The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-06

bearing. He is very popular with his old
soldiers, and notwithstanding the fact that
he opposed the Farmers Alliance and was
opposed BY them, he was elected to the
Senate. Senator Gordon is noted as an
atter-dinner speaker. He is fond of his
fellow men. and will have many friends
here.
General John NJ. Palmer is also popu-
lar man. He is the oldest of the new
members. and with the exception OF Nor
rill ne will probably be the oldest man In
the Senate. He was born in Kentucky
just seventy-four years ago, and he moved
TO Illinois at the age of Is. The earlier
part of his life was spent as a Republican,
bat be separated from his party during the
time he was governor of the state. and
came out as Democrat, and he claims to
be q Democrat rs a matter OF principle.
Senator Palmer is very approachable
man. There Is no foollshness or snoDblsh-
ness about him, and his friends say that
his heart is as big as his body, though he
is physically one of the big men of the
Senate. He is especially strong among
the farmers. and he is presidential pos
sibility in that he could carry as large a
farming vote as any man in his party.
PETER AND KYLE.
The two simon pure Alliance senators
are, however, Senator PETER, of Kansas,
and Senator Kyle, Of South Dakota. Both
OF these men have gotten into the Senate
by being constitutional kickers. They
have run their campaigns on the begin g
basis, and have made votes by pleading
poverty and mortgages. Neither of them,
/ venture, ever made over $3.50 a year
during his natural life. and this 5000 job
Is a bonanza TO them. Kyle came TO Da-
kota some years ago as congregational
preacher. He started a church at Aber-
4 r.. \, - -
Giles of incorporation or in the constitution
of the church he left out three very i'm
portant matters. One of these was as to
the existence of God; sec
ond was as TO the existence of
the trinity, and the third as to the belief
in future state. These, so the story goes,
were left out merely through carelessness
on Senator Kyle's part, but one of the old
elders rectited the matter and they got in.
Kyle had little to do with politics before
he went to Dakota. He did nothing there
until this Farmers Alliance movement
came up, and then he jumped into the
fray on the side OF the farmers, and ad-
vocated their theories. He had no idea of
being senator, and had decided to leave
the Dakotas and move to Boston. His
household goods were packed and at the
depot when he found that he had been
chosen to the biggest Office in the gift of
his state: that he ma The right to be called
Senator Kyle, and that his wages
for six years to come would be
nearly 800 a week, decided to stay
and he is now at Washington
City ready to earn his salary. He
looks like Mr.. Canady, the old sergeant
alarms of the Senate. He is twenty years
younger than PETER, and has no whiskers
at all. Senator PETER prides himself on
his whiskers. Like Samson, his mus
Gle has gone into his hair, and the rest of
his body is tall and thin in consequence.
lie has the Students stoop, and, as IN
gals says he talks with a perpetual
cough. Neither he nor Kyle are danger
Gus. and they are men of peace rather
than of war.
BAD MEN FROM THE SOUTH.
The two fighters among the new sena-
tors come from the far South, and they are
more or less allied to the Alliance party.
Jerry Simpson says that Irby, of South
Carolina, is renegade, and that he has
gone back on the Alliance and become a
Democrat. The Democratic party are
counting on his vote, and, whether DEM
ocrat or not, he promises to cut something
of figure here. He has the reputation of
being fighter in South Carolina, and it is
said that he was at several times ready to
engage in duels there, and that he
went around with his pistol in his
pocket and fire in his eye. He had one or
two shooting scrapes, and after one left
the state for a time. 1t is certain that he
is no coward, and it may be that there
will he some lively lighting in the Alliance
camp II he remains IN 1t. Senator Irby
had, it is said, duel while he was at
Princeton in 1871, but the pistols were not
loaded and no one was hurt.
Senator Chiffon, of Texas, comes from
the state of bold, bad men. He is a
straight. fine-looking fellow, and wears
when at home great sombrero and dur
volver on his hip. He is much stronger
man than the average, and. starting life
with nothing, he has made g reputation as
lawyer and speaker. He is appointed
to the Senate by his old friend, Governor
Hogg. The two were boys together, and
while working at the printing trade in
Tyler they slept under the same blanket.
Now Hogg has become governor and he
gives his old playmate the best office in his
power.
GREAT MEN FROM THE CABINET.
The two ex-cabinet officers who come
trotting into the Senate will probably at
tract considerable attention. Proctor, of
Vermont, is as mild man as ever cut an
official throat, but he is fresh from the
great department of war, and there is fire
postal schemes in the long walks which
he has taken about his Wisconsin home,
and he will trot out new bills for the i'm
provement of the two great departments
with which he has been connected. The
race between the two as to senatorial no.
toriety Will be unequal. Proctor is rather a
business m an than a speaker. while Villas
has great reputation as both. Senator
Proctor has made q fortune by his bust
ness brains. He was made receiver of the
Vermont marble quarries, and he man.
aged them SO that they have made him
rich. He is said 10 be a millionaire, and
he lives very nicely here at Washing
ton City in big house on Massachusetts
avenue, just across the way from
Chief Justice Fuller's home and be-
tween Scott aud Dupont circles. He
is now about 90 years of age, and
he IS nearly ten years older than
Senator Villas. He was born i'll Vermont,
and was studying law at the time the war
broke out. He left his studies to go into
the army as quartermaster, and rose to be
colonel, when his health failed and he
went 10 farming. lie was farming when
he became receiver of the marble Quarries
which made his fortune. and he stiil owns
big farm ana runs il. HE'S said to pos
seSs some of the finest blo0ded cattle in
the country, and he Is fond of country life
Senator Villas Is also something of far
mer, though | have never heard Of his be-
ing scientific one. During the time that
be was making reputation as 8 lawyer in
Wisconsin. ne lived on farm tour miles
from Madison and walked IN TO his office
every morning. His grandfather, Moses
Villas. was noted farmer OF Vermont, and
when he died he left 500 acres. which
formed the basis of the Villas fortune of
today. Senator Villas father was weil-to-
do He moved 10 Wisconsin from YER
mont At an early date, and young
ALIas MAS civAn \ rnnl aIt,natinn Ia