The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-28
POPULAR CLERK
 OF THE HOUSE Alexander Mcdowell Is a Re-
 publican AND BORN STORY ETELLER He Is Also a shrewd Politician-Next to Speaker He Is the Most Re- sponsibe Official in the
 Lower House.
From the Washington Herald.

From the Washington Herald.
 Next below the speaker the most i'm portant office in the organization of the House of Representatives is the clerk. That fact may or may not be the reason why the incumbents have been sons of Pennsylvania since the close of the civil war; but the fact remains that such has been the case. First came Edward Me Emerson of Gettysburg, who for nearly 20 years reigned in the little room off Statu- ary Hall Then came James Kerr of Clearfield, who for two terms took charge of the bills and kept the secrets of a democratic Congress.
 And now we come to the third and latest But to start the story in the proper place we must needs turn back the pages of the Congressional Directory to the days of the Fifty-third Congress, where fame has set indelibly though somewhat indiseriminately the names and legends of James Donald Cameron, Mat thew Stanley Quay, William Lilley, Charles O'Neill, Alfred C. farmer and Mayor Reyburn. There, branded as an orator of the class of the present day, Cochran, Bailey and Beveridge, shone
  A, banker, raconteur. bon vivant, jour nalist, and besides many other things an incurable republican.
 Fortunes of War
 At the expiration of the Fifty-third Congress the fortunes of war-an explana- ton covering any and every vicissitude of political life-deserted the major and smiled on George F. Huff of Greensburg. Major Mcdowell as a congressman was then but reminiscence. The retirement of James Kerr as clerk of the House at the simultaneous and possibly psychologi- l cal moment, blazed the trail from the House to the little entry way in Statuary Hall, and the major found his road to sharon, Pa blocked by four brown walls i and great wide window that presented a l sweeping view of the Congressional Libra l ry and the wide rolling streets of South east Washington Official Washington, to a man, hoped he would stay there. He stayed. He has done more than that. He has created for himself the rather enyiable reputation of becoming the most competent to say nothing of the most popular clerk that the House has had.
 A Capital Story Teller.
 Mcdowell was born in Franklin, Ve- mango county, on the 4th of March, 1S45 His grandparents and their broods were born in Philadelphia, of Quaker City par ents Mcdowell, pere. while a printer by profession, was eongenitally politician, and piled his mechanical art dexterously in spreading broadcast through the wild cat" district of Pennsylvania the glory of the then still infantile republican party.
 Spurred to adoring imitation by the fame of his father-for even Senator Quay referred with dignifed pride to the name of Parker McDowell-young Alexander de- serted the little white school house on Main street, Franklin, where he was .'show scholar" on the days when the di- rectors called for the office of the Ve- mango Citizen the first newspaper of the coanty. Speedily the training of young AEcDowell manifested itself. At the age of IA he was crying from stump tops the peris and only salvation of the country, and lined the coonskin caps of the corner store patriots with stand-pat ideas long before the term became a national slogan.
 Most Popular Clerk.
 Alexander "set type" for the Citizen long enough to see It's owner, c. P. Rams baugh, defeated for governor of Virginia, his native state see him gored to death bv prize steer at the county fair. and print his obituary. Establishing himself as editor of the journal, MeDowell then began the life of political activity which for several reasons is probably one of the most remarkable of any of the Pennsyl- vania politicians.
 Reared politically under the powerful wing of the Quay regime, the wonder grows that Major MeDowell has held but one office within the dispensation of pop ular disposition. He was elected congress- man-at-arge. His present position was granted by the House. He ran for Con- gress once again. split in the party caused his downfall. Whether discouraged at the unexpected reverse or not, he made no further efforts to corner the popular vote for any office
 MrToUfJl ie laaSt rn- bilious of men. With all due respect, 1t must be added that this lack of aggres- siveness is to the casual observer alto- gether of physical nature. His quiescent urbanity precludes to the same person the possibility of going deeper than the sur face He is slow in speech and manner. Almost careless in his attitude toward current incidents he gives one the inn precision of being perfectly satisfied to lie back in his chair and swap stories of sa- cred vintage with his callers.
 He Enters Politics.
 An example of this quality per- fectly exemplifed as I sat at his desk trying to induce him to drop the all too apparent assumption of nonchalance and speak to me he would and does to General Grosvenor, Hoke Smith. Binger Hermann and General Keller An excited telephone voice, that could be heard all over the room, cold him that the Dewey hotel was on fire. The major lives at the Dewey hotel. Cant you put it out?" was the quiet demand. They're trying to- shouted the voice. ''Tell 'em to keep trying" said the major, and stalked slow Iy back to his chair and to all appear ances forgot the incident.
 He is q good looking man, although he wears one of those hirsute appendages from his chin the use and beauty of which nobody has successfully defended He is big physically, and his Race gives the lie to the figures of Father Time. He dresses with utmost carerulness, ana IS celebrated for his extensive wardrobe.
 Some people have attributed his lack of political ambition to the fact that he has become wealthy through his banking venture. Mcdowell engaged in the bank ing business in Sharon in 1870, just four years after he married Lavina Titus, a Titus of Titusvlle. So successful was the sharon National bank that soon Squire Mcdowell was man of financial as well as political affluenee With the acquisi- ton of wealth came the all too closely af- filiated lassitude and right then and there ambition and Mcdowell quarreled.
 During the civil war he distinguished himself in the 121st Pennsylvania Volun- teers. His anecdotes of the are with