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Show Old Masters (' JAMES G. BLAINE Bv C. C. G. I V ANY men remember James G. Blaine, looked 1 in his eyes, shook his hand and are still moved by the magnetism that his word and touch cast off as the sun casts off electricity. In the memories of millions he was among men as the eagle is among birds. It is said that the serpent can climb to a mountain height as high as the eagle can soar, but there is no beating of strong wings, no defiant scream which, when heard, is a notice that the royal bird is mounting to hail the sun, and that the fiercer the tempest roars around him the more exultant Is his cry. Blaine will go into history side by side with Henry Clay. Both were long in congress, both were long speakers of the house of representatives; and presided in a way that others essay to imitate, but none to equal. Both aspired to the presidency presi-dency and both failed of election; with both love of country was a grand passion. Both began life with no influential friends to help; what each acquired was due solely to the genius and industry that drove him on. Clay made his first fame among the impulsive and impetuous Kentuckians; Blaine caught the favor of the less demonstrative men of Maine, but when they did take to him,, Maine vent hellbent hell-bent for Blaine. When Clay took the speakership the house of representatives was but a small body, but the passions of men were quite as fierce then as they have ever been since. Jackson wanted to dominate domi-nate congress as much as does President Wilson, and John C. Calhoun was planting the upas trees that required the bravest to offer their lives to uproot, and differences of opinion often called for more severe exactions than they now do. But the high soul of Clay never faltered; his determination de-termination to serve all his country never wavered. wav-ered. And Blaine followed his example. In recon- Istructlon days, when the opposition returned sullen sul-len and fierce to congress, it required a steady hand and a steadfast soul to preside, and Blaine never once faltered or failed either in courage or grace. He was really and truly "the plumed r knight," and his crest was never lowered. Even those who opposed him acknowledged his sovereignty sover-eignty over men. He was a finished writer. Had the gift of eloquence, that order of eloquence which takes captive the minds and hearts of men, been denied him, he would have been one of the foremost editors in the land. When secretary of state J every paper that he put out was perfect. He was I cut off in his prime; could he have lived a few years longer our belief is that his one great hope would have been realized, but really it was not necessary for his fame. He is remembered as ' Clay and Seward are, as one who deserved the ! utmost honor that his country could bestow, but also as one who did not need it, for without it I) he wrought out for himself a name that will be S lovingly recalled after the names of many presl- j dents shall have been forgotten. I The old legend ran: ' To be a Roman citizen was greater than to be a king." j'v James G. Blaine wn one who proved that American citizenship Can be exalted until it be-I be-I oomes greater than to be president. j A Christmas Story A FEW years ago the family of a poor man lived in Salt Lake. The man himself was working in the mines. His salary was barely enough for the family, with the strictest economy to live upon. The wife and mother was a good woman, but she sometimes had days of despondency despond-ency when all the skies were black overhead ana hope seemed to be dead. Two weeks before Christmas Christ-mas the man came into town to spend the Sunday at home. That day had been a trying one on the wife. She had seen all her neighbors going down town in the morning and returning loaded down with packages for the delivery system had not been perfected here in those days. A great many of the neighboring children had called and told her children of the wealth that Santa Claus was to bring them on Christmas, and they had asked their mother why Santa Claus had never brought them anything. So it was not a pleasant Sunday for the husband hus-band and father. What hurt him most was what his baby girl of four years, named Dollie, had told him, which was that a neighbor's girl had told her that her mamma had said that if Dollie's papa was any good, Santa Claus would bring Dollie Dol-lie pretty things, the same as he did to thrifty people. The father was glad to escape from home on Sunday evening and go back to the mines. Now ho had not missed doing a full day's work every day for three years. But he had put in eight hours every night working on a prospect, and had all the time been b'ouyed up with a hope that sometime some-time God would answer his prayer and permit him to make a little stake out of the prospect. He returned to camp and next day did his regular regu-lar day's work where he was employed, ate a little lit-tle dinner, then went to his claim. He spent six hours in drilling six holes, for the rock was shamefully hard; then put in six charges, lighted the fuses and ran out of the tunnel. He waited outside until the shots exploded and the smoke from them cleared. Then lighting a candle he went back into the tunnel and saw that one of the shots had uncovered something that looked like ore. He broke off some pieces with Ills' pick and started for camp. He slept until daylight, then took the pieces to an assayer, who reported to him, three hours later, that they carried $G0 in lead, $2.38 in gold and $47 in silver. Then he went to the foreman and told him he would like to he laid off for a few days during the holidays. holi-days. During the next ten days he got out ten tons, shipped the ore to the old Germanla smelter, which, after deducting the moisture, the excess of silica, the demurrage the ore had been in the car all night the sampling and the smelter charges, left him $7G7.27. This was the day before be-fore Christmas. Then he came to town, and at a guess bought suits for the wife and all the children, then bought out nearly all the stock of a toy store, half the pictures pic-tures and picture books in a book store, and a big American flag; raided the market for turkeys, chickens, and oysters; bought half a dozen big cakes at the bakers, cakes and half a dozen mince pies; depleted a grocery of canned fruit, a box of raisins, four sacks of flour; hominy, hom-iny, cheese, fresh eggs and butter; reduced the stock of a candy store, stopped at Ilogle's and received re-ceived a gallon of the best and a case of Clicquot then found Josh Davis and borrow a Santa Claus wig and patrlaryhial whiskers, then engaged an express wogan, loaded the pluder and started for home. He reached there just In the gloaming and burst in upon the famly just as they were sitting sit-ting down to a frugal, joyless dinner. Then there was a time of it sure. He sent Dollie after the woman who had said Jo was no good, and her husband; made them down throe toddies apiece, which he assured them was a mild H cordial; then tipped them off with champagne H and had them both blind drunk in an hour; made H his wife and children dross in their new clothes, jH cooked the oysters himself and opened the cham- '1 pagne. At midnight he tried to hoist the flag over H the house, but was too weak to do it. The mine 'H expanded became great and the owner became H opulent and his judgment on mines was every- where sought. He still insists that he was never iH really rich but once, and that was when he lmper- iH sonated Santa Claus and carried home that wa- H gon load of Christmas gifts, and never so happy H as when ho had put that old girl to sleep, who- H had saiu he was no good. A Rare Calendar H OLD MAN FISHER of Wells, Nev., has sent fl us a calendar. It hears on its front an en- H larged photograph of the bar in his hotel and the H curios he has been assembling there during the H past two score years or more. In the room is a H cabinet of marvelous minerals which make a silent H cyclopedia of all the mining camps of Nevada. H The walls are decorated with the heads of deer, IH moose,' elks, bears, wildcats and wolves and H stuffed rare birds. Over the bar are two game H chickens rampant, and a pair of brogans with the Hh toes turned up, a striking symbol of the first and 'H last effect of the beverages sold over the bar. Tourists of both sexes stop off the trains to '1 visit this room and marvel at its wonders. The ' proprietor does not show in the picture, which is M a pity, for his brain has vastly more curios than M the room. An hour or two with him is a liberal M education. il He has but one sorrow which he admits. He fM says Joe Farren claims to be younger than he, M when in truth ihe avers that when he ,a beard- M less youth reached Nevada, Farren was even then M selling his effects preparatory to an old age of vH quiet, and that he has been doing the same thing IH ever since. Quoting from the late Senator West B of Missouri, he insists that when the day of judg- J ment is trumpeted in Farren will have to be shot. B Fisher was contemporary with the late Col. 'H Hardesty, the late Governor Luther Bradly, and H Mount Davidson behind Verginia City, and is sen- jl sitive on the score of age. H He was a Nevada pioneer, has been the soul of 'H honor all his days; he still rises to hail the sun H and glad that the years have been so gentle with 'H him, and so is every one who has got through his 1KB rough exterior and found how white of soul M he M Young Hancock's Death H DEEPEST sympathy goes out to Mr. and Mrs. JjH Geo. F. Hancock, their little daughter and :H other relatives over the death of the much-loved 11 son, brother and friend. M The hopes of the father and mother are blast- H ed, the little sister is inconsolable; the aged H grandmother is bowed in grief; all through their H sorrow are asking why this affliction should ! 9 come, and no answer is vouchsafed. God pity j H them. j jflj |