Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-15
THE DEBS FAMILY.
Appearnnce and Habits OF the Labor
Leader and His wife.

Appearnnce and Habits OF the Labor
Leader and His wife.
Eugene Victor Debs, says the New York
World. Is enough like Bill Nye In face
and figure to be his twin brother. and
Debs's resemblance to the American
humorist increases when he takes his hat
off. He doesn't look as II there was
mound of superfiuous flesh under his loose
fitting gray sack suit. and SO he isn't
fat man or a thin man, or gawky-look-
ing man. but simply tall. plain-fea-
tured. healthy-looking Hoosier.
His nose and chin are straight. and
his clean-shaved face looks strong and
full of character. Like Bill Nye, he wears
glasses and serious expression
babitually. but when he begins to talk his
his face becomes very animated and in
teresting all at once. He has had a keen
appreciation of humor all his life. His
sense of the ridiculous Is keen, and he
APPRECIATES wit even when It Is levelled
at himself.
Debs with his hat on and Debs I'M
covered are two different men. All his
llfe-he is In his 39th year now-Debs has
been growing balder and balder. Now he
has lust a. fringe of dark hair running
around over his ears and down into the
heck OF his collar. On the top OF his head
there is nothing but bumps and badness.
He may be a dictator and a very bad
man in the eyes OF the law and the
employers of labor, but he is n devoted
husband, an affectionate brother and
good son. Mrs. Debs. his wife and Mrs.
Emma Debs Malllaux, his sister, said 80,
and they added that they ought TO know.
The two ladies came to Chicago from
Terre Haute. and propose TO stay here
until the Debs movement Is ended.
Mrs. Mailaux has lived in New York
city for eleven years. Her husband was
the founder of the Electrical Age, which
he edited for many years
There are six in the Debs famly-four
girls and two boys. Theodore, the strike
leaders brother, is 20 years old, of medium
height, smoOth-faced, and quiet In manner.
He acts as private secretary to the
American Railway Unions president.
MRS. DEBS.
The wife of the strike-leader is. first
of all, a very pretty woman. She is
above the medium height, and her figure
is well rounded; her hands are shapeiy,
and a glance at her feet would remove
any suspicion that she belonged to Chi
cago. She dresses well, and wears dia-
monds. a good-siZed stone in each car,
and two sparkles Of about a karat ana
quarter each on her left hand.
Mrs. Debs has dark hair cooled high on
her shapely head in a fashion that looks
neither modern nor ancient, but which
is probably both. Her eyes are gray and
l..
mans eyes, she might be a blonde or n
brunette, but she Is probably what women
call a demi-blonde. She has been Mrs
Debs for nine years. She was Miss Kate
Metzel. of Terre Haute, before she married
the labor leader
At that time Debs was serving his
fifth term as City Clerk OF Ter-e Haute
whore ne had lived all his life. he
next year he went to the Indiana Legs
lature, and after he had finished MS term
there he dropped politics for good. Dcbs
was Democrat in those days. To-day
ne says he has no politics. All parties are
corrupt. he says.
He was l. years old when ne ars; went
TO work. lie had received as good an
education as the public schools Of Terra
Haute could give. and his parents mad sent
him to the Commercial College for "A
course of business training.
Eugene went To work in the paint
shops OF the Pennsylvania at Terre
Haute," said his sister, mot so much that
father and mother wanted to make a
painter of him, but because the man
he worked with, the interior designer and
decorator of the car-shops, was an old
friend Of the family. They wanted Eu-
gene to be with him especially because
he was French. and they wanted Eugene
10 fOfap In, fhat f.r,
parents are both French, you know, and
they hated to have the children grow
up without knowing the mother tongue.
And there's another OF the unkinl
things the newspapers have said about
Eugene-that he is a foreigner, that he
was not born in this country. He was
born in Terre Haute, as a thousand per-
sons there can testify. Everybody knows
him in Terre Haute. and every one likes
him. l don't see how they can help it.
FASCINATED.
well, Eugene became perfectly fasci-
mated with railroad work, and he was
nearly crazy with joy when he got "A
chance 10 go on the road. My parents
bitterly opposed it, but il was no use.
| He became a fireman on the Pennsylvania
railroad, and was in a locomotive-cab for
| OF the Firemens Brotherhood was or
| gained in Terre Haute, and he beca lie
| a charter-member OF it, and secretary
and treasurer. Then he went into a
whoesale-grocery house as shippng-clark,
| but all the time keeping up his connec-
| ton with the fremen, and he was made
| grand secretary and treasurer"
Yes" said Mrs. Debs, 'and he held that
/ office for eleven years, and was reelected
/ every time without any opposition at all
! The newspapers have said that he was de-
! feated the last time for reelection. Thai
/ is not so, and the records will prove IT,
/ lie resigned because he had an idea that
/ he could do more in a new hne-th,
! American Railway Union, which he or
/ ganiZed, and which you know all about
! when he was grand secretary OF the ire
men he was editor of the Firemen's Maga.
! zine That's how he began to write. HC
| Is editor of the Firemen's, Magazine to
day, besides editing the organ of the a
| Il. 1.-THE Railroad Times.
| Some OF the newspaper writer's have
| made me very indignant by charging tina
Eugene had organized this movemen
| from mercenary motives" continued Mrs
| Debs, leaning forward in her low rocking
chair and tapping the carpet nervousiy
with her little patent-leather-clad foot
Now, that is perfectly absurd. He get.
a paltry salary Of 5000 year. L call il
paltry-and 1t is paltry for a man of Mr.
Debss ability. The firemen offered him Z
salary Of $4,000 a year to remain will
them, and he refused ii. He was Away
the friend OF the poor. His sympathie'
are always with those that are oppressed
He is always on the SIDE OF the under
dog in the fight.
A DOMESTIC MAN.
HE is a very domestic man. He spend.
all his evenings at home. He has NJ
outside pleasures. He is a great reader
He has a very fine library in our house
on north Eighth street. and we take al
the magazines and periodicals OF an!
value that are published. Every ma
brings something to read. 1t seems to M
could never get through the periodicals.
that come in one month. IL took a yea
to IT, but Eugene reads them all. Ii
reads everything.
Eugene has been writing ever since
he became editor OF the Firemen's Maya
zine, a dozen years ago" resumed Mrs
! Debs. Sometimes he will sit down a
his desk and write for hours. Often whef
he has gone to bed some idea will com'
to him. and he'll toss and toss about