allowed. When Conkling rose to announce the vote of New York, every one strained forward to catch his words. In a distinct voice he responded "Two votes are reported for Sherman, seventeen for Blaine, and fifty-one are for Grant." This

method of announcement was Conkling's inevitable sneer for his opponents. Ohio threw a wet blanket on the Sherman men by casting nine votes for Blaine, and the announcement brightened the faces of a vast majority of spectators. Pennsylvania was another of the States that silenced the audience when called, and she was about to declare how Cameron had held the Grant lines against the Blaine assaults. General Beaver thundered out: "Pennsylvania votes thirtytwo for Grant, twenty-three for Blaine, and three for Sherman." After this there was but little interest, and the ballot closed in the most orderly manner. The result brought shouts from the Grant men, and some disappointment to the Blaine leaders. The moment the vote was announced the President ordered another, holding that nothing was in order but voting; and before the leaders could look to their lines they were in action again by the prompt roll-call. The second ballot was uneventful, the third and fourth the same. The changes in these, and the succeeding ballots of the afternoon were very slight-except the nomination of Garfield by a vote from Grier, a Pennsylvania delegate, and made without any

A recess was

particular idea of permanency. several times proposed but voted down, and there were a score of little incidents that were eventful for only the brief minutes of their existence. The last ballot taken at the morning session was the eighteenth, and immediately after its announcement, on motion of a Sherman man from Mississippi, a recess was ordered until seven o'clock. The various ballots of this session were as follows:

The evening session started rather noisily and

there was some slight trouble to keep order as

the call went on. The announcement of the first ballot at this session was greeted by the Sherman men with cheers, who saw their candidate was making a hole in the Blaine column. There was nothing of importance to disturb the situation of the Grant people. They held their own through the recess and came back showing their determination to stick by their candidate to the last. It was very clear there had been no wholesale repairing of fences since the adjournment, and it began to look like an all-night siege. The vary-. ing fortunes of the different candidates are shown by the votes tabulated below, it is hardly necessary to summarize them in detail.

After the twenty-seventh ballot, Morse, of Massachusetts, proposed an adjournment till the next morning. It was nearly half past nine, and the hall was excessively hot. Not less than twelve thousand people were overlooking the progress of the ballot, and at the conclusion of each call, while the secretaries were footing up the totals, this immense audience would rise with one accord to rest, by change of position, and the movement was suggestive of the distant roar of a coming storm. It was undeniably a brilliant scene at this time, but nobody could shut his ear to the fact that the multitude of spectators was a hindrance to business. Morse's motion to adjourn was withdrawn and another ballot was ordered, after which a motion to adjourn was carried by 446 to 303, and the

convention, at ten P. M., adjourned till ten A. M. the next morning. The ballots cast at the evening session were as follows:

19th, 20th. 21st. 22d. 23d. 24th. 25th. 26th. 27th, 28th. Grant........... 305 308 305 305 304 305 302 303 306 307 Blaine........... 279 276 276 275 275 279 281 280 277 279 Sherman........ 96 93 96 97 97 93 94

Edmunds....... 31 31 31

93 93 91

Washburne..... 32 35

CHAPTER XXXII.

T

THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE.

HE convention had now been in session for five days, and the result was

reached; the country was impatient, the people were anxious for the termination of the battle. All Chicago rose on June 8th, with a settled wish that "to-day might settle it." The wish was father to the thought. The politicians believed it would as they strolled out of their hotels, boarding-houses and resting-places, and streamed in the direction of the Exhibition building.

General Garfield came forth from the Grand Pacific, arm-in-arm with his friend, Governor Foster, of Ohio. The suspicion that he would before nightfall be the nominee of the strongest party in the country for its president, never entered his head.

"I think, Charlie," said Garfield, "we shall get through with this business of president-making, to-day."

"Yes," returned Foster, "the delegates are all getting tired and want to go home."

"I am quite sure they will select a candidate before another adjournment," continued Garfield.