The Critic and record., 1891-05-01
THE HIGGINS FAMILY.
William Dickson Tells n Couple OF
stories Concerning Them.

0AWhAtE hhNfW
From ne THHadolpAid Times.
Seated in tn pleasant quarters of the
American Club few evenings ago was a
coterie of genial spirits, among whom
were Judge Frank Devices United States
Assistant Attorney General; William
Dickson of Washington; Richard J. Len.
non, Captain Jere NJ. Carly and several
Others. Political "reminiscences and stories
of lively and humorous character were
in order. "I have a story" said Dickson,
(which, as the reliable novelist would as
sert of his latest production, is founded
on facts.
"lf Is not of the chestnut order pro-
duoe il, was the rejoinder.
"Well, y said Dickson, ut relates to the
Higgins family, whose names arc enrolled
ulon the tablets Of historical and politi-
cal fame
The first time ] was personally intro
duced TO Senator Higgins of Delaware was
one day in January last while seated in
Senator farwelps committee room in the
Senate. He was kind and courteous, but
remarked that it was a wonder to him
how man born in Philadelphia, of or
dnary intelligence, who shouldered a
muskCt at the outbreak of the war and
who hycd in Washington the balance of
his days could be Democrat
81 asked the Senator If it had ever oC-
CURED to him that when the Blue Hens
State had elected a Representative to the
Senate by the name of Higgins It had al
most paTalyzed the Democratic party
The Higginses are by right and inheritance
rockribbed Democrats-Eugene Higgins
of Baltimore for instance.
"Laughingly the Senator replied i
have never met the well-advertised Eu-
gene but he did not fail to remember me
at the time of my election to the Senate.
Among many congratulatory letters and
tclegramS received at that time was one
from Higgins of Baltimore. 1t read some
thing like this: My dear Senator-As an
old member Of the family know can
address you in this familiar way. | con
gratulate you and the rest of the family
that one Of us has at last broken into the
Senate of The United States If all that
has been published and said about me be
true, you can imagine IL has kept me
pretty busy hustling to keep out of the
penitentiary.'
''Roars Of laughter followed this state
ment.
' Senator, said Dickson, when Eugene
held the position Of appointment clerk of
the Treasury Department under Manning,
he became disCusted at the supercilious-
ness of the clerks in their treatment OF
him. Meeting him on !he streets the Re
publican hold-over clerks would elevate
tnelr nalS 10 MIN, ana the newly ap-
pointed Democrats annoyed him by over.
done familiarity. One day, at noon
while on my way to lupch with Eugene
we met II bright, intelligent employe OF
the Registers Office who had been pro
fessor of mathematics in New York
educational institute. Approaching Hig
gins in patronizing way, he said "Can
have q few minutes conversation with you
Mr. HigginS?'' Certainly said the ap
pointment clerk. "Well, sir, | have in
my possession a rare collection of works
on hcraldry and patronymics, and in my
leisure moments have given some atten
to tracing the derivation of names.
have followed the Higginses down to the
fifteenth century,
stop said Higgins, stop where yor
are, Few people outside of Dickson now
know what | am about to relate. My
anne is Rogers. In an indiscreet momenl
i'll my early life hammered and punished
man III Baltimore who had injured me
traded names with a friend. If there
were Higginses floating around in the fif-
teenth century it is a twenty-to.one that
they were tramps.'
THE Senator and his FRIEND yave vent
to their feelings in roars of Ia 6ter and
concluded that the Baltimore mber of
the Higgins family was able to hold his
own in politics, controversy or debate"