas got his hand In skinning asses in our land, I want him, if he has the tools, ‘To skin, or kill off, all “aamphools,”* Who meddle in affairs of state— . With an empty pate. ‘d, and.in the race, in their place. n pe, in many ways, To welcome back the good old days. How can I ever dare to pen it? Such scenes enacted in the Semite! Is "t not envugh to m: one swear, ‘To see such actions over there? And how, I think that elt will suy— “Enon el of this today!” All right. ‘I'take tmy leave once more. ‘This gos with trifles writ before. HORATIO KING. ——.__ CARE OF THE NAILS. Some Suggestions About This Feature of the Personal Appenrance. From the Jenness Miller Monthly. Neatly-kept finger nails are an evidence of innate refirement, just as well-dressed hair is, or the properly kept person. I have always made sure that I could tell a man who bathes regularly or who does not by the most casual scrutiny, and if this phase of our physical exterior is so plain to the observer, what must be the effect produced by the sight of irregular, broken, dirty, or, what is even worse, sore- looking nails? I cannot reconcile such a disagreeable condition with any precon- ceived ideas of men and women of refine- ment. I believe that where true personal neatness or even cleanliness exists the nails will receive a fair share of attention. The trouble with many persons is that they neglect the care of both finzer and toe nails until the latter become sore and the former so unsightly that their possessors are ashamed to appear anywhere without gloves. Now, if one only makes the care of the nails on both feet and hands a re- ligious duty, he may keep them in the best of order by using only a few additional moments at his toilet every day. When the habit is once acquired, it is like the bath habit; you would not relinqutsh its results for anything, and you will soon find it no trouble to make time enough for the performance of this small but necessary task. It must be remembered in this connec- tion that soreness occasioned by torn and neglected finger and toe nails often pro- duces fliness, and sometimes disease. The relation between the nerves is so very inti- mate in all parts of our hodies that when one part is affected another suffers in con- sequence. We are eauipped with no more delicate or sensitive organ than the nails. It is evident, then, that they require care and protection for purposes of both health and beauty. Like a Tinted Shell. After washing and thoroughly drying the hands, the flesh around the root of the nails should always be pressed back gently but tirmly. Neglect of this duty for a single week will often cause an unsightly growth of rough and ragged skin, which it will be difficult to remove without bruising the nail and destroying that delicate edge from which the well-kept nail with its white half-moon shows forth by_ contrast like a tinted shell. Most persons when wiping the hands pull the skin forward onto the nails, whereas it ought to be pushed back, thus preserving the regularity of the shape about the base of the nai When the skin becomes attached to the rail all symmetry is destroyed, and the treatment that must be given with instruments to disengage it must be undertaken with great care. Every woman at least, should learn to manicure her own nails, as it is not always possible to secure the services of a pro- fessionai artist. The only indispensable instruments are a file, delicately-curved scissors, and a small knife. Nail powders and polishers may be used if desired, but the healthfully and neatly cared-for nail will soon develop an enviable pinkness and beauty of its own. The hands should first be soaked in a bow! of soapy so‘t water, the temperature being a little above tepid in order to soften the nails and loosen the clinging skin about the base. When the hands are well soaked dry them thoroughly, and insert a knife or sim- ilar instrument carefully and slowly be- tween the skin and the nail in order to separate them. If the skin is torn it be- comes inflamed, and takes a long time to heal. Great care should also be taken not to bruise the nails, as such marks can only be overcome by a new growth. If the in- strument fs used with care and skill only good results will ensue, but nails that have been neglected a long time will have to be treated in this manner ten or fifteen min- utes every day for several weeks before they begin to assume beauty and sym- metry. Twice a Week. The nail should be pared and filed to curve from side to side, and should never be allowed to extend but slightly beyond the tip of the finger—such an extension being necessary for the protection of that member. When once the nails are in good condition twice a week is often enough for the paring and filing of the tips, and five minutes a day will keep them in fine con- dition. Some persons are much troubled with white spots which sometimes appear on the nails, making them look unclean and untidy. Such spots can be removed by a paste made of refined pitch and myrrh mixed together, put on at night, and rub- bed off in the morning with cream or olive oil. For the most part the same care may be used with the toe nails with good results. The principal lack in the care of the toe nails is the pitiable one of too infrequent bathing of the feet. In this way the nails become hard, and generally bad conditions follow. If one would have perfect toe nails he must bathe his feet in tepid soapy wa- ter twice a day, morning and evening, and observe the same precautions in wiping, filing and paring that he does with his finger nails. 1f the nails show a tendency to growing in, their corners should be carefully lifted from day to day, and every vestige of skin or other foreign matter gently but thoroughly removed. The old- fashioned remedy of pouring hot mutton tallow into the corners of such nails, and firmly wedging in a bit of cotton at the same time, is a good one. The main point to be observed with in-growing nails is to soak and treat them almost daily. If this is done from the time they first make their appearance, much misery will be avoided, and in some cases they have even been known to disappear. ————+e0+-—_____ Journey of a Pin. From the New York Tribune. Mrs. Arthur Williams, wife of Prof. Williams, principal of the Dwight School, at Mount Vernon, had a black japanned steel pin removed recently from the inside of her left leg. The pin entered the out- side of the leg two years ago. At the time it caused Mrs. Williams some little incon- venience, but, after two weeks, the swell- ing subsided, and she thought nothing more of the matter. Recently she felt a sharp point sticking from the flesh on the inside of the leg, and tried to get hold of {t. She succeeded in doing so, and pulled the pin out until only the head remained in the flesh. To remove this the services of a physician were needed. The pin was con- siderably corroded. Mrs. Williams has ex- perienced no ill effects from the pin’s trip through her leg. ——__+-e+—_____ Alls Fair in Love. From the New York Weckly. Miss Million—“‘So you know Miss Tiptop, the belle of the season?” Mr. Sharpwit (after Miss Million’s heart, hand and bank account)—“Oh, yes; she and I move in—in—eh—much the same set.” Miss Million—“By the way, here comes Miss Tiptop now. We will meet her face to face. Why, she did not recognize you. Mr. Sharpwit—‘“She always acts that way when I’m with a prettier girl than she is.’ HIS FALSE GRAVE Representative Tarsney Supposed to Be Dead and Buried. HIS STORY OF ANDERSONVILLE PRISON How He Succeeded in Being Ex- changed Into the Union Ranks. MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE OWN IN THE CEM- etery, where are bur- ied the prisoners who died in Anderson- ville,” said Represen- tative Tarsney of Missouri to a writer for The Star, “you will find by head stone and my grave. “JOHN TARSNEY, “th M. V. L “is the way it will read, the M. V. L standing for Michi- gan volunteer infantry. “How did it befall that my grave and head-stone were dug and reared and I still here to teil of it? The story is sim- ple enough when one hears it. “I was a prisoner at Andersonville, and being young and strong when I arrived and of presumed good characted, was put on the police force. Just before I came there had been robberies and murders among the prisoners; certain strong ruf- fians and men of criminal bent preying upon their weak comrades. The prisoners held a meeting and organized a court and @ constabulary, and after that any villain found robbing and murdering was hauied up and tried and executed. “Well, I was on the police. One morning it was announced that an exchange of prisoners had been agreed to, and doctors came among our various companies to se- lect those who were sick and about to die for the purpose of the exchange. The rea- scns for selecting the sick and dying were two-fold. Humanity for one thing; and then the next, the confederates were cun- ning enough not to send back a well, strong man, who could go into a fight at the front the day following his return to his regiment. The men they selected were too far gone with emaciation and sickness to ever aim a gun or fix a bayonet in war again, and it was an advantage to be rid of them. It took just that much off their hands. 2 “With a method of selecting which took only the sick and dying of course I stood no show to be exchanged. I had been captured but a few weeks, and was hale and strong compared with most. Of course I did not grudge these sick prisoners their luck, but, as cne after the other they were ticketed for exchange and their names written down by the sergeant of their 100, I could not but envy them. They were going back to liberty and the Union, I was to remain until I had dwindled and ‘broken down to be what they were. I could al- most wish I were as shattered as they, so that I, too, might be selected. “While my thoughts were running on this exchange then being arranged for, I had occasion to go down toward a little stream which ran through the lines. I heard a groan off to one side. Being of the police I turned to see what, if anything, was wrong. It was early in the morning, hard- ly light, indeed. There under some trees lying on a thread-bare blanket, was a sol- dier in almost his last gasps. I asked him what I could do for him. He said there was nothing to do. I rustled about and built a fire, and managed to get enough coffee to make him a few spoonsful. I thought it might brace him up. Then I sat down and had a talk with him. He said his name was John France, and like myself, of a Michigan regiment. He told me, too, that he had been selected for exchange that day. “ ‘But it comes too late,’ said he, ‘shan’t live an hour.’ “It was he who suggested the plot. ‘After I am dead,’ he went on, ‘you pin @ paper with your name and regiment on my coat. Take my name and number your- self, and be exchanged in my place. You'll have to see the sergeant of my 100 and fix it with him. If he objects, bribe him with all you've got, {f necessary, not to peach and tell who you are. You can fix him and get out in my name.’ “At first the idea didn’t strike me favor- ably. I doubted success. And I wasn’t at all sure just what form rebel resentment might take if they detected me escaping under the alias of a man dead and gone. But John France urged me to go. “You might better risk any chance,’ he said. ‘You will come down, down, until you are as you sce me here.’ And he held up hands like claws. “I half way assented. The appearance of John France was very convincing. I would have gone through a storm of lead to es- cape his starved fate. He went on and told me all of the incidents of his capture; the date and the battle; with all of other data before and since, so that I might stand any cross-examination they might make as to my identity. “After a bit I left John France, as I had certain duties to attend to. I fixed him to be as comfortable as he might, and prom- ised to come back as soon as I had liberty to see how he had got along. When I re- turned in half an hour John France of the —th Michigan volunteer infantry was dead. “I ked made up my mind to take John France's offer; I would assume his name ard claim bis exchange. I pulled his body to one side, where it wouldn't be readily observed by chance strollers, and, after pirning a paper with my name and regi- ment on the breast of his blouse, covered his dead face with one corner of the blanket and came away. That was all I could do fer the dead man, who unlocked Ardersonville for my escape. My first busin: to hunt up the sergeant of Jon France’s 100. I found him a bull-head, sullen sort of fellow. He bluntly refused to permit m@ to escape in John France's place. As he would have to muster and march the prisoners marked for exchange to the place of departure, it was necesrary to gain this man’s aid. “You can't go,’ he said, roughly. ‘If France is dead then I'll send some other man from my hundred in his stead. I'd go myself, but my being sergeant queers it. They'd spot me at once, and there would be no one to muster the men. But you can’t have the place.’ Here the sergeant essumed a determined air, as one who set- Uled the business. I was boiling. “I had grown fairly frantic by this time to get away. and the more I dwelt on the chance to escape and reflected on how few they were and far between, I felt like throttling this obdurate sergeant, who stcod in my way. I controlled my’ wrath as well as I could. * “It will be me or nobody who takes John France's place,’ I retorted. ‘He gave me his place himself, and I will get it or it will go wanting a candidate. Since you tell me I shall rot go, I tell you that neither shall you or any man of your hundred.’ And for bitter emphasis I shook my fist vrder the sergeant’s nose. “Observing that I had made an impres- sion on him, I went rapidly and almost eloquently ‘to the question of reward. I was the proud owner of a jim-crow watch, which in this day of the Waterbury would be dear at $2. I offered him this if he would help me. It was all I had. “To make a long story short, he at last, after a deal of grumbling, accepted. That afternoon, when the ticketed folk were crdered to fall in for exchange, I took the place of John France and answered to his name. I had blackened and grimed my face, and torn and ripped my clothes, and with a stout cane to limp with, looked as nearly decd as I could. We hobbled and tottered, rather than marched, to the place where we were to be turned over to a guard, who would take us to Savannah. There was a little stream at this place with a narrow foot bridge. One by one our names were called, and as fast as identified we were passed across the bridge to the rd on the other side. At last the officer h the list called out: “John France.’ 2 “ ‘Here!’ I groaned, hobbling - forward with my cane. a “The officer surveyed me sharply. There was a thirty-second pause. This sort of thing hadn't occurred before, and my heart began to hammer my ribs like the throbbing of an engine; I was sure I was detected, and that the next thing would be a firing squad, a cracking of musketry, and the real John Tarsney would be as A WOMAN'S NERVES. From the Gate City, Keokuk, Iowa. Mrs. Helen Meyers, whose home Is in Chicago at 3°15 Vermont ave., has been recently ‘visiting her uncle in Dallas county near Keokuk. Iowa, She had been sent away from Chicago by her physician on account of @ nervous malady. He told her she would never recover if she did not get away from the noise of the city and be prescribed for during her absence, but when she arrived at Keokuk she heard so much about Dr. Williams’ Pink PillS (for every one knows abcut these famous pills there), that she stopped doctoring and began thelr use. In an interview with the Gate City representative she told him the old story so familiar to thousand of mothers, how ier nerves gradually gave way urdey the pressure of household duties, how the lenst excitement would prostrate her for a week and bow they were obliged to give up their resi- deuee near the Lake Shore drive for @ more quiet location. Her nerves secmed always on the point of explosion. Then, too, her. complexion under- went a change and she became so yellow and sal- low, she was ashamed io venture from the house. ‘She said in part: “I began to take the pills according to direc- tions, and I began to feel better from the start. My uncle told me two weeks after I commenced taking Pink Pills that he guessed he would not be afraid to discharge his old army musket now without warning me beforehand, for he dids't think 1t would affect me at all. I took several boxes of the Pink Pilis, und then I was ready to 0 back to Chicago. My nervousness was gone and my complexion was as fresh as that of any six ten-year-old girl in Iowa, and Pink Pills is what put the color in my cheeks. No wonder I am in such high spirits and feel like @ prize fighter. And no wonder I lke to come to Keokuk, for if it had not been for Pink Pills bought from a Keokuk firm, I would not have been alive now,” laughingly con- cluded the Indy. Dr. Williams’ Pink Pills contain all the ele ments necessary to give new life and richness to the blood and restore shcttered nerves. They are for sale by all druggists, or may be hud by mail fom Dr. Williams’ Mcdicice Compans, Schenectady, N. ¥., for 50 cents per box, or six boxes for $2.50. dead as the fictitious one, lying stark and mute in the little clump “of bem: which I could see from where we stood. “What's your name, sir? at last de- manded the officer, still eyeing me like a hawk. “John France,’ I replied. I had resolved to brave it. through. “*What was your regiment a:d com- pany? “ “Company I, —th, Michigan.’ “Where were you captured” “Battle of Manassas,’ I answered. I knew that was the name the rebels bestow- ed upon the battle of Bull Run, where France was captured. “The officer still glared at me suspicious- ly and called the sergeant of my 100. I watched them anxiously while they whis- pered. But the Waterbury did its work for once. The sergeant stood firmly by me. At last the officer turned to me . “You may cross the bridge,’ he said. ‘Forward! March? “It was as if a stone had been -rolled from my heart. I crossed over to the right side of the little stream. My heart was light as floss. The next day we were sent per freight cars to Savannah, where the exchange was cousummated; a United States transport being allowed to enter the port for that purpose. One of the queer matters of the exchange was the fact that the officer who had charge for the con- federates was Wm. R. Hatch of Missouri, with whom I have served six years in the House of Representatives. Hatch was a confederate colonel at that time, and I recall him as a very soldierly personage indeed. I’ little thought as I passed under Hatch’s eye that day we exchanged pris- oners in Savannah that one day I should cast my vote for him as speaker of the House of Representatives. But this coun- try is full of surprises of that sort. “Well,” concluded Representative Tars- ney, “that’s the end of the story, and that’s how I escaped and why poor John France, with my name on his head board, sleeps in my grave at Andersonville.” —_.—__ THE OYSTER IS CLEANLY. But it Keeps Its House Tidy by a Very Peculiar System. From the New York Tribune. The oyster is a particularly cleanly crea- ture so far as his own person is concerned. His notions of housekeeping, however, are not such as would be likely to commend him to the favor of a New England house- wife. He does not like dirt, but his way of cleaning house is to paint the dirt over in- stead of sweeping it out. However, he ts rot to blame for that. He does the best he can to keep clean with the resources at ecmmand. An illustration of his method, which ts rather remarkable, may be seen at some of the oyster counters just now. It is found particularly in Rockaway oysters. In the hollow of the shells in many instances are Gark blotches the size of a finger nail,which lock not unlike a blood blister. These spots seem to be a discoloration in the shell. The hucreous surface is unbroken over them, though the black or dark blue places bulge slightly above the surrounding white shell. Tcuch these spots with a fork and they are easily broken into, showing a layer of shell of tissue paper thinness covering small masses of mud,which may be scraped away until, beneath, the ordinary white oyster shell is reached. Tbe explanation of this phenomenon is fcund in the weather of last winter. There was a great storm off the south shore of Long Island, which destroyed many of the Rockaway oyster beds byfilling them in with rud till the oysters were smothered and by tearing the creatures from their fastenings. Many other beds which were not destroyed were somewhat disturbed by the waves. That is the trouble-with some of the Rock- nm now in the market. The mud f into their mouths and between the shell and their delicate membranes. If there is anything an oyster dislikes it is sand and grit irritating his tender skin. It makes him feel as badly as a man does with a cinder under his eyelid. He is utter- ly unable to eject the troublesome sub- stance, so he builds over it a smooth layer of shell, and if he is left long enough undis- turbed he will have buried it beyond sight in the wall of his house. The mishap of last season is too recent for him to have done that, so he is found with the mud just covered with a coating of nacreous paint. His method in this cage is exactly the same as that followed by him in making a pearl. A bit of sand gets In the folds of his body where he cannot get it out and he covers it with an ever thickening layer of nacre thet it may not cut and annoy him. If it is net in contact with the shell it fs fcund a spherical body; if 1t touches the shell it is g y covered in with its growth, and rendered harmless. Correcting a Report. From Judge. Miss Keedick—“I hear that you are en- gaged to Mr. Hunker.” Miss Gaskett—fhat Is hardly correct. I have an option on him, though.”” E-SHERIF-OF ULSTER COUNTY, Remedy. ‘DAK ‘, N. ¥.—One of the most prominent men in Ulster county is the Hon, Davis Winne of this town. His reputation 1s not confined this county, where he held the office of also this distri three years; hh state legislat tive In the New Mr. Winne has been suffering from case of kidney an of the liver. Upon the advice of friends he decided to try Dr. Kennedy's Favorite It He was, not disappointed, for in a short wh: ter he gan its use he ¥ ts in better health than he had Been in years before. In speaking of Favorite Remedy to your cor- respondent. Mr, Winne said: “It has done more for me than all the physicians I ever employed, and I most uuhesitatingly recommend it to any one suffer- ing from kidney, liver or urinary troubles, for it will cure them. Dr. nowledged specific for all d s arising from lity of the blood, and will cure dyspepsia, rheu- matisi, kidnes, iver and urinary troubles,” scrof- ula and eczema, nnot afford to trifle with health and life. You Putting of treatment when dangerous symptoms exist only slow suicide. Accept the ald of Dr. Kennedy » Favorite Remedy: 1t has restored thow sands to health and strengt!