The age-herald., 1899-06-07
HENDERSON, LEADER,
 THE SOLDIERS FRIEND

From the New York World.
 Few men are peter known in Washington than Congressman Henderson. His full name is David Bremmer Henderson,; his age 59 his birthplace Old Deer. Scotland. His parents brought him to this country when he was years old. Tie first ten 1 years of his life were spent on a farm in Iowa. Then he was sent to school and 1 finally to the Upper Iowa University. Miss Augusta Fox, the daughter of a farmer, was a student there. Years afterward when Dave" Henderson, as his familiars l know him, became famous in a small way he married Miss Fox She is quite as we'll known and popular in Washington as her distinguished husband. After graduating Dave" Henderson enlisted in the Twelfth Iowa regiment. He was a good soldier. Wounded at Corinth
 At the battle of Corinth, while leading l the company of which he was lieutenant he was wounded in the leg. The field l surgeons amputed the injured member. Since that time, thirty-four years ago, he has worn a wooden leg, but his use of 1t l is so slillful that a casual glance would not detect the affection. After coming l home from the war Mir. Henderson was l 1 Third Iowa district, but he was ambitious for military honors and within year re- | turned to the service, this time as colonel | of the Forty-sixth Iowa regiment. He served until the close of the war. Presi- 1 dent Lincoln made him collector of internal revenue for the Third Iowa district, which l office he resigned to practice law. | For two years he was assistant United States district attorney for Iowa. In 1871 he returned to the regular practice. Eleven l years later he was nominated for congress. | He was elected and for the nine succeeding ! terms he has been elected without opposi 1 tion. He represents the district in which | he grew up as a farm boy.
 Notable in Congress
 l Colonel Henderson has been a notable | figure in the deliberations of the lower l house of congress ever since he has been member. He first attracted attention as l the champion of the Grand Army men. l Since then he has been regarded as their l spokesman. He has been a consistent re- | publican, although at times he has taken | issue win the administrations of his own 1 party.
 | He created a sensation in 1892 by crit- | cising President Harrison for ignoring the 1 colored citizens in appointing members of | the worlds fair commission Upon another | occasion, three years later, he boldly com 1 mended the action of President Cleveland | in sending federal troops to Chicago to |
 | For many years Colonel Hendersan was l a member of the house committee ap- l propriations. He took an active part in all 1 the leading debates, and upon several oc- | casions disagreed with the rulings of | Speaker Reed, although they were good | friends During the contest over the speakership 1 in 1S9O Colonel Henderson was urged as a candidate against MT. Reed by some of the republican members, but he did nov run. When MT Reed decided to resign from congress Colonel Henderson was one of the first men talked of for speaker to | succeed him.
 Always a Handsome Man
 Colonel Henderson has long been cele- | brated in Washington as a handsome man. | He is of the medium height, athletic in l bearing, is always well groomed, and steps I briSkly in spite of his wooden leg His hair is iron gray, his features regular and | striking and a curved mustache of the same hue adorns his upper lip. Colonel | Henderson is one of the best story tellers | in Washington. He has fund of canny Scotch wit which has left it's impress on | the history of congress. His voice is strong and resonant, and he is regarded as one of the most forcble and entertaining ora- tors in congress. He and his family are popular in Washington society. There are | three children-two daughters and a son.
 First Alien in the Office
 If Henderson is elected speaker he will be the first man of alien birth to fill that office. It is no mere chance that has | brought it about that speakers hitherto | have been of native birth. Under the old law of the Presidential succession the speaker of the house was in the line of the succession after the president pro tenn. of the senate, in case of death or dis ability of both the president and vice-pres- dent; and, in view of this, it thought unwise to put any man in the speakers chair who was of alien birth. The question never came prominently forward, it is true, but the rule prevailed. Under the | present law, which was framed by Senator Hoar after the critical time of 1876, the | members of the cabinet take precedence | in succession in the event of the death or disability of the president and vfce-presi- dent beginning with the secretary of state and the speaker is not included in | the list of eligibleS.
 | Should Henderson be elected he will also be the first speaker to hail from a state west of the Mississippi.
 Great Free seed Man
 Colonel Henderson has always been an enthusiastic advocate of the free distr1bu- ion of seeds by congressman, and his con stituents have been highly favored in this regard His known fondnesS for joke has made him the subject of considerable banter upon this line, and he has probably stood more ridicule upon the free seed lad than other congressmen. One of Colonel Hendersons postal cards anent this topic, in a womans handwriting, bore this mes sage: "John's influence can't be got With 15 cents worth of free seeds, but If you
 will send me a box of hair pins, VIII look after him. His Wife" Another com
 munication read: "Why not let up on seeds for a while and send jack-knives? Every body could use them, and there would not be so much waste. In that case radlsh
 seeds would not come up poor turnlps' and the congressman would be saved much
 ridicule which he now often gets.
 Another movement with which Colonel
 Henderson has been conspicuously allied is the award of pensions. As severely
 wounded veteran himslf, he has stood m
 his state and district as a champion or