Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-21
Sc YEARS OF SERVICE
Shelby N. CuIIom's Public Ca
reer Began in 1858,
I'M TWENTY-FOURTH YEAR
Will Celebrate Eightieth Birthday
Anniversary Tomorrow.
GREAT EVENTS HE WITNESSED
Regards Governorship of Illinois as
Greatest Office in Gift Of
His Constituents.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
Shelby NJ Cullom, United States SEN
ator from Illinois, was born in Wayne
county. KY, November 90. 1920, and
therefore will be eighty years old the
22d of this month. He entered public
life in 1853, when he was twenty-four
years old. as prosecuting attorney of the
city of Springfield. ILL.,, and has been
serving either in the legislature of his
state or the Congress of the United
States or as Governor of Illinois contin-
uously ever since, a period of f1fty-six
years. I cannot find that any other man in
American history has served the public
as long as he. 1t is f1fty-three years
since he was elected to the twentieth
general assembly of Illinois. and forty
four years since he took his seat in the
national House of Representatives. If
he serves out the term for which he has
been elected. he will have given sixty
years, a full three-score, to the public
service.
John Sherman did not begin his public
life until he was elected to Congress, and
took his seat in the Thirty-fourth House
of Representatives in 1860, serving con-
tlHuOuSly III Ildt DOuy III tlle oeH-
ate except during the four years while
he was Secretary of the Treasury, and
a little more than year while he was
Secretary of State, altogether a period of
thirty-eight years.
William B. Allison came into public
life when he was elected to the Thirty
eighth Congress, and served continuously
in one or the other of the two houses
until his death in 1908. a period of forty
four years.
Legislator in 1856.
Il took my seat in the general assem-
bly, of Illinois in 1856" said Mr.. Cullom
yesterday. Gen. Thomas j. Henderson
of Princeton. ILL.,, is the only other man
1 remember now living. who served in
that assembly. He was in the senate
and 1 was In the house. DR.. William
Jayne Of Springfield is the only man l
can remember now living who served with
me In the twenty-second general assem-
| bly,. He served in the senate and I in
the house. of which I was speaker
When Mr.. Cullom took his seat in the
fax was Speaker. Justin s. Morrill, of
Vermont was chairman and James A.
| Garfield. Roscoe Conkling. John Went
worth and William E. Allison were pem-
| bers of the committee of ways and
means Thaddeus Stevens was chairman
Of the committee on appropriations, and
John A. Kasson, who is still living in
Washington, and Henry j. Raymond,
editor of the New York Times, were the
| leading men on that committee. Elhu
| Washburn was chairman Of the commit
| tee on commerce; Ebon c. Ingersoll of
| Illinois. brother of Robert ]. Ingersoll.
| was chairman of the committee for the
| District of Columbia. James F. Will
son of Iowa and George F. Boutwell, of
Massachusetts were the leading men on
the Judiciary committee; William Win
dom was at the head Of Indian affairs;
Gen. Robert c. Schenck was chairman
OF military affairs, and James G. Blaine
was last but one on that committee.
The foreign affairs committee was pre-
sided over by Nathaniel p Banks, and
Shelby M. Cullom and William f. Dodge
OF New York were the tailenders. Mf.
Kasson was chairman Of the committee
on coinage. weights and measures: Ruth
erford B. Hayes of Ohio. afterward presi-
dent, was chairman of the committee on
| library. and James G. Blaine was chair
| man of the committee on war debts of
the loyal states; Edward Mcpherson was
| clerk of the House, and n. G. Ordway
was sergeant-at-arms.
Mr. Cuilom lived at 391 G street, Mr..
Blaine at 892 Fourth street. Mr.. Conkling
at Willard Hotel, Mr.. Hayes at 452 18th
! street. but nearly all members Of the
| House lived in the neishborhood of the
| Capitol.
Meets William e. Chandler.
Senator Cullom says that the first off,
cial Of the executive departments that he
became acquainted with was William e.
Chandler then assistant secretary of the
| treasury. residing at 451 14th street. Hav-
| ing some business in the department for
a constituent. he inquired at the door
| whom he should see and was directed
| to Mr.. Chandler. The latter received him
| cordially, and attended promptly to the
business upon which he called And it is
| coincidence that Mr.. Chandler is the
| Of that day who is living now. Andrew
| Johnson was President. William II. Sc
| ward, Secretary of State; Hugh McCul-
| loch. Secretary of the Treasury; Edwin
] NJ. Stanton, Secretary of War; Gideon
Wells, Secretary of the Navy; .. IL.