Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-19
NM

desperately u n
Gen. jackson, winning the heart Of that
doughty old warrior by his daredevil
bravery; had studied law and had filled all
the political positions Tennessee could give
him, representing her four years in Con-
gress. Married to woman whom he ar
IDENTIFY loved, he had left her three months
after the marriage for some reason which
he never revealed, had fed his state, be-
cause CT this sad break in his hopes, and
returned again to life with the Indians. He
had fought duels, and had TIM dashed a mem-
Der of Congress for accusing him Of fraud.
He had been commander ip-chief If the
army Of the new republic of Texas, and
had won the battle of San Jacinto He had
been president and dictator of his coun-
try, and finally hch succeeded in having it
annexed to the United States. Then he
came to Washington as one of its first two
senators.
Such career was in itself enough to CAP
tivate hero-loving public, and it seemed
probable chat they would give him the
place In their affection and suffrage which
Gen. jackson had held. Houstons appear
ance when he went to Washington was just
what the inagina ton would have devised
for his career. He was of great height-G
feet inches, and muscular as an athlete.
An open-alr life with the Indians and in the
army had kept him erect and bold and
he carried his big frame as a mUnarch-or
dian chief-might have done His smooth
face was rudy, and mis- eye soft and
bright, for HouSton's health was good in
spite Of the fact that he had an open
wound in his right shoulder from a rifle
ball received at To-ho-pe-ka thirty years
befcre-a wound which sometimes caused
him great pain, and which never healed.
Picturesque in Garb.
There was just enough savagery In his
dress when he entered the Senate to sug-
gest a wild origin and career. In his { ar
lier years he had affected much ,nore
startling eccentricities of garb than in 1916
He even came to Washington once in full
Indian dress, and when he was president
OF Iexas he habttualiy wore fancy velvet
vests, broad gold lace On his trousers, and
instead of great coat, a gay Mexican
blanket. When he became a senator this
theatrical taste showed itself in a vest of
leopard's skin. a broad sombrero and a
Mexican blanket.
Houston's habits IN Washington yera
such contrast to his romantic story and
his eccentric appearance that public curiosi-
ty was doubly excited. To begin with. he
was temperate, thus contradictfng all the
traditions Of Indian fighters and filibusters
as well as all the popular legends about
himself. This sobriety was not however
Of long standing. Three months after his
arriage Houston had left his first wife
because, 1t is supposed, she told him she
did not love him, and had fed to the In
dams and the bottle for forgetfulness. So
common was 1t for him to be dead with
liquor that the red men called him big
Drunk" Long after he became the great
est man in Texas he kept up these de-
bauches. In 1910 he had married again
The young woman, an Alabama girl of
twenty-one, had bean captured, BESIDE N ona-
like, by the romantic life and deeds of this
reckless, carousing Othello. and had mar
ried him "tc save him." as she after.yard
confessed Her experiment was successful
for Houston never was drunk after his
marriage.
Houston In Church.
More conspicuous than his temperance
wers his religious habits. His wife was an
earnest Christian. and she labored jealous
ly to bring about her husbands CONVEX
sion. The idea of converting Sam Houston
was prepoeter0us to most of their friends.
but Houston took his wife's desire serious
~. and IN bis conduct complied with many
OF her Wishes He read the Bible, said
grace. went to church. When he went to
Washington m IS48 he ana not take his
family. but lived alone at Wizards Hotel.
He perhaps had promised his wife to 20 to
church. for at once he appeared at Bap-
est church IN ID street, near the city hall.
ana from that time until he closed his term
IN ine SENATE. Twelve years afterward, he
when he ~es In the city. He became one
OF the 's0unday sights" OF Washington, and
the churOh-. w4S Known -as "Houston,s
church - the place where the President
soss II caiied the Presidents church"
Houston sawsys wore his Mexican blank
he whitfield from fhs 1sg3nslng 20 the end
OF the serv1ce. Whiting. indeed, seemed
70 be his way OF escaping bores and keep
tng ~ NERVES Desooy. lie s7WaSs cags9ed