order. We were threatened with a fruit famine. It was said that the
Maryland and New Jersey peach crop was a failure. I never saw or ate so
many peaches any summer before.

Then there was the Patten investigation committee, determined to send
Mr. Tilden down to Washington to drive the President out of the White
House. None of these things happened, yet it is interesting to recall
this phase of American nerves in 1878.

There was one event that aroused my disgust, however, much more than the
croakers had done--Ben Butler was nominated for Governor of
Massachusetts. That was when politics touched bottom. There was no lower
depths of infamy for them to reach. Ben Butler was the chief demagogue
of the land. The Republican party was to be congratulated that it got
rid of him. His election was a cross put upon the State of Massachusetts
for something it had done we knew not of. Fortunately there were men
like Roscoe Conkling in politics to counterbalance other kinds.

Backed up by unscrupulous politicians, the equally irresponsible
railroad promoter began his invasion of city streets with his noisy
scheme. I opposed him, but the problem of transportation then was not as
it is now. Just as the year 1879 had begun, a gigantic political
promoting scheme for an elevated railroad in Brooklyn was attempted.
From Boston came the promoters with a proposition to build the road,
without paying a cent of indemnity to property holders. I suggested
that an appeal be made to Brooklynites to subscribe to a company for the
agricultural improvements of Boston Common. It was a parallel absurdity.
Mayor Howell, of Brooklyn, courageously opposed an elevated road
franchise, unless property holders were paid according to the damage to
the property. This was one of many inspired grafts of political