Anecdotes of public men; by John W. Forney.

CONRAD AND BARTON. 29
hardly a county in the United States of which this statement is
not true, more or less. There is not a reader of these sketches
who can not point out eminent men of his own acquaintance
who would suffer for want of national reputation if they had not
studiously disregarded it, and honestly preferred the comforts
of home and the golden opinions of their own neighbors.
Two men lived in Pennsylvania a little more than twenty
years ago who came partly within this category. They were,
indeed, known far beyond their vicinity; but as they did not
seek for notoriety, they are not as well remembered as if they
had been aspirants for Congressional honors. I refer to Robert
T. Conrad, of Philadelphia, and George Washington Barton, of
Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They differed in almost every thing.
Conrad, in his prime, was a model of manly beauty. His auburn hair, his delicate complexion, his musical voice, made a
strong contrast with the tall, somewhat ungainly figure, swarthy
skin, black hair, and discordant tones of Barton. Conrad was
a Whig, Barton was a Democrat; and though frequently in conflict, they were, the best part of their lives, devoted friends. I
knew them and loved them both, and as I never shared in their
temporary differences, I was always a sort of peacemaker between them. Their very incongruities seemed to attract them
to each other. Barton and myself were born in the same town,
and for many years his star shone unrivaled as a consummate
orator. Conrad came along from Philadelphia as a lecturer and
Whig speaker. He was as much the idol of his party as Barton
was of ours. They seemed to "take to" each other from the
first, and when Barton moved to Philadelphia and was associated with Conrad in the local judiciary, they became almost
constant companions. They were born in the same year, I8Io,
and died all too early, for their. gifts were precious indeed, and
deserved to be enjoyed for a long time alike by themselves and
their country. Conrad lived until I858, when he was forty-eight
years old; and Barton is supposed to have been drowned in