The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-05
CHANCE MADE HIM AN ORATOR.
THE IOWA CONGRESSMAN WANTED
TO BECOME 4 CIVIL ENGINEER.

NaturaIIy-Hasn't Made Many Adj
dresses in the House But They
Have All Counted - Fishing His
FavorIte Amusement.
Washington. March 3.-Robert G. Cous-
ms. the Iowa congressman who stirred
his New York auditors so nightly with
his address on Lincoln the other night,
is only little over 40 and looks younger.
In truth his appearance is that OF
wholo-hearted. healthy American boy,
grown UP. He is more than six feet tail,
his avoirdupos fits his hight his face IS
smooth-shaven. his blue eyes are clear
and flashing his manner is earnest al
belt off hand and unstudied, just like
boys and his voice, besides being full
and round, has the unmistakable ring Of
youth 1t is not lacking in vrility though
there are times when its quality is almost
harsh, and it always "carries." His
laugh, sometimes the quiet chuckle of ma
turity, sometimes the ringing boyish eX-
preston of pure joy in the event of the
moment is catching.
Mr. Cousins is essentially a transmits
sissippi type. For tire fun generations
his family has dWelt in Iowa and his en-
tire training was received in his native
state, first a the district school and then
at Cornell College, from which he was
graduated before he was %. As boy
he wanted to be a civil engineer and
through all the first part of his college
course paid particular attention 10 mathe-
MATES. Undoubtedly he would have kept
10 his first love in The choice of a career
but for two things
The first of these was his chance de-
cision to speak for prize in the junior
year. His classmates were surprised both
at his decision and his subject Lord By
rom for he had hitherto shown aptitude
neither for oratory nor the study of liter
allure. However he went ahead and gave
the whole class, including himself, a fur
ther surprise by winning The second
determining cause with reference to his
career was the difficulty he experienced
on graduation in getting a chance TO
practice engineering. Not finding a Job
in that line, he got a place as book
Keeper for Des Moines house, He held
this place till he had saved up SIS or 500
and then returned to his home at Upton.
where he began to study law investing
most of his capital in Blackstone's Com
mentaries and other law books
he had no notion OF doing anything in
politics till 1884. That was the year of
the Blaine campaign, and Cousins stumped
his congressional district for w T. Shaw
one of the heroes of the Banks Red river
expedition. The next fan Cousins himself
was put up for the Legislature and elect
ed. He has been in Congress since 1893
His speeches on the floor of the House
have not been very numerous, but every
one has counted. He became known
throughout the country as a speaker of
real ability in 1896, when he delivered an
address. the subject whereof was the
course of Mr.. Bayard, then ambassador
70 Great Britain. Naturally, the political
friends of Mr.. Bayard took issue with the
substance of this address but its power
was questioned by nobody. Possibly the
most fOrcible utterance of Cousins was
made just after the blowing up OF the
Maine. 1t was only eight or ten minutes
long, but it electrified the House and the
nation.
His favorite amusement is fishing He
likes 10 spend the summer near certain
Iowa lake, wherein black bass are to be
found abundanLy. He goes out both in
the early morning and at shutdown. Not
many men of his size and weight would
relish following the sport after his fash
ion, for he stands in a moving boat some
times an hour or two at a stretch while
casting the fly This gives exercise to
every muscle in the body besides furnish
ing an excellent appetite for breakfast.
Men who have fshed with him say that he
always catches enough 10 furnish a meal
for party. He likes to cook the fish
himself and is an adept at the art He
shoots, also, and could make record as
a marksman if he chose. He doesn't ride
horseback and he doesn't play golf He
thinks he hasn't the time. When
Congress is in session he walks from the
Shoreham, where ne lives, TO the Capitol
in the morning and back again in the
evening.
Like most men who speak well, Mr.
Cousins appreciates good speaking in
others. He has told his friends thar the
Of 10 I,,.-
privileged to hear was delivered by an
Iowa lad named Kaufman, the subject
being Science and Poetry" Kaufman
was little chap physically, with a piping
voice which never could have been heard
in a big auditorium, but the pathos and
the earnestness with which he treated his
somewhat paradOxical theme made a last
ing impression upon at least one of his
auditors.
Mr.. Cousins works hard and likes 1t.
Ever since the battle of Manila BAY he
has been studying the constitutional
questions involved in the extension of
American authority over the isles of the
sea, and some day undoubtedly he viii
express himself with regard to those uues-
lions upon the floor of the House, though
not until he has made his study exhaust
i've, for thoroughness is one of his quail
tiles.
Naturally, he tells story well, but he
Is by no means a professional story teller
He likes to hear stories, but he wants
good ones His reading is volumnous and
broad, and il includes the best of modern
fiction He has never yet found time to
contribute extensively TO the periodicals
but he has the taste, the creative power
and the habit of studying humanity that
betokens the literary man. Until Thomas
i. Reed forsook Congress for the law he
and Cousins We're great chums. The lat
ter shares Reeds admiration of the poetry
of Eugene T. Ware OronquilD and can
recite the famous lines about the brass
eyed bird pup and the Kansas zephyr
quite as effectively as the former speaker
of the House.
Mr.. Cousins s unmarried. Before his
election 10 Congress he had built up an
extensive law practice in Iowa, a part of
which he stiI retains
HIS WIFE LEFT HER HOME.