The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-03-19
BRYAN CELEBRATES
HIS BIRTHDAY
NEBRASKA STATESMAN 48 YEARS
OLD TODAY-A VERY
BUSY MAN.

! LINCOLN, Neb.. March 19.-William
Jennings Bryan's 4Sth birthday was
celebrated today by the democrats Of
/ Lincoln and throughout Nebraska.
Hundreds of congratula Vry messages
from admirers in many states and for
! eign countries were delivered today
at the Bryan home near Lincoln, where
! the famous Commoner finds relaxation
| in agricultural pursuits in the occa-
sioDal periods Of rest between political
campaigns and lecture engagements.
Mr. Bryan is today in Chicago.
| Although Lincoln is largely republi
can in its political tendencies. the
recple o: the city are immensely proud
of their famous citizen and republicans
as well as democrats joined in the fe-
licitations of the day.
The Bryan home is about four miles
from the heart of Lincoln. 1t is named
Fairvew and it is we'll named The
view on every side is fair and far. 1t is
circling stretch of undulating prairie,
thickly dotted with buildings large
and small. and lively on the west by
smoking chimneys of the city and the
dome of the Statehouse. And the winds
never rest at Fairview, which is a
purely modern house of Clipped red
brick, looking as if it had been intend
ed for a city street and had got to it's
present place by mistake.
Owns Fine Farm.
In the front yard of the Great Com
moner's 153-acre farm stands a tall
stone lantern, which was given him in
Japan. during his recent trip around
the world. Thanking the broad stone
steps leading to the front porch are two
bronze beasts, also from Japan. The
beast on the left is Conservatism-its
mouth is shut tight. The one on the
right is Radicalism-its mouth wide
than Teddy's when he smiles and says
dee lighted"
Twelve years ago. when he had
saved up a little money from his law
practice, Bryan bought the first five
acres of this farm. To put it his way,
each acre cost him 500 for scenery,
500 for climate and $50 for soil
The farm is we'll stocked with prize
cattle, sleek horses and fat swine, and
the Nebraskan finds one of his greatest
! pleasures in these animals The home
itself is handsomely. but simply fur
nisnej, with the library as it's most dis
tinctive feature.
| Like the rest on the house. it is
handsomely furnished, with a-plenty
of polished oak and four walls of in
teresting pictures-pictured walls very
often reflect the personalities dwelling
within them, you know.
An Early Riser.
1 y
every morning so as to write a while
before breakfast, and from that time
until 10 at night is about as busy as
any man in the country And the big
gest Bryan is the cowOrker with Mrs.
Bryan, who is his constant companion
in everything he does. She studied law
Just after they were married and was
! admitted to the bar-not because she
wanted to practice but because she
wanted to be a real help to her hus-
band in his work. And that she was
and still is.
Now that his work has resolved it
self so largely into writing-writing
editorials. lectures. letters, books and
articles for magazines-she has learned
to use a typewriter, and, besides his
big desk in the office. in the basement
of Fairview. is a little stand. at which
she sits whenever he is there. taking
dictation on the machine or answering
some of. the hundred Or more letters
that are sent out to him from the COM
moner Office every day.
! All his mail is delivered to the office
Of his weekly paper. which is just off
the main street in Lincoln and is SUI
pervised by his brother. Charles W.
Bryan. And last year 3OO.O letters ad-
dressed to William Jennings Bryan,
He seldom goes to the office of his
paper, though he writes the leading ed
itorial for it each Week and keeps a
! close eye on the proofs.