Show I NOT NOW PUBLIC LIFE Two Men Whose Names Used to Be Oitot Seen In Print Special Correspondence II NEW YORK Feb 2It is cue of the peculiarities pe-culiarities of this life that a man may for years be the object of constant discussion in the newspapers that his name may become be-come a veritable household word throughout through-out the entire country when by a turn of the wheel of fortune he drops almost completely com-pletely out of sight and his name appears in the newspapers but seldom and then in articles of reminiscent nature I In the last months of President Hayes e administration an unexpected vacancy I I occurred in the navv denartment Hn filled it by the appointment < a man who 1 the day before was scarcely known outside out-side his own state This act made Gen i Nathan Goff of West Virginia conspicuous in politics and for some time thereafter I there-after he was one of the men who Ii were talked about P His physical characteristics char-acteristics added L the interest fRi 5ie > which his career ffIfF created He was I1 JM > boyish looking 1 < j v J PA60 gentle mannered manner-ed that it seemed t S > X almost a mystery EXGOVERNOR GOFF hT a person of such tender physique phys-ique and childlike manner could have reached a post of so much honor But with the close of Hayes administration Gen Got lapsed into the comparative obscurity obscur-ity whence he had come and for a number of years he was almost forgotten Ho had however maintained his power in his state so that a year ago he again loomed into I national importance by reason of his canvass can-vass for governor It was long a disputed point whether he was elected or not and his Democratic rival at last obtained the seat by a few scattering votes It is quito I likely that Gen Goff will be again heard from as he is a man of ability and much force of character I When Gen Lew Wallace checked the advance of Jubal Early on to Washington in the spring of ISGi he thought that he had achieved something which s would link his name with the contest con-test of the civil war and with that repute he would have been satisfied satis-fied But since the war he has won a fame which he then did not dream of He wrotethe religious y novel called Ben Hur and for a year or two the publication it GEN WALLACE seemed to have failed Gen Garfield when president appointed Gen Wallace minister to Turkey and at the same time iu a private pri-vate letter spoke enthusiastically of the literary lit-erary merits and fascinating tale which Ben Hur contained This attracted attention at-tention to his book and a wide advertisement advertise-ment was given to it by clergymen in the west As a result Ben Hur is the most successful novel published in this country since Uncle Toms Cabin Over 400000 copies have been sold antiGen anti-Gen Wallaces royalties have amounted to nearly 50000 For a time his name was conspicuous of late not so much has been heard of him He is living in his old home in Crawfordsville Ind and is understood un-derstood to be writing a new novel although al-though he is very leisurely about it He occasionally comes to New York where he divides his time with his old army associates asso-ciates with his new literary admirers and with his publishers The general although past sixty is a remarkably well preserved man and seems to be full of energy and enthusiasm He has been urged to go into political life but declares that nothing can tempt him from the great enjoyment which he obtains from the dignity of a private pri-vate citizen HENRY ATHEUTON |