HRHRHJ A Brief Sketch I Of Thomas H. Benton I He was the contemporary of Clay, Webster, Calhoun, Jackson and the other Immortals who came unon the stage shortly after the great Revolutionary Revo-lutionary war when the souls I f their mothers were still vibrating because of tho excitement, the strain, the sufferings suf-ferings and the triumphs of that war. Denton whs not so great Intellectu-nlly Intellectu-nlly as thoso named above, but he had a more practical mind than either eith-er ot the others and was their superior superi-or In constructive statesmanship. He was a born fighter and tho hardest hard-est work of his life was to resist every ev-ery morning a desire to go out and lick somebody. Ho was born In North Carolina In 1782. Like every ono elso at that time, ho was born poor, but ho brought Into tho world with him an iron will and determination that from the first mado him laugh a bard for-tuno for-tuno to scorn. Ho picked up what education ho could and finally studied law. Naturally ho early drifted away, across the mountains and took naturally natur-ally to tho strenuous llfo that ho found in Tennessee. He had grown to be a massive man physically and with his aggressive nature he went always to the front In every place that ho pitched his tent. If It was necessary to fight to establish or maintain his place, he Joyfully accepted the condition. He bad one or two duels In Tennessee; it waB all he could do when hgo and high honors had como to him, to keep 'out ot personal collisions. Ho early moved to and made his homo In St. Louis. Mo. That gavo him a broader vision thtm any of his great contemporaries had, It cured him of tho narrow provincialism which in greater or less degrees, clung to "the others all their lives. Thoy looked upon tho country west, of tho Mississippi river, lis almost a terra Incognita and, not worth exploring. ex-ploring. Denton looked upon It as n glorified emplro awaiting tho near approach of millions eager to p'hnt It with a now civilization moro real than tho world had even seen. It wns Denton who, advocating tho bullcj lng of li transcontinental railroad, west nnd cried, "that is tho way to India." Ho grasped In thought what wns to be boforo tho first grains ot gold wero seen in.tho tall raco of Sutter's Sut-ter's old mill. John C. Fremont then n dashing young officer ot the army, wooed lien-ton's lien-ton's daughter, Jessie, but Henton forbade the bans. Sho having inherited in-herited her father's determination ot will, ran away and married hlra. Benton Ben-ton forgave them, but would never say, "Mr. and Mrs. Fremont," rnth-er rnth-er It waB "Jesslo and her "husband." But ho helped lit Fremont out for his western exploring trip and exulted exult-ed In his achievement. Denton wob for thirty years a soiii ator from Missouri and all thoso years tolled without rest for tho advancement advance-ment of native land. Ho whs often wrong, but his high motives wero never discounted; ho loved his coun; try with the absorbing love ot a selfish sel-fish nature struggling to exalt It to, fit his high Ideals for hlB country N Of course, ho dreamed of being some, time president, and wo suspect that ho was dlshppolnted as nominate f. HHfl after nomination for that great office H was made and he was left out; but M we suspect thero was no self pity HHl In his soul; rather he pitied the pee- pie that they could not see clesrer HJ what would have been best for thulr own Interests. His book, Thirty Years M in the Senato is a most vhluablo ono HHl and should be studied by every stud- H HHi it Is not free from prejudice; there HHl Is a good deal of porsonat egotism HHl running through It, but rchd now and M contemp'nted in tho light ot recent HHl history and one gains u clear Imprcs- HHf slon of political history at tho timq M when all events wero tending for- HHl ward the great tragedy tho first net HH of which was called In 18C1. HH He was spared the spcctaclo of HJ that mighty pay day when tho whole. HH land was forced to contribute to the HH payment ot tho awful debt contract- HH ed when tho farthers framed a new HHj government ot freedom but In .the. M samo Instrument, fastened new safe- HH guai ds around human slavery. Ben- HH ton died at his post In the city ot HJ Washington, April 10, 1858. H All his early associates In the sen- HHJ ate had passed before him; the clouds HR of approaching war bad already be- HH gun to darken his country's t;; the HH .years bad begun that be had begun HH to look upon his death as a welcome HH comer. He had been an Ancient HH Greek, ho would have been called a HH second AJax, and his funeral rites HH would have been such as wero given HH heroes. Goodwin's Weekly. HH