in political life in the way of criticism, suggestion, advice and impulse—and I hope we shall have it.
TO BENJAMIN H. BRISTOW
Department of the Interior
Washington, July 19, 1877.
⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅
I regret to say that in any case there will be scarcely any prospect of my accompanying the President on that trip.[1] You know what a Department is and how difficult it is to bring up arrears of work. Mine is an especially lively shop. You will remember that I have the Indians on my hands—and so I have, while I am here, to bid good-bye to many of the pleasures of this world.
Cordially yours.
TO SAMUEL BOWLES
Department of the Interior
Washington, Sept. 30, 1877.
Thanks for your letter and clippings. Yes, the air is considerably cleared. Nobody he [here?] “scares” a bit, and what is more, nobody loses his temper.
You have done splendidly in Massachusetts. You know I have always had a weakness for that State of yours.
The animus of the N. Y. Tribune against me seems to puzzle a good many. What the real trouble is, I do not know. Perhaps there is some U. P. [Union Pacific] in it. If so, we shall see more of it.
I have not taken my old house, because I could not get it. Perhaps I would not if I could. But I hope to live somewhere in the neighborhood.
- ↑ A trip to Louisville, Ky., to open the Industrial Exposition, the subject mentioned in the omitted paragraph.