The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-11-28

and all hope for the best.
TRIBUTE FROM A REPUBLICAN,.
Fred D. Mussey, the well known cor
respondent of the Cincinnati CONNER
cial Gazette, sends his paper the follow
ing estimate Of Senator Kenna:
IA year ago ii you had looked out
over the floor OF the senate from the gal
lery you would have fixed upon Kenna
as the embodiment OF health and vigor.
You would not have dreamed that
within year he would be n man
marked for departure. Senator Kenna
is a tall, broad-shouldered, smooth
faced man. In head and neck he is
built after the Bob Ingersoll fashion.
He is thoroughly representative OF his
state and his people. He is truthful
and honest to the last degree, big
listed, big-hearted, square-dealing man.
mo shadow of reproach or suspicion
has ever fallen upon him, either
through his relationship with his con-
stituents or the country at large in his
capacity as senator OF the United
States. He is politician, but he is
such in its best sense, and he has been
atower OF strength to the Democracy OF
West Virginia. Without the refine
ments OF high cultivation and educa-
ton, he modestly won his way to a
front rank in the senate His speech
against John Sherman, whom he per-
sonally admired, won him first class
consideration and the warmer admira-
ton and friendship OF DIr. Sherman
himself, who found in Mr.. Kenna a foe
man worthy OF his steel, and should Mr..
Kenna be taken away there will be no
more sincere mourner than Mr.. Sher-
man. Mr.. Kenna has always been q
lover of the gun and rod, and the
sports of the mountains Of his native
state. You may 90 away up into Web
ster Court House, which is the jumping
of place of the universe, or up into
Logan county, to the home OF the Hat.
fields and McCoys, and there you will
find that the greatest man OF all the
world they know Of is John Kenna.
HIS LOVE OF PLEASURE.
1t has. been Mr. Kenna's custom for
years to organize hunting party every
fall to. 90 up to the head waters Of the
Elk river and hunt and fish for weeks
down through the wild mountain re-
cesses and primeval forests OF West
Virginia, to where tho Elk flows into
the Kanawha, at Charleston.
He was devoted to the kodak and be-
came an expert in photography, and his
collection OF photographs OF mountains,
river and hunting scenes is marvel IN
itself.
Confined as he has been in Washing
ton, the old line OF the life of sports
man asserted itself, and he built a
house boat for use on the Potomac. he
not only planned, but he had the great
est share in actually building the boat,
which is veritabie home on the
waters, with its. dining, sleeping and
sitting rooms, and its arrangements for
good living.
Many persons will never forget the
pleasant experiences they have had on
board this house boat under the cheor-
ing entertainment Of its big, handsome
proprietor.
Senator Kenna has never been man
of moods He was always the same
the same to high and low, and his warm
hand clasp was given to all alike.
Senator Kenna was born at Valcoulon,
Virginia (now West Virginia), April 30,
lS4S; he lived and worked on farm,
and entered the confederate army as a
private soldier; he was wounded in that
service in 1854, and was surrendered at
Shreveport, La, in 1865. Afterward he
attended St Vincent's college. Wheel
ing, and studied law with Miller &
Quarter at Charleston. He was ad-
mitted to the bar June 20, 1870, and
continued to practice from that time.
He was elected prosecuting attorner for
Kanawha county on the Democratic
ticket in 1872, and served until January
!, 1877. In 1875 he was elected by the
bar in the respective counties under
statutory provision to hold the circuit
courts OF Lincoln and Wayne; was
elected to the Forty.fifth, Forty-sixth
and Forty-seventh Congresses, and had
been elected to the Forty.eighth Con-
gress when he was elected to the United
States senate as Democrat to succeed
Henry &. Davis, Democrat, the father
in law Of Stephen B. Elkins, and took
his seat December 8, 1888, and was re-
elected. His term OF service would ex-
pirn March s, 1895.
AN HONEST MAN
There is not ono Democrat or Repub.
lican who does not hope that Senator
Keuna will recover from his illness and
resume his place in the senate. Should
he pass away the Democrats OF West
Virginia would have difficulty in find
ing somebody adequate to fill his place
as Democratic representative OF that
state.
While he has been an ardent and old
school Democrat, he has not been hide
bound, and has not failed to recognize
changing commercial and industrial in
ferests in his native state, differing
much to this from ex-senator Camden,
who became, as Mr.. Davis, millionaire
through the protection policy. Mr..
Kenna's estate will not figure up much
better than did Mr.. Randall's, for he,
like Randall, has never taken advant-
ago Of high position and power to make
a cent, except from legitimate salary.
Kenna, like Randall, has always been
unapproachable with any proposition
Tor money-getting that involved the use
OF his position, and he is to-day as poor
a nan financially as Mr.. Randall was
when ho died, though it is understood
there is money in the family on the
wife's side.
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