Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-12-02
WRITE OWN RECORDS
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ALLOW
ED MUCH LATITUDE.
Conversational Director Gives a Good
Hint of the Character of ahe Subject,
for He Invariably Writes the Mat
ter Himself.

for He Invariably writes the MAI"
ter Himself.
The latest edition Of the COMPRESSION
al directory contains the autobiogra-
phies of the new members of Congress,
which are interesting reading because
they give us a cleW to what the sub
ject thinks Of himself, SO writes VIM.
e. Curtis, in the Chicago Record-Her-
aid. There is no limit to the amount
Of room allowed each Senator and
Representative in setting forth the his
tory Of his life and achievements, but
he is expected to be very brief. Most
members fulfill the expectation, but
others go into great detail. Robert
Baker, a Socialist-Single Tax member
from Brooklyn, has the longest biogra-
ply in the book. Senator Depew comes
furnish no biography at all, and moth
ing appears under their districts ex-
cept their name, their politics and the
number Of votes they received.
1t has come to be the fashion for
our statesmen to give the maiden
names Of their wives in their biogra-
phies. Formerly the only way you
could tell whether member Of Con-
gress was married was by referring to
the postofflce list, where a star at
tached to the name Of a Senator or
Representative denoted that his wife
accompanied him, and a dagger meant
a daughter. Now almost everybody
tells when and where he was married.
Senator Depew, for example, says that
he twas married Nov. 8, 1871, to Elise
Hegeman, who died March, 1898; has
one son, born in 1879; married in De-
cember, 1901, to Miss May Palmer"
Mr.. Macon, Of Helena, Ark, says
that he has never known a home out
side Of his native county; was left an
orphan when 8 years of age and with
out resources; was put to work on a
farm, where he remained until large
enough to shove himself away from
the plow handles"
Mr.. Thompson, Of Tuskegee, Ala
where Booker Washington's institute
Is located-announces that he is a
member of the Methodist Church.
Many other Representatives also give
their religious connection.
Mr.. Reid, of Arkansas, says that he
began the practice of law when he wax
only 10 years old. All Of the Repre-
sentatives from Arkansas are young
men. The youngest is Mr.. Robinson,
who was born in 1872; the oldest is
Mr.. Dinsmore, who does not give his
age.
Senator Bard, of California, has a
good many irons in the fire. He is
engaged in wharfing and warehous-
ing, banking, petroleum mining, sheep
grazing and dealing in real estate"
Mr.. Needham, of California, was
born in an emigrant wagon while his
parents were crossing the plains to
California in 1864.
Mr.. Sperry, of Connecticut, was post
master Of New Haven for twenty eight
years and two months.
Mr.. Brandegee, of Connecticut pulled
the bow oar in the crew of the class
Of 'S5 at Yale His father was also
a member of Congress.
The new Senator, Alice, of Delaware,
Is a jeweler and matchmaker.
Mr.. Davis, of Florida, was admitted
to the bar when he was only 20 years
old,
Mr.. Wade, OF Iowa, says that he was
appointed to the bench by Governor
Boies without opposition upon petit
ton Of the bar Of the district, and
since then he has never had an oppo-
nent either for the nomination or the
election"
Mr.. Rainey, of Illinois, says that he
Is "a close student, a thorough lawyer,
and enjoys large practice in Green
and adjoining counties; his cases can
be found in almost every volume of
the Supreme and Appellate Court re-
ports for the last ten years, during
which time he has contributed as much
as any lawyer in his part of the State
toward shaping the case law of the
State" He says that Mrs. Rainey
is interested in philanthropic work and
was for several years secretary of the
Illinois State Conference Of Charities. -
Mr.. French, Of Idaho, was a fellow
In the University Of Chicago in 1901
and 1902. He was born in Delphi,
Ind, and is % years old.
Representative Tawney, of Mime
sofa, has one Of the most remarka BILE
records Of any member Of Congress.
He is the son Of a blacksmith, the
grandson of q blacksmith and is q
blacksmith himself, having spent sew
en- years, after he was Is years old, in
his fathers shop near Gettysburg, Pa,
He saved his earnings and when he
thought he had enough to pay his fare
to the West he walked through Penn
sylvania to the Ohio River, took q
steamer down to Cairo, changed for q
Mississippi River boat and kept on