Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-23

his rival candidates at the last election.
That Is about all. The cast-iron mould
OF most Of the autobiographies makes the
greater part of the Congressional Directo-
~ rather uninterestin2 reading to any
body not la pursuit. of skeleton facts and
unadorned statistics.
There are, fortunately, some members
who throw more or less imagination INTO
their work. They are usually the new
men. Little facts and incidents OF con-
temporaneous human interest, little &C.
centrcities Of phrase or mild jokes, now
and then m0mentary displays of personal
vanity or other human weaknesses, do
something to redeem the pages OF the Con-
qTeSSiOndl DiTectOry from the monOtOny Of
a mere succession Of filled-Ont formulas.
Once in awhile member shows his ears
at full length.
Let us look through the new edition of
the Lives Of the Congressman. Here Is
Gen. Joe Wheeler of AiaDama, most
gallant warrior; for he was engaged Sin
nearly all the active military operations
in the Southwest, by JOINT resolution OF
the Confederate Congress received the
thanks of that body for daring aud skill
n many engagements, for the successful
defense of the city of Aiken received the
thanks OF the state of South Carolina. and
upon the death OF Gen. Stuart became Sc
nlOI AdNdlI1 bGuGIdi VI LnC NbC
armies, and commanded all the forces. in
fantry, cavalry, and artillery, In many i'm
pOrtant engagements"
Senator James X Jones OF Arkansas
states that he ''was private soldier dur
ing the late unpleasantness. on the losing
side" Senator Leland Stanford gets in
two interesting facts: He went West in
1852 because fire burned up his law Ii
brsry Just as he was esta blshing a prac-
a. To-.
dent of the Central Pacific he personally
superinteGdeG its construction over the
mountains and achieved a record of $50
miles in 293 days. Representative Nor
row OF California was one OF the party
that discovered, in 1862, the gold placer
mines al the headwateTs of the John Day
river in Oregon.
For some reason or other Black Jack
Logan does not see tit to inform the future
historian that when he served IN Congress
before the war 1t was a. u Democrat. His
colleague, Senator Cullum, recalls with
pride the fact that it was be who put
Gen. Grant In nomination for President at
the Philadelphia convention in 1872. An
other Illinois statesman. the Hon. Frank
Lawler OF Chicago, dwells at some length
ulOl the varied occupations OF his earlier
career:
ATTENDED public school until II years
of age, when, owing to "A serious accident
which befell has father. he was compel ed
to leave sonool and seek employ in a
brickyard, where be continued TO labor
for two years; was a news agent on rail
roads for three years; learned the trade OF
a shipbuider, was elected President OF
the Ship Carpenters and ship C&lkeTs'
Assnci alton. and took an active part In
organizing trade and labor unions; became
agent for the WorsinqnaR'S Ad0ocote, a
newspaper published in the interest OF the
tOiling masses"
Robert Roberts Hit OF Illinois ''was &C.
cupied with farming, shorthand, and lit
erature" before be went into politics.
Riggs Of Illinois received "a partial col
leglate education" while AdOniram Jud-
son Holmes OF Iowa tanks that he got Ia
thorough academic education.' Hepburn
Of the same State was educated in print
ing Offioe-One OF the best schools in the
world. William Johnson Stone Of Kutta-
wa got his education at 20. NJ. Tyler's
Collegiate Institute in CadiZ, Trigg cOun-
ty, KY" Polk Latfoon of Kentucky is the
only member of this Congress who adj
m,ts having spent year in State peni-
tentiary-hG was one of MOrgan's raid
ers ana was locked up as aprisOner Ofwar.
AfterWard ne "iollOWed teaching for two
years. McCreary OF Kentucky is happy
10 be able TO say that ne was graduated
from college with the first honor in a
class OF forty-seYen." Hiestand of Penn
sylvania was ''raised on farm" Leon
idas G. Houk Of Tennessee "attended an
Old-field school something less than three
months, but was otherwise self.educated,
when at work as a cabinet-maker and by
the fireside at night"
According to the classification adopted
in the Directory there seem TO be. by tacit
con ention. seven degrees OF education,
namely, seif-edueated, common school,
academic, thorough academic, partial col
legiate, full collegiate, and private tut
ton. The last degree is claimed by the
Magyar Congressman, the Hon. J. Pulir-
ger, who also states an interesting TACT
showing his industry and powers of en-
durance during political campaign:
Born in Hungary in 1877; received his
early education from tutor; enlisted as
a private in the Union army at the age Of
II: studied law. ana was admitted to
practice by the Supreme Court OF Nilsson.
RI; elected TO the Missouri LEGISLATURE in
1863; entered journalism In 1867 as re-
porter on the st. LOUIS WgStLche Post, q
German paper, then edited by Carl schurz
and rose 10 the position Of managing edi-
tor and part proprietor; he founded the
st. Louis Post Dispatch in 1878 By pur-
chasing the Dispatch and uniting IL with
the EUeRlng Post; IN the spring Of 1888 he
bought the New 1Ork WOftQ, OF which he
8 the editor aud sole proprietor at the
present time; be entered the Tlden cam
paign in 1876. and made some seventy
speeches in the course Of the canvass"
What a crowded life this bold Magyar
led between the ages of II and 22l A pri-
yate soldier fighting for his adopted cOun-
try, a law student and practising at
tOrney, an industrious journalist, legis-
latOr, all at a period OF lite when many
boys are still in school; and vet Mr.. Pu-
liter has not told one-hall the story oil
his adventurous early career. Most read
ers W III learn now for the first time that
the boy Magyar, true ~ the traditions OF
an heroic ancestry, drew his flashing
blade and flew TO the front when the trum-
pet sounded.
The military record OF the Hon. Truman
A. Merriman Is more generally known.
He fought throughout the war. aud d
good soldier be was, too. His auto
biographical sketch Is W. brief AS IL Is
modest:
Born ~ Auburn. New York. Sept. 5.
1899; educated at Auburn Academy and
at Hobart college. Geneva, graduating la
1861 entered the Union army In Septem-
Der, 1851, as Captain IN the Ninety-sec-
ond New York infantry. and was muster
ed out in December, 1854, A. Lieut.-ColO-
mel: studied law and was admitted n the
bar IN 1867; entered the profession ofjour.
naiism In 1911"
Congressman Gay OF Louisiana gives a
picture Of the gravity and premature wis
dnua "A his Voufhs