The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-12-29
WEST yIRGINIANS
WIG OCCUPY SEATS IM coNaREss.
Bow The cousrt.lsnal DIRECTORY /. Complied.
yllalbls Information from First aands-Rury
naA His oua Bo.w,ll-si.,ea,s Of
Oar Senators asd Representatives,

| Vtr 6tultUE1 Anu Representatives.
FroR Orr Special Correspondent "
WASHINGTON, D. o., December 27.-
Prior to the year 1862 the Congressional
Directory was private speculation Of the
Postmaster Of the House Of Representa-
tives, was printed under his direction, paid
for by him and sold at fiity cents a copy to
all who desired to purchase. In thatyear
the publication Of the Directory was de-
layed, 80 that Its first edition was not forth
coming until February, and considerable
dissatisfaction was manifested among mem-
bers who we're anxious to obtain 1t at the
inconvenience experienced in consequence,
Mr.. Scheuck, OF Ohio, called the attention
OF the House to the matter, and had the
subject OF its publication referred to joint
committee OF the two Houses. Subsequent.
| ly the advisory services oi Major Ben:
Perley Poore were called into requisition,
resulting in his undertaking It's annual
publication under the auspices OF Congress.
He set about systematizing the varied
duties connected with compiling the infor-
nation to 90 into its pages, and in q short
time the Congressional Directory became
an almost universal bockof reference con.
cerning official life, not only in Congress,
but also In the various Executive Depart
ments, the American Diplomatic list, the
consulates and even the local Offices in
Washington and Georgetown, with much
other information ofimportancet to Congress
and OF interest to strangers end sojourners,
q character 1t has maintained ever 'since.i
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
One Of It's most interesting features is its
biographical sketches Of Senators aud
members which are kept up from year to
year, as changes occur in the personnel OF
Of Congress. The compiler usually relies
On the new Senators and members to fur
nish brief accounts of their personal his.
tory, which are arranged aad edited by
him before appearing in print. For COM
pleting and corr citing the personnel Of the
Executive Department and other public Of.
fees he addresses circular letters to The
chiefs, whose corrections each year he re.
lies .ons exclusively, experience having
taught lthe lesson that in this way alone
can the annual Directory be made reliable.
On ono occasion when Maj. Poore had by
some means ohtaiued his information in q
less reliable way he was overhauled by q
poor boarding house keeper, who bad
trusted an official three months for board
on his showing his name in the Congress.
sional Directory, when in TACT he had
been out Of office for six months. Lessons
OF this kind soon had the effect to cause
the Msjor to exercise great caution in de-
termining upon his sources Of informa.
ton.
THE NEw coSGREssNEN.
In July last Major Poore counted the
noses Of the newly elected Congressman
and found that there are one hundred and
seventy new Statistical sketches" to be
obtained. He at once addressed a circular
letter to each new solan, requesting an
swers to the following questions: -
"The Senator, Representative, or Dele.
gates full namt; home postoffice address;
place and time Of birth; education, profes.
sional studies; profession or business; and
all civil or military Offices held, with dates
OF holding them. Representatives and
Delegates will add their vote on their last
election to Congress; the name Of their OPP
ponent, and the vote given him; and the
politics Of each.
"sshators, Representatives, and Delegates
are also requested to send, for publication
in the Congressional Directory their
Washington residences, with the signs
designating the ladies' who may be with
them, VIZ: An for q vile, for each
daughter, and for each other lady. 1u
sending their residences, gentlemen will
please give the number Of the house, unlets
| 1t Ia hotel.D
OF the whole number so addressed only
about twenty-five responded, 30 in Septem.
Der the delinquents were again requested to
come forward, and again in November, and
| In this way, with many delays, the neces.
sary information Is obtained. The labor OF
compiling the directory Is considerable and
sometimes vexatious, yet the genial Major
gets along with the work, amid bis other
andmultifarious public duties, with very
little friction, and when his work is done
1t Is well done.
Appended are statistical sketches OF the
West Virginia Senators and members,
which will give your readers an idea Of the
labor of getting together such information
concerning 325 Congressman and ~ sena-
tors.
THE BusIsEs SENATOR.
Senator johnson N. Camden, OF Parkers.
burg, was born in 1925 in Lewis county,
West Virginia; was appointed cadet to
West Point in ls46; resigned in ls4si
studied law and was admitted to the bar in
1851; was appointed the same year Prose
cutting Attorney for Braxton county, and
in 1852 was elected Prosecuting Attorney
for Nicholas county; in 1854 was elected to
a position in bank; resigned in 1855, and
entered into the development Of petroleum
and manufacturing interestsin ParkeBburg,
West Virginia; was made president OF the
First National Bank at Parkersburg at its
organization in 1862, and still holds the
pcsitiop; was the nominee OF the Democra.
| lie party for Governor Of the State in 1868,
and again In 1872 was delegate to the
Democratic National Convention in 1868,
and also In 1872, and also in 1875; was
elected to the United States Senate as a
Democrat, to succeed Frank Hereford,
Democrat, and took his saat March 1, 1881.
His term OF service will expire March 3,
1887.
THE youngest SENATOR.
Senator John E. Kenns, Of Kanawha,
was born at valcoulon, Virginia, tnow
West vhginis,) April 10. ls4s; lived and
worked on a farm; entered the Confederate
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