Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-07-13

ISueIdl Judge was TO De eI6CteQ TO
take the place of Judge Shiras. Mr..
Haugen was quick to see that he held
the key. He supported Judge Reed
and declared that he would stay by
Reed till that place popularly supposed
to be out of the frost belt would
freeze over. That settled it and Reed
won. When Judge Conner. who was
on the committee on appropriations
for public buildings. wanted to get an
appropriation for Webster City in
order to wipe out an insurrectioD
there, Haugen served notice that the
only way he could get the appropria-
tion for a site was to include one for
Mason City. Conner accepted the
amendment and Haugen accomplished
another of his plans What other con-
gressmen accomplish by elouuence he
gets by the keener. methods of oppor-
tunity and unerring Judgment.
Two years ago he decided 10 build
him home here which would COM
pensate for the hurly burlv of the
national capital during the recess. He
manifested excellent taste in it's design
and furnishing. 1t is perhaps the
finest residence in the county and
without doubt one of the most hos.
pitable. The finishing is in mahogany,
oak, sycamore, walnut. birds eye
maple and curly birch. each room
forming an appropriate bleeding with
the furniture. Hardwood floors are
richly adorned with oriental rugs and
artistic color blending and the third
story furnishes a large and well ap-
pointed attic for the congressman s
congr sssional volumes and for play
room for the young people. His H.
brary is one Of the chief places of at
traction although the sldeboard. rich
ly carved with its complement Of cut
glass and costly ceramics, with the
good things which cheer, is not a
feature which his guests would omit.
The congressman spends consider
able time in his library. The volumes
are mostly those of history and per-
tanning to the documents of the presi-
dents and the great speeches in con-
gress. He has an alcove of fiction.
mostly modern, which he is fond Of
Ibsen and Bjornsen he reads from the
native tongue and enjoys it as much
as the English translations He has a
family of two children, a daughter l6.
Miss Norma, who is attending school
IN Washington, D. c., in the Episco-
pal school for girls. and Lauritz. a son
of IL, who is in school at home. His
handsome residence is cared for by his
wife's sisters. who have been the good
angels of the household, caring for
the children since the death of Mr..
Haugen's wife twelve years ago. Both
children are precocious and industrious
and Will have the best advantages of
culture and education.
The congressman has no fads. He
likes to fish and to hunt. but scarcely
does either-he is too busy. he says.
Strong and robust, he is not an enthus-
last of any kind of athletics. and with
the exception of good horse race
other sports do not appeal to him
greatly. He enjoys his neighbors and
his hospitality is generous both at
home and in Washington. The ques-
tions of public national concern are
always absorbing to him. and he is
delving for information con-
corning them. He revels in statistics
and the products of Iowa. the indus
tries of his district, the information
about the new accessions in the Philip
pines are on his tongues end. and he
has a vast fund of information about
all public questions.