The Washington herald., 1908-02-23

until 1851. and then only as far West as
the State which he represents in the Sen
ate, still Colorado was very much pioneer
country in those days. and Teller was one
OF its pioneer legal lights and railroad
builders; from 1865 to 1870 he was presi-
dent Of the Colorado Central Railroad.
Elected Senator when Colorado came into
the Union. and taking his seat i'm De-
cember, 1876, he has remained a Senator
ever since. excepting. OF course. the
period from April. 1852, to March. ISIS.
when he was Secretary Of the Interior
under Arthur
Like Stewart and Jones, Teller became
q Republican at the party's organization.
and left when the silver question came
20 the fore. Unlike them, he has not re-
turned to his old allegiance. and the last
time he was reelected 10 the Senate it
was as Democrat. Until he became
Senator he had never held a political Of
nce' thus he has held only two political
Offices in his thirty-odd years in Office.
Unlike the average pioneer, Teller never
Succumbed 20 the mining fever. In
TACT. he has been Overcautious in mining
matters, if anything. The tale is told of
him that a quarter OF a century or so
IrlefluS.
in whom he had implicit confidence. 10
buy third Of a certain mine in which
they were going TO invest Teller fought
shy; he didn't have the money. and he
would not think OF giving his note. The
mine yielded a fortune 10 the friends in
few years The Senator is seventy
seven, and in appearance reminds one OF
Baptist minister Of the old school. his
clerical dress helping out the resemblance.
He was born and raised in New York
State, moved TO Illinois as a young man.
and from there carried his law books
to Colorado.
ID. o. Mills Goes West.
ID. o. Mills. who threw up a cIerksbin
in New York. and went west by the
Panama route in 1s4S and became the
Coasts pioneer fnancier and banker:
Claus Sprcckels, the German immigrant
who started as 3 small storekeeper In
San Francisco in 1856 and became the
Coasts first sugar refiner; James B. Har-
gin, Kentucky-bOrn. who tossed aside his
law books OF Natehez, Miss. when word
was passed around OF the California gold
discoveries, and year later was well
started on his career Of accommodating a
fortune by mining-these are three other
well-known pioneers who are still with
US, and whose careers read much like
stories from Arabian Nights" Mills
is now eighty-two. the Oldest Of all the
best-known pioneers. Haggin has lived
decade over mans allotted span and
Spreckles lacks one year or being the
same age.
ASK the school youngster of the North
west who is the cOuntry's greatest living
pioneer, and every chick and child will
shout, James ]. HILL" He Is that re-
gion's great transportation pioneer, no
doubt about that
Then there is Ezra Meeker. The old
farmer isn't as famous or as rich as
any Of the other pioneers here mentioned.
but he is prouder of the title Oregon
trail man. than he would be. probably.
OF million or two in his own name.
Years ago. when Oregon was the Mecca
of thousands of restless Americans.
Meeker went there over the Oregon trail
Last fall he completed a trip east to
Washington from the Pacific Coast over
the old trail. He made the trim in a
prairie schooner, a replica OF the one in
which he and his wife went West in 1S52
when he was twenty-five. This latter-day
pilgrimage he undertook in the interests
Of the movement TO get Congress to put
through DILL making the famous old
trail a national highway Meeker's trip
ended with hearty reception by the
President, and the long, white-whiskered.
hardy old pioneer and his yoke OF oxen
also met with hearty reception all
along the route. The trail Is now marked
with all sorts Of monuments erected BY
Meeker during his trip. It took him al
most two years 20 reach the White House
with bis schooner" and his oxen.
kcoyrdsht, LOS, by Dexter Marshanl