Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-01-19
Congressional Oddities.
[From Harpers weekly. l

In the new House OF Representatives.
nominally, there are 3S6 members. but
practically. there are 3S4. since, Of the
two representatives from Oregon, one has
heen convicted Of a state prison offence,
and the other is under Indictment. OF
the 3S4 upwards OF so never before
served I'm Congress, while on the other
hand there are eight veterans who re-
turn to the House after an absence more
or less prolonged. Conspicuous among the
latter are General j. Warren Keifer of
Ohio. who was speaker Of the Forty
seventh Congress: Julius Kahn OF Cali
fornia, the ctor-statesman: +. S Black
burn OF North Carolina; w. II. Graham
Of Pennsylvania, and Charles II. Towne
OF New York 1t is not precisely true.
as has been asserted i'm newspapers that
Mr.. Towne enjoys the unique distinction
OF being the only member of the House
who has ever been elected TO Congress
from two states. II our memory serves
us. at least one man was chosen a repre-
sentative from Maine who previously had
been representative from Massachusetts
Neither Is Mr.. Towne singular by reason
OF the fact that he served in the Uunted
States Senate before his present election
to the House. Henry Clay became sena-
tor before he reached the constitutional
age Of 80, and five years before he enter
ed for the first time the House of Repre-
senator from Massachusetts 81 years be-
fore he was sent TO the House from that
state.
Chicago sends three young men to the
new House, Charles McGarvin. aged 90;
Charles F. Warden. aged 26: and Anthony
Michalek, Hebrew. % years old. who.
before he sFas chosen "a representative,
was a booixkeeper working for SIS a week.
We learn that Mr.. Michalek's seat will be
contested on the ground that born in
Bohemia. he has never been naturalized.
still younger man is Zeno ]. Rives,
from the 2lst district of Illinois, who is
reported to be only 20 years old, and,
therefore, ineligible under the constitu-
tion. Mr.. Michalek is not the only mem
Der who has proved that poor man may
be sent to Congress. w. T. Tindall
OF Missouri never earned, we are told,
more than $40 a month in his life before
he was elected a representative. He has
made up his mind. 1t is said. to save at
least S4500 out OF his $4,000 a year salary.
We believe he will succeed, IL II be true
that he has found in Washington a board
ing-house where he can get lodging and
nourishment for 50 week The Mills
hotels in New York should take notice.
One OF the biggest men physically in the
House will be Hon, Frank b. Klepper of
Missouri. He is six feet four inches tall,
and weighs 2S0 pounds One Of the great
formed was to carry his district by $50
votes, thus overcoming a normal Demo-
cratic plurality of $500. One of the oldest
members Of the new House will be
Thomas b. Davis, of the second West
Virginia district. Although he has passed
the age of threescore years and ten, he is
still vigorous, resembling in that respect
his brother, Henry Gassaway Davis, late
ly Democratic nominee for the vice presi-
dency. The speaker and General H. H.
Bingham of Pennsylvania, are also vet
Grams, the former having served 80 and
the latter 2S years in the House of Rep
resentatives. We observe lastly that the
following states, Alabama, Colorado, Con-
necticut Idaho. Kansas (Which has, how
ever, an additional representative at
large), Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Mon
tana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon,
Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah. Ver-
mont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin
and Wyoming, have sent exactly the
same delegations that represented them
In the last House. Hon. Claude A. Swan
son Of Virginia, however. has been elected
governor of his state, and took pos
session Of that Office on Jan. /.