The Russellville Democrat., 1883-01-18
PEN PICTURES
Of the Presiding Officers of the Twenty-Fourth General As-
 sembly of Arkansas.
J. B. JUDKINs.

J. E. JUDKINs.
 Those who look at President Jud- kins, of the senate, twenty fourth Arkansas legislature, see a man ap- parently of ordinary caliber. A clos CT inspection of the head and fea- tures, however, tells another story. The forehead Is large, and the eyes a deep brown and well set While his hair, naturally brown, is tinged with gray, it is not from age, but due to mental activity. The president, whose name is Joseph Baker Jud- kins, is native of Cannon county, now DeKalb county, Tennessee. born March l, 1887. He moved to Law renee county, this state, Tn 1850, set ting where he now resides about two miles east of the town of Smith vile. Six years later, when nine teen years of age, he married, and to day he is the father of seven chll dren, and is devoted husband. His political career is not unlike lad der, up, up, up, round at a time, un iii he reached his present position oi honor and trust. His first civil pos ition was that of deputy, under Sher- if J. H. w. Campbell, of Lawrence county, n 1867, which, he retained until 1869, when he was appointed sheriff by the county court, in place of the radical sheriff, who could not give the bond and hence failed to qualify. This office he filled with fidelity four long years, and during the first two, was the only democrat ie sheriff in our state, it being during Clayton's administration. In 1873 Gov. Elisha Baxter appointed him assessor of Lawrence county, and he performed the duties thereof until 1874, when his friends, who had en. dorsed, supported and approved his course, sent him as their represents tive to the lower house of the twen- tieth general assembly. Here he was leader, servinng as speaker pro tenn, winning additional honors and stand. ing firmly with R. H. Mcconnell and T. T. Kerr, of Sebastian, Flippin oi Marion and score of others on many of the important questions of that session. His valuable services in the house caused his people to return him to the twenty first legislature, and we find him senator represent ing the second district, Randolph Lawrence and Sharp. counties. Al the adjournment of the body he was chosen president to fill the office dur ing the interim. In 2S79 he was in the senate of the twenty second leg islature, and also in the twenty -third where he made stubborn, gallant but unsuccessful, race with Senator Tlpton for the presidency. He was q member of the committee to over haul the books of the auditor and treasurer, and the manner in which he performed the laborious and dis. agreeable duties of that trying posi- tion is we'll known to our readers Being what is termed "hold over senator, he came to the present leg islature without an election, and i'm mediately started for the chair which he reached after manly struggle, on the very first ballot His war record, about which little ls ever said, is as bright as his civi service. Enlisting in lS62,an6 start ing out as an orderly sergeant, ht quickly held the position of second lieutenant, next the first lieutenancy and coming out at the close of the war a captain, by promotion. Presi dent Judkins, like Speaker Braley is pre-eminently a self-made man enjoying the privilege and benefit o but limited education, and witt his own hands, clear head and al honest heart, he has worked himsel to hls present honorable and envia ble position.