Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-06-24
CURIOSITIES OF CONGRESS

Every congressional directory, as
far as the customary biographies of
members ot congress are concerned
has it's curiosities. That of the :ex-
traordinary session Of the fifty fifth
COL gfess'' is 10 exception.
The new directory shows by right
calculation that the average age OF
members of the house is A years, and
Of senators 81 years. Formerly the
average age Of senators was not less
than 80, and of representative not less
than SO years of age. Now, by reason
o. the breaking into politics of am
bilious young men like Butler Of North
Carolina, PenrOse of Pennsylvania and
Heitfelt of Idaho, senators, and Brad
ley, Mcclellan and Henry of Texas,
kitcjin of North Carolina and Sauerer-
ing of Wisconsin as members of the
house, the age on the average of SEN
atOrs and representatives has been
materially reduced. So, on the whole,
there ought to be no complaint Of
senility about the fifty-ffth congress.
The majority of the members of con-
gress were either babies or were not
| bOrn when the great civil war began
Some of them were not born until
after the war was over. The youngest
of them, Thomas J. Bradley Of New
York, who was born in January. 1870,
was possibly just learning to talk
when the recent so-called crime of
1873" was committed. Bradley repre-
sents the ninth district of New York
state, in the heart of what is greater
New York. The youngest senator is
Marion Butler Of North Carolina, who
had scarcely opened his eyes when
men from the old north state were Civ
ing away their lives on the bloody
heights Of Gettysburg When he first
saw the light, the oldest member of
the senate, Justice S. Morrill, of Yer
mont had been a member of congress
for many years.
Contemplation Of the new directory
reveals the melancholy reflection that
the old soldier statemen are surely
passing away. Out of 446 senators and
representatives but 1T have been
soldiers. Three Of these were in the
Mexican war-Senator Bate of Tennes-
see, George of Mississippi and Pettus-
strange to say, a new senatOr-of
Alabama. The III were in the civil
war. On the side of the union who
are senator's or Representatives were
siXty-siX, and on the southern side
there are fitty-one VINO are in congress
now.
AS an evidence that the southern
pee pie pay more honor to their fight
ing element than other parts of the
country may be cited the fact that of
all the senators and representatives
from that part of the country only two
who were old enough to handle a gun
were not in the war on one side or the
other, and these two we're at college
during the war. From the loyal states
there are seventy-four now in congress
who were old enough and who were
not in the scrap.
Lawyers predominant as to the
occupations in both houses of congress
as usual. In the senate there are fifty
seven straight lawyers The other
occupations are much diversified.
Editors, merchants farmers. manu-
| facturers- these constitute the bulk of
the remaining senators. In that body
there are 234 lawyers, 25 farmers, 20
editors, 16 merchants, II bankers, IS
manufacturers and IL who seem, by
their own self-prepared biographies,
to have done nothing all their lives
except hold offices. The other occupa-
| lions of house members scatter over
| specializing. One members describes
himself frankly as lecturer" That
| is Mr.. Handy of Delaware. Another
member, William Fleming of Georgia,
credits himself in his biography with
having received a loan of money from
Alexander H. Stephens, which was
afterward repaid with interest" B. B.
/ Odell of New York remarks that he
has been in the ice business, and has
i always been active in politics. Jonn
Mcdonald, 2 Maryland new member,