Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-07-17
THE FOUR RIXEY BOYS.

Back in the ffties four boys were born
in the village of Culpeper, Va. They
were brothers and Rixey ofname. When
they got to be fair-sized lads that part OF
Virginia was almost barren waste, fol-
it had been devastated and literally pick
ed by the two great armies during the
bloody and costly civil war. To make
a living down that way was so hard that
most of the young men went either to
the West or to the far South. For those
who stuck to the native heath the outlook
was anything but promising. AS should
be the case, the Rixey brothers early in
life stood by each other. The cause OF
one was the cause of the other.
Today the eldest of those boys runs in
the Old Dominion five banks-twO ma
tional and three States institutions. His
name is c. Jones Rixey. And Eppa
II. Rixey, the youngest of the brothers,
is the cashier in the largest of the insti-
tutions.
Presley NJ. Rixey, the second of the
family, is the Surgeon-General of the
United States navy, with his headquar-
tiers at the department in Washington.
There he will remain until the retiring
age. Dr. Rixey graduated in medicine
from the University of Virginia.
II is interesting also to relate that four
other young men from the little county of
Cuipeper also graduated from that school of
medicine and secured appointments IN the
navy. 1t will be remembered that DIR. Hxey
was the physician to President and Mrs. Nc
Kinley and was with the President when he
was shot at Buffalo. President Mckinley let
it be known far and wide that it was his In
tention to elevate DIR. Rixey to the surgeon
generalship, and upon succeeding TO the pres
idency Theodore Roosevelt carried out the
wishes of the former chief magistrate. In do
ing this it was necessary to advance DIR. Rixey
many numbers over his elders in the service.
He is now only fifty-One years of age and II
he lives will serve eleven years before being
placed on the retired list.
John F.. the third of the Rixey brothers, is
a democratic member Of Congress from the
Virginia district that lies just across the 20
tomac river from Washington. He is a lead
ing member of the House naval affairs COM
mittee and was first elected in 1896; he Is
therefore serving his fourth consecutive term.
John and Eppa, the two younger brothers,
were roommates in youthful days at print
tive military school in Virginia. Thin plank
partitions divided the rooms in one of the
living buildings. The boys used 10 bore holes
with heated iron rods through the partitions
so that they could talk to each other and not
run the risk Of being overheard by. the
teachers. One very cold night in winter
Eppa was requested "a put his ear close to the
hole as cadet wished to Whisper to him,
when the ear was in place strong stream of
cold water was squirted into that organ, caus'
ing the boy to jump sideways about seven
feet and to roar with pain.
"Eppa," said the present congressman in
his deep bass voice, take my advice and
never put yeur ear up against any hole unless
you know positively what's on the other side
of that hole"
The three older Rixey brothers have never
vet been known to put their ears up against
hole And in life they have gotten much OF
this worlds goods together and have enjoyed
somewhat more Of life's honors than Eppa.-
New York Commercial.