Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-08
MINISTER CONCERTS EARLY DAYS.
His Attachment for the Little Town
of Dexter, Town

| Chicago
Minister +. H. Conger. representing the
| United States in China. is a member OF
| hinsman Post, G. 4. r.. one OF the D.s
| Moines branches Of that order Just before
he left for China and while he was making
a visit here on his way from Brazil to Pc
Kin he attended a special meeting of the
post held in his honor. He occupied a place
| OF honor on the platform beside the presid-
ing officer soldiers quartet, as the last
| number OF the evening program sang
| God BE With You Till We Meet Again"
| Before the singers had concluded the final
verse OF the first stanza Minister Conger
| broke down. As he sat there facing IN.
| audience with the tears streaming down his
cheeks there was not dry eye before HIM
| II was notable scene. and since Dies
4 MONIES friends became convinced that the
| American legation at Pekin had been
outchered II has taken on new significance.
Mr. Conger started in politics as county
supervisor In Madison county. which cor
| ners FOLK county on the southwest. This
nomination and election came to him un-
| sought. He owned 400 acres of land and
was busy farming IT. This land he had
pought because he got tired of the practice
| OF law in Galesburg. where he was born
| and educated. being a graduate OF Lombard
| University. His father owned a part in
| terest In a bank at Dexter in Madison
| county, whose chief distinction is th. fact
| that Minister Conger has always claimed It
| as his principal residence. Having been
| erected county supervisor. he acquired a
| desire for political office. He was elected
| treasurer Of Madison county.
| lie was elected supervisor in 1875 He was
| elected treasurer OF state in 1881. He held
| this office two terms. He was elected rep
| resentative from the seventh Iowa district
| In 1885 and served three terms. In 1891,
however. he was nominated by President
Harrison as minister to Brazil and accept
| ed the office He was removed by Presi-
| dent Cleveland IAN offensive PARTISAN
While In Congress he formed stanch
friendship for William Mckinley. and when
| Mckinley was elected President he offered
| Conger the Brazilian mission 1t was ac-
| cepted. and Minister Conger spent a year
| and half at that post. Charles Page Bry-
| an OF Illinois. being named for the Pekin
mission. the Senate declined to confirm.
| Allison. Gear and Hull were called into
| consultation by President Mckinley, who
asked them If Conger would take the place
| Hull and Gear thought not, but Allison
| said: ''Offer 1t. a request is "A nd to
a soldier 1t was offered by cable After
a nights thought Mr.. Conger told his fam
| lily he would accept the mission. on his
| way from Rio de Janeiro to Pekin he
| stopped In Des Moines and went up to Dex-
| ter. which he never failed TO visit when in
| this vicinity.
| With him in Pekin when the last let
| ters We're received here We're Mrs. Conger,
| Miss Laura Conger. their daughter: Miss
Mary Pierce. niece of Minister Conger, and
| from Evanston: Mrs Morgan 5 Woodward.
Miss lone Woodward. daughter and Miss
| Isabella Paine, French companion. Second
Secretary w. E. Bainbridge OF the Legation
and his wife, who were both In Pekin.
are Iowa people, being residents OF Council
! Bluffs. The Interpreter. Fleming D. Ches-
shire, was also an Iowan. He has resided
in Pekin for twenty years. and has occu-
pied the position OF interpreter for the Legal
ton during that time.
The only other Americans known to have
been with the legation in Pekin at the out
break Of the troubles were First Secretary
| H G. SQuires OF the legation, his wife and
| three children, and Miss Mary Condit-
| Smith. Mr.. Squires is resident OF New
York. and two of his daughters are at
| tending school in that city and a son is in
| Harvard Miss Smith, the certainty OF
| whose presence in Pekin is not absolute
is sister-in-law Of Governor General Wood
| of Cuba.
Among the Iowa missionaries in Pekin
| are Miss Ada Haven. DIR. Virginia C Muir
! dock and Mrs. Mary Porter Gamwell IF
| Davenport. and the Rev. and Mrs. ". c.
Langden of Des Moines. the latter being a
niece of {. D. Miller of Des Moines. Moth
/ ing has been heard from any of them.
Mrs. Conger was Sarah J. Pike of Gales
/ burg. She and Mr.. Conger were classmates
| in Lombard University. and the attach
ment was formed which survived the -
aration Incident to the war. Mr. c.. ser
was nineteen when he enlisted In an III
nois regiment as private In 1862 He
! came out OF the war as a major. A son
was born to the couple, but he died His
name was Lorentus. A daughter born.
! and 1t is she who is with them In Pekin.
| She Is about twenty-eight years of age.
She married George Lendrum IN Dies
Moines. but their life an unhappy one.
resulting in separation. He Joined an Iowa
regiment for the Spanish war and died
within ten days in Florida
Miss Mary Pierce. who is with the Con-
gers In Pekin. is about twenty-five years
old. She was born In Dexter. where her
father and Mr.. Conger were in the bank
ing business together. She came to Des
Moines in 1892 and went with the Congers
to China in 1898.
In Noyep1her Mrs Coppar aiar.,
Conger and Miss Pierce came to America
and spent three months in Des Moines and
elsewhere. They returned to Pekin in
February Of this year. Des Mones friends
thought that the women must certainly
be safe. and believed that they had been
sent to Tien Tsin when the first outbreaks
at Pekin occurred. They have given up
this hope now. When Mrs. Conger was
here she took great pleasure in exhibiting
to her friends the ring and other presents
which had been given to her by the En-
press of China. She also left photographs
of court scenes, including the pictures of
the American women. with friends here.
Minister Conger was a Mason. and his
friends here count somewhat upon that
fact in his behalf He was once saved on
this account. When he was serving his
first year In the Union army he was taken
sick and was left behind by his regiment
because 1t was marching forward and could
not take care OF its sick. A comrade vol
unteered to remain with him. They were
set at the roadside with some bareback
and a can of water. Undoubtedly the Idea
was that he would soon die. and the COM
rade with him could then make his way
into the town and surrender prisoner
of war. Instead the soldier went into town
Immediately after the regiment had gone
over the hill. and, proving himself a Ma
son. secured so from the richest Mason
in the city despite his Union army uni
form. The money saved Conger and him
self. Conger resolved to Join the first
Masonic lodge that he could. While he was
on furlough to recover from his illness he
received by special dispensation the three
degrees to make him Master Mason in
one night and he has been loyal to the
fraternity ever since.
Causes for Boer Defeats.
From, S.rrfh