flood Illinois with Yankee clocks. Many of the audience, remembering that the Governor had peddled clocks in his younger days, heartily applauded the neat turn Mr. Starne had given the Governor's jest.

THERE IS NO USE OF THIS INVESTIGATION.

At the time Edward Rutz was serving his first term as State Treasurer, the Democratic party obtained, by a fusion with the Independents, nominal control of both branches of the General Assembly, and the leaders of the lower house conceived the idea that there was a shortage in Mr. Rutz's cash account, and a committee was raised to investigate the matter by counting the money in the vault. While the preliminary work was going on a wellknown Democrat, who had known Mr. Rutz for long years, and who was more profane than polite, was overheard to say "There is no use of this investigation; the d-d Dutchman has got the money." And so the count proved. Notwithstanding the constitution of Illinois inhibits the election of a person to the office of State Treasurer two terms in succession, yet it was Mr. Rutz's good fortune to have been elected three times to that office, the required lapse of time ensuing in each case. It is not likely, how. ever, that such a circumstance will ever again occur in the history of any man in the State.

"I WAS BORN A POOR BAREFOOTED BOY."

Governor Beveridge is responsible for this story on exState Treasurer Ridgway. In 1874, Beveridge and Ridgway were making a canvass together of Southern Illinois, and at their meeting at Carmi, White county, Ridgway took occasion to allude to the fact that that county had been his birthplace, and, warming up with the subject, he said: "Yes, fellow-citizens, I was born a poor, barefooted boy in White county, and am just as much entitled to be the Treasurer of the great State of Illinois as though I

had been born in the lap of luxury in Cook or any of the other great counties of the State. This slip of the tongue was too good to be lost, and the crowd shouted long and loud, and Ridgway has since been known among his most intimate friends as the man who was born barefooted.

"TOM NEEDLES AND JOHN BUNN KNOW TOO D-N MUCH."

During the great railroad riot of 1877 business was virtually suspended on all the leading lines of railway in the State, and on one occasion Gov. Cullom had to procure from J. C. McMullen, General Superintendent of the C. & A. Railway, a special train in order to reach East St. Louis to look after the military operations there. He invited James A. Connolly, Jonathan Merriam, R. D. Lawrence, S. H. Jones and William Prescott to accompany him; and in the absence of his Private Secretary, E. F. Leonard, requested T. B. Needles, who was then Auditor, and John Bunn, to remain at the Executive office to assist Harry Dorwin in answering whatever dispatches might be received, for he had been overwhelmed with telegrams from all parts of the State. Needles and Bunn willingly assented to the request and took their places in the office, remaining there until the Governor's return, which was about 12 o'clock the next night, when they repaired to the mansion and reported that not a single telegram had been received during his absence. Of course, the Governor was much surprised at what seemed to be a mystery. But on going, to the telegraph office the next morning it was readily explained by the manager, who said that Adjutant-General Hilliard had remained in the office during the absence of the Governor, and had received and answered all messages. When Gen. Hilliard was asked by the Governor why he had done so, he replied: "Tom Needles and John Bunn know too d-n much to play Governor." The joke was heartily relished

by all who were in the secret, and by none more than Needles and Bunn, but it was a long time before they heard the last of "playing Governor."

"WONDERFUL MORAL REFORMATION."

When A. J. Kuykendall represented the thirteenth congressional district-now the twentieth-as a Republican, there was much curiosity among war Representatives to see the man who had beaten Wm. J. Allen, a somewhat notorious anti-war Democrat. On one occasion, Mr. Kuykendall was invited to join a party of members in a social glass; declining to drink, it was suggested that he take a cigar, but not having acquired the habit of smoking, this courtesy was also declined; and then it was proposed to play a game of cards, when he again declined. By this time his companions were more than ever interested in the character of the new Representative, and one of them made bold to say: "Do I understand you to say that you have the honor to represent the district formerly represented by John A. Logan and Wm. J. Allen, and that you neither drink, smoke, nor play cards ?" Mr. Kuykendall indicated that such was the fact, when the gentleman concluded by saying, that the moral reformation in that district has been even as great as the political.

"TELL OLD HILLIARD TO COME and See me, DEVILISH QUICK."

There is a good story related of Gov. Cullom, which had its origin during an occasion when an outbreak was hourly expected from "striking" miners. Those who know the Governor well will bear us out in saying that he was not given to much dress-parade in the discharge of his official duties, and that he is in no sense a military man. On one occasion, when he was deeply occupied with matters of State, the Orderly of Adjutant-General Hilliard made his appearance, and inquired if the "Commander-in-Chief

had any orders for Adjutant-General Hilliard," at the same time saluting the Governor in true military style. Without relinquishing his attention from the business in hand, the Governor curtly said: "Tell Old Hilliard to come and see me." Another military salute, and the Orderly was off, but he had not gone far before it occurred to him that the "Commander-in-Chief" did not wish to send the message to the Adjutant-General in that form, and returned, and with another military salute, asked further instructions, when the Governor, rising from his seat as though he meant to put the Orderly out of his office, thundered in his ear: "Tell Old Hilliard to come and see me, devilish quick." This emphatic order served to end all unnecessary palaver between the two departments so long as that Orderly remained on duty. "IFTHEY WILL LET ME OUT WITH AS GOOD CHARACTER AS I HAD."

The animosities which grew up in the Republican party over the attempt to carry Illinois solid for Gen. Grant for President in the National Convention in 1880, continued to exist to some extent even after the election of Garfield, and among those who were not in exact accord with the "stalwarts" was Charles B. Farwell, who had been elected to Congress from the third congressional district in Chicago. The writer met Mr. Farwell in Washington at the inauguration of Mr. Garfield, and in reply to an inquiry as to how he viewed the incoming Administration, he declined to say anything of it, but related the following story illustrative of his feelings: "There resided," said he, "in a certain locality in a neighboring State a wealthy citizen, of liberal instincts, who was induced to interest himself financially in the erection of an expensive house of worship for the Episcopal church. When the edifice was completed, then came the disposition of the pews, and this wealthy man was assigned one

of the most desirable, at an annual rental of five hundred dollars, and was taken in as a member of the society. But it was not long before a church quarrel ensued, and the opposing parties called each other almost everything but christians. For a time the new member bore the controversy with seeming patience, but at last becoming thoroughly disgusted, he proposed to the brethren that if they would let him out into the world again with as good character as he possessed when he was taken into the church, he would give them the five hundred dollars pewrent, and surrender all interest in the building.""

Mr. Farwell playfully said that if the party would let him out of Congress with as good character as he had when he entered public life, he would cheerfully lay aside all claims for money expended or services rendered in past campaigns.