Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-05-12
A. ]. Anders for Congress.

A. ]. Anders for Congress.
A. j. Anders of Oelwein, Iowa, demo-
cratic candidate for congress in the
Fourth district of Iowa, was born of
German parentage near New Philadel-
phia, Ohio, in 1850, and is the son Of
Amariah Anders and Mary Qmler) An
ders. His father was laboring man
and depended upon his daily labor for
living. The father died June 5, 1861,
and by the death of his father Mr.. An
ders was left at an early age to make
his own way in the world, unaided by
fortune or friends. He was obliged to
work at whatever he could find to do.
In 1866 he went to Council Bluffs, Ia,
where he was variously employed for
three years in breaking prairie, railroad
ing on construction on other lines in the
summer season, and in the winter he
worked in the timber along the Mis-
souri, river, chopping cordwood and
hauling logs.
then returned to Buchanan county, Ia,
where he had lived on arriving in the
stale in 1858. After attending the In
dependence high school, he entered Hop
kinton College, and after one term in
that institution became student in
the Iowa State Agricultural college at
Ames in 1872, which he attended until
1874, teaching school at intervals to
meet expenses.
In 1875 he located in Fayette county,
Iowa, on rented farm, which he farm
ed one year. In 1876 he moved to the
16O-acre farm he now owns, four miles
north of Oelwein, Iowa, and operated
it for ten years. He had determined
to qualify himself for the legal profess
sion, and to that end studied as oppor-
tunity afforded. In September 1882,
he was admitted to the bar, and enter
ed upon the practice of his profession,
having his office on the farm, at his
residence for while. In 1886, he
moved to Oelwein, Iowa, where he has
since lived. He made the practice Of
the law his main business until 1904,
since which other matters have taken
up most of his time. Soon after the
Aetna State Bank of Oelwein, Iowa,
was Incorporated in 1895, he became its
president, and still holds this position.
In his political affiliations Mr.. Anders
has always been democrat, and mani
tested an interest in the success Of his
party, but never sought public Office
While on the farm he was elected town
ship clerk on the democratic ticket bu1
did not qualify for the Office. In his
absence from the city he was elected
member of the Oelwein school board
and became its president and took much
interest in the schools of the city, ane
was one of the nine citizens Of Oelwei1
that built the fine brick college build
ing for the Iowa Normal College a
Oelwein in 1891.
In 1899 he made his first appearance
in state politics, going as delegate
from his county to the democratic state
convention at Sioux City which nomi
mated Horace Boies for governor. He
has attended nearly every democratic
state convention since. His party
without his knowledge nominated hin
for District Judge but he declined t
run. In 1900 he represented his distric
at the national convention at Kansa
Z City. He is true friend, and a fai
antagonist. His life has been an opel
book, and no one need long be ii
doubt as to his convictions on any sub
ject, as he is out-spoken and candid
and will fight for what in his opinion
he deems to be right. He is grea
friend of William Jennings Bryan, AM
belongs to the Bryan wing of his party
Mr.. Anders has grown up to manhood
and passed onward in the rugged path
way of life, in the stern school of ex
perience, fitted to meet emergencie
with unfinching courage, and should h
win out in the unequal contest engages
in at present, the fourth district o
Iowa will have an honest, able and I'm
firing advocate at Washington. -Tele
graph-H Herald.