Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-08-15

through the common school and
Waynesburg academy his ambition led
him westward and he finally reached
Elkader, Clayton county, Iowa, Where |
he secured a clerkship in the county
recorders Office. This was in 1869.
This same county of Clayton in con-
vention a few weeks ago turned down
it's own district candidate for COVER
nor and instructed-its delegates to sup
port the man who as a lad served the
county in 1869.
Later Mr.. Cummns engaged in car
pentering, which trade he had learned
with his father, and still later did duty
as railway express messenger. In
1871 he went to Indiana, where he
served as deputy surveyor of Allen
county and short time thereafter Sc
cured the position of division engineer
in the construction of the Cincinnati,
Richmond and Fort Wayne railroad.
His service here secured for him the
appointment of engineer in charge OF
the location and construction of the
Northern Central Michigan railroad,
where he was employed for some time.
Mr.. Cummins graduated at the age OF
10, and at the age of % had filled the
important positions already described.
He then decided to study law, and two
years later was admitted to the bar in
Chicago. He engaged in practice
there until 1878, at which time he re-
moved to Des Moines, where he soon
became recognized as the leader not
only of the county but of the state bar.
Active in All His Work.
Mr.. Cummins' political life. like his
civil and professional career, has been
strenuous. He was member of the
Twenty-second general assembly, when
the laws governing railroads were
| thoroughly revised, and in which work
he took a leading part. This portion
of his political record was used in the
pre-convention campaign to show that
while he was a railroad attorney in
professional life he was not railroad
lobbyist at any time. He supported
the Temple amendment, a measure
which prevented railroad corporations
from escaping liability for accident to
their employees through the agency of
an employees insurance organization in
the face of demand by railroad cor
poration for which he was attorney
that he oppose it, and was influential
|
amendment by the republican state
| enactment into law of it's principles by
a later general assembly.
His support of the Temple amend
ment was another of the principal ar
guments used by his friends in the late
campaign. In a professional capacity
Mr.. Cummins has shown friendliness
\ 1.l>o l., ;a1>- To.,
nomination for governor brought to
| his standard practically the solid sup
port of the laboring element of the
state. He made an effective defense
of the Typographical union of Des
Moines in the courts of the state, when
it was harrassed by injunctions and
suits for maintaining union principles,
and thereby put an end to attempts to
destroy what unionists believe to be
the greatest usefulness of their organ
| iZations. s7iS@
He came to the aid of Iowa work
men when they became involved in
trouble at the Rock Island arsenal, and
through his efforts they secured the
right to be heard BY committee, and SO
many times has hesstood' for the inter-
ests of wage-earnefs that this class did
much to bring about his nomination for
governor.
/ In 1892, when the leaders of the re-
publican party set about to reclaim the
state from democratic rule, the state
central committee joined in an invita-
ton to Mr.. Cummins to preside at the
approaching state convention, which
was accepted, and the speech made by
him was the keynote of the campaign.
In 1896 he was permanent chairman of
the convention which selected the dele
i gates to st. Louis, and was himself one
of the delegates to the national con-
lvention that year, and was by the dele
cation elected national committeeman
for the ensuing four years.
In 1887 Mr.. Cummins was elected to
the legislature from Polk county on
an Independent rep lican ticket. The
campaigns from 1880 had been fought
almost wholly on the prohibition issue
and during those years republican ma
iorities steadily decreased.
The storm center of Indignation at
the workings of the prohibitory law
was Des Moines. The difficulties OF
enforcement were great, and the inso
lence and outrages of "searchers" act
ing under the cloak of the law result
ed in turmoil and frequent murders
Mr.. Cummins took the position that to-
, tai prohibition was failure, position
, which the republican party endorsed
at later period by the enactment OF
/ the mulct law. Mr.. Cummins' stand
upon prohibition was used by the op
, position to him in the gubernatorial
campaign, as the basis for the charge
, that he 'bolted" his party, a charge
/ which the records show had no founda
ton in fact
Home Life Is Exemplary.
Mr.. Cummins lives in his own home
in the best residence portion of Des
Moines-Grand avenue. His family
consists of wife and one daughter
the latter wife of Hollis Rawson, one
of the well-known architects of the
. city. Also he has a grandson. The
! grandchild is commonly known az
"Baby Rawson.' He is the. pride ant
JOY of his grandpa and the two are
frequently seen enjoying a romp OF
the grass.
Mrs. A. B. Cummins, whose name ap
. pears in the records of the social ant
, hanavO1eut SocjetiaS with which She