Bisbee daily review., 1911-08-19
VICTOR MURDOCH
By sAvoYARD

as well as printer Not only was he sprightly. but he was popular. There was an individuality about him that made him a marked man ere he had emerged from his teens. His ambition was literature He never thought Of the army. or navy, or a lag office. or a business career He dii not intend to be a politician or clergyman. or 2 physician or a clergyman. lie diI have ambition at one time 10 be an actor. and certain it is he would have made a success an tue histronic stage. Strength. health, energy, indus try, persistence, brigh' mind, Joy ful heart. a laughing face are his, and there is no sort of doubt among those who have met him that 0n the stage he would have been the equal of that other Murdock Of whom the world has heard so much.
 Victor was of a literary turn. Of course as chap, he read his share Of all the trash the others of us read in youth: but fortunately his father
 had gathered an admirable library in which were numerous English clas- sics, especially sterling fiction. These the boy devoured and they were of immense benefit to him in his sub
 sequent career.
 At Is young Murdock became a reporter on a Chicago daily and here
 he turned his hand to all sorts. Of jobs
 assigned him by the despot in author fly. He became a firstclass political
 reporter and was sent to Ohio to le- late the story of McKinley's first cam paign for governor. which everybody knew was a skirmish preceding iu- ture presidential struggle, and subse- anently he was of the very elite of the newspaper men who reported the first
 Bryan campaign.
 Yet it never entered MurdocN 8 mind to be a stateman. There was nothing in the strife to appeal 10 his taste. Later he went back 10 Wichita and took control of his fathers paper and did much to give the Eagle the national reputation it enjoys. In 1902 the republicans of his district held q convention to nominate a candidate 1 for congress. The young editor was no
 more a candidate for that nomination 1 than he was for cardinal; but in a
 field of eighteen he was chosen and
 he has been four times renominated and reelected.
 When he got here he was bewlld- cred, but not so much so that he did not discover the machine. Made a
 member of postoffices and postroads, he was the man who got after the rail
 roads for their system of contracting ! with the department. He saw the enor- mouse advisor we heard so much about which cost the people S5,000. GOO annually. He sought to have it cor rected and only eighteen stood with | him. Then he attacked the autocratic powers of the speaker and kept it up until victory came, as it ever come s to such a quarrel in a country like ours. And it is pleasant to note that ] the department, at his instance, cor rected that advisor" joke and thus i the man has certainly earned his salt | at least
 i He is a strong character. He is a l force in congress. He is the Murat of | the insuTgent squad. He is the in f trepid and relentless. He cares not a rap for defeat. It only makes him the
 more resolute for another assault. He
 has been a power for good and has ac' l complished reforms undreamed Of
 only some few years ago.
 
 l I was attracted to him by his splen i. did speech on the wool schedule. II 1 contained statements that ought to i have startled the country. As this is
 an age of investigation, am at loss to eonjure why congress did not order
 an investigation of the worsted trust
 which Murdock showed is preying or
 the poor with perfect impunIty.
 am sorry that my acquaintance
 with the great insurgent is so limited
 have seen him but twice But he is tremendous force.