The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-09
AN ECCENTRIC CONGRESSMAN.
stories OF Democrat Curiosity Elected
From Illinois.
St Louis Gloue-D emocrst.

From Illinois.
St Louis Glote-Democrat
The next House will not be without Its
picturesque characters. Louis Stewart is
coming from illinois. Mr.. Stewart Is
about 55, has a large family. is finely edu-
Gated has travelled extensively, and will be
the most eccentric member of the Fifty
second congress.
He does not permits carpet or a stove in
the tine house in which he lives at Aurora.
Ill. One of his rules is to allow his boys
no spending money. He gives them credit
al certain stores and foots the bills. Two
of the younger sons developed great aptl-
tude for fishing not long ago. They pro-
duced strings of fish which made the old
gentleman proud of their success. Not
long afterwards q bill for $25 came from
"A hardware store. 1t was paid. The old
man asked his wife what IL meant. she
couldn't tell. He Investigated and found
his boys had bought SIS worth OF "hshing
tackle" and had done trading business
for fish with ali of the boys in the neigh
hood. The bill was framed, and 1t now
hangs in the Stewart library, with this COM
ment in the handwriting OF the father:
INV boys proven TO be liars"
The eldest son is married. He and his
wife live in the big house with the polished
son is treated just as his younger brothers
are He acts as business manager and
collects rents for his father. but he
has no separate account When ne
wants money he goes TO the patriarch
and gets much or little according to the
humor. Not long ago the son got ready to
go to Chicago on business for his father.
When he asked for an advance on expense
account, he was handed $3.50, not enough
for railroad tickets. He quietly applied to
his mother, and she made up the amount
necessary. At another time the OLD gen.
tieman handed out ten times as much for
the same purpose.
There is little lame boy in the family
who is general pet. Mr.. Stewart took
some institute. The little chap became
homeslck, limped away. got on the cars
and begged his passage home. The fatner
ruled that the boy must go back. The
mother wanted to go with him. This was
forbidden. The boy was put on the train
and sent back alone to Indianapolis.
A week later the mother was sent 10 Keep
him company.
This exceedingly obstinate and bad-tem-
pered man can be very kind-hearted when
he chooses. He has got land enough to
make strip six feet wide and 5000 miles
long. His tenants manage 10 get along
very we'll with him after they learn his
ways. A rule OF this queer household IS
that the servants must deliver TO cai rs
the exact message given them. During the
late campaign, which elected MIR. stewart
TO congress, prominent Democratic poll
tician called and sent in his name. the
servant returned with Mr. Stewards reply,
which was: Tell him to 60 to he'll" The
candidate afterward explained that he did
not recognize the name and mistook the
caller for a newspaper man. He has most
unconquerable aversion 10 reporters. Dur
ing the campaign he refused 10 put up a
dollar. saying that the office should seek
the man. He even repudlated the assess
ment for printing the tickets, telling the
committee that voters could write his name
on their tickets or leave it off. just as they
pleased. Yet his Democratic curiosity was
elected to congress over Republican who
had 10000 plurality in 1888.