The Washington herald., 1908-04-28

an uncanny part in Mr. CRAFTS life. Il
was in Washington, TazeweH County,
H., that he found his partner of his mar
ried life. 1t is In Washington, D. C., that
he is hewing. out a Congressional career
that seems to be growing I'm Importance
with the years. Even the father of his
county took a hand in his career in a
very effective way. While at Pekin and
rising young lawyer. Mr.. Graf was
scheduled to deliver a speech on Wash
lngton. In the meantime the Republican
county committee met on the anniversary
date Of Washington's birth. to arrange
the preliminaries for the Congressional
convention. Mr., Graf was called upon
for speech, and he sprung a part OF
his Washington address on his political
friends 10 see how 1t would take, and they
Immediately started a boom for him for
Congress.
Mr. Gran is a member of the Commit
tee on Appropriations of the House OF
Representatives. and Of the Committee
on Education, having been chairman of
claims three terms, and a member of ag-
riculture. Recently he delivered the open
ing speech In the House when the fortif-
cations bill was up has always taken a
leading interest in the movement for an
sppropTiatiV9 of s3700000, for a deep
waterways from the lakes 10 the gulf by
way Of the Illinois River; represents a
district that includes city that sends
SS5,WQ,0oo annually in revenue taxes to
the national reasury-Peoria, the great
est alchohol center IN the world-a city.
too. that leads in churches and in small
percentage Of crime; is a rousing Pres
byterian and church worker, delivering
more addresses az public events in Wash
ington. perhaps than any other member.
and at home is called Joe" Graf. just
plain Joe
No member is more attentive 20 his
office duties. a few mornlRgs ago Mr..
Hoffman AIr. Nettleton, and Mr. Evans.
secretaries to Representative Chapman.
Madden, and Graf, respectively. entered
the HOUSE Office building at $50 0clOck.
and wese just in the act Of congratulating
themselves upon their early arrival. when
Mr. Graf emerged from the building and
said. Tate boys. I have half days
work already done"
Speaker Cannon still regards the ad-
tournment Of the House the other after
noon without a roll call as a huge joke
upon his old friend. John Sharp Williams.
He smiles benignly whenever it is men
toned, and refuses 10 believe for a mo-
ment that he and Sharp" have broken.
1t Will be just like him one Of these aft
ernoons to approach and extend his out
stretched hand again TO the Mississippian,
whereupon the two viii go of into some
and talk 1t over.
Some years ago Mr. Cannon and Col
Pete Hepburn. Of Iowa, had a terrible
run-in on the floor, and did not speak
for two or three weeks The closing day
Of the session came. and everybody was
fraternizing around the south end OF the
Capitol During a reCes. 10 enable the
Senate TO catch up, great outbuTst was
heard from the jOvC Us Representatives.
Right down In frOE Of the marble rOs-
trum, in sight Of everybody. the two old
warriors had come together.
They were shaking hands most demon
stratively, and advertising 10 the expir-
ing Congress that they had buried the
hatchet and were letting bygones be
bygOnes.
Ex-senator W. E. Chandler. OF New
used TO be about the only man
in either branch or Congress who could
write shorthand. It was g distinction IN
which he had some pride. The House IN
Mr.. Chambers time had one shorthand
writer, in the late Robert R. Hit Of Iii
nois. who reported the Lincoln-Douglas
and who told many reminiscen-
eies Of how he used to write out his notes
In the days before the invention of type
writing machines.
Now, there are several men IN the
House. almost adept enough at pothooks
and cranes. to take the jobs OF the corps
Of official reporters one Of them is Rep
resentative Wyatt Aiken, Of Abbevine,
S. c. His father was a Representative
in Congress before him, and while the
elder Aiken was serving here the present
Representative, as he tells In HIS official
acquired the art of writing
shorthand. Although Mr. Aiken has
been farmer all his life. and takes a
keen interest in everything pertaining to
agriculture, he announces in the same
biography that he was appointed an on
-iat Sv~il StSiio6i aP4itf III SVutn AdTOliDd.
and held the position for nineteen years" "
The greatest group Of pedestrians IN all
)fficial Washington comes from the hon
1rable justices OF the Supreme Court.
As far as known no one ever saw the
earned lay givers in rough attire head
ng for the fields and wild country just
beyond the city limits. Rarely does one
If them climb on horseback to eaper
along the avenues or in the parks There
5 nothing dramatic about their very dem
,eratic appearances for outdoor exercise.
Hardly an afternoon passes when the
sreat court has been in session and the
weather is good. but what a few OF the
nine justices hit the broad pavement at
he Peace Monument and amble In a dig
lihed way up Pennsylvania avenue. They
'roceed by imposing twos or threes-
hose who walk. Justices White and
Harlan. tall men and large men. topped
oy high silk hats. are as striking a
couple as ever parade that way. Justice
Holmes and Justice Brewer. equally tall
md elegant of attire. and even Justice
dcKenna, a man Of little stature. the
yuiV member of tho cnt1rf with a baa~7