The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1897-07-27
WRITTEN BY THEMSELVES.
Biographical Sketches of Many
Noted CongreSSmen


The New York Independent recently
published the following interesting
article on the lives Of some Of the
noted Senators and Representatives in
the United States Congress:
The Congressional Directory" is not
simply a volume of cold facts. The bio
graphical sketches of Senators and Re-
representatives. are written by themsel-
YES, or outlined TO clerks, for prepara-
tion. While in some respects there is
is infinite variety and interesting read
ing. Few people realize how much of
human nature crops out in the frank
detail and description of the road which
finally brings up in Congress In more
than one instance il is easy to read be-
tween the lines something of the char
acter of the statesman who penned
them. An Englishman once said:
Americans do roam So" This is not
remarkable as an English opinion Of
Americans. except that it is true. But
it is not, however, all over the world,
as the Englishman sees it, that Amer
leans do roam So but from State, all
over the United States. 1t is quite sur
prising TO note among Senators and
Representatives the number of alien
birth, education and occupatiOn-that
is, born in one State, educated in an
other, seeking occupation in a third,
fame or fortune in a fourth, and in the
long run reaching the goal of ambition
in the halls of Congress.
One OF the race exceptions is the
Maine delegation, which stands out
conspicuous example of native-born,
homemade men. Every member of
that delegation was born, bred and ed
ucated in Maine, and never lived away
from the State: they have never
roamed, even so far as seeking pos
sible worldly advantages in a neigh
boring State and all were poor boys,
working their way up from the very
bottom of the ladder, to place and
power. Though one of the smallest IN
numbers, the Maine delegations leads
all others in prominence and range OF
influence. Maine gives a Speaker or
tional fame is second only to that of
her great statesman, James q. Blame;
to three important committees in last
Congress. chairmen of signal ability;
while in the Senate the Pine-tree State
is honored by the unanimous choice OF
one of her Senators to be the preS1-
dent pro tempore of the Senate.
The Maine delegation is consp1cu-
ous example also, OF the value OF con-
tinuous service, and this is in no small
mart the secret of its foremost place IN
Congress. Senator Frye's service is
one of % years-12 in the House and
Is in the Senate. Senator Hale's serv-
ice is one of 26 years-10 in the House
and 16 in the Senate. MIR. Reed turned
20 years service in the House on the
4th of March, Mr.. Dingley 10 years ana
Mr.. Boutelle and the late Mr. Mill1ken
each IA years of continuous service.
The West and even the South, is be-
ginning to realize the value of con-
tinuous service in Congress, which
heretofore has been appreciated more
bv New England than by any other
section of the country. New York has
in the House 81 members; but the
New York delegation falls far snort
of the Maine delegation in the scope
of it's influence. Maine is represented
bv brainv men. and the Maine people
appreciate the fact by keeping them IN
Congress. Four of the six members or
the Maine delegation are college grad
yates. and two are the editors OF the
two leading newspapers IN the state
With the exception OF senator Hale
none would be called rich men. Sem
ator Hale ACQUIRED a fortune with his
wife. the only child of the late Sen
ator Chandler. of Michigan. But Mr.
Hale had acquired something OF ma
tional reputation as member OF the
House of Representative before MS
marriage. so that it was with hlm no
less than the rest of the delegation
question of brains and pluck.
While some Maine men found sue
cess at home, others roamed to much
advantage. Among the latter is Sem
ator Perkins. of California, who mas
had a varied career. His early recol-
lections are of Maine farm and Inn
tied educational advantages, so nm
tied that at u years of age he LETT MS
native State and went out into the
world TO seek something better. Mr.
perkins went by water-that is, to sea
&C a cabin boy-and at Is shipped pc
fore the mast" on a sailing Vessel
hound for California, round the
Horn" In due time the young sailor
reached the FL Dorado, where he ex-
nected to find fame and fortune, ana
where he entirely realized his expecta-
tions-the fortune in mining, mllllns
and the steamship business, ana the
fame from the Governors chair TO the
United States Senate. Senator PERKINS
had served in the State Senate elShI
wears before he became Governor, anu
be is the first Senator from California
elected by the direct nomination OF the
neonle of his State. When he came
East four years ago, it was not as
cabin boy by water, but across the
continent in his private car to seat
in the United States Senate. Ana 4o
wears cover the story of his roaming
a story of reality far stranger thah
fiction. Senator Perkins mas never
grown away from his early life as
sailor and never lost his fondness for
600 foripC npOnle