The gold leaf., 1911-01-12
THE LATE SENATOR ELKINS
An Appreciation and a Brief Outline of
Ills Life.

An Appreciation and Brief Outline of
Ills Life.
The Washington correspondent oh
the Times-Dispatch writes OF him as
follows:
Genialty and practicability were
tne predominating traits in Senator
Eikln's character. He seldom was
without smile, and his prevailing
manner was courteous and svmpa-
thetic.
A man OF vast affairs outside the
Senate, and responsible there for i'm.
portant legislation he always had
time to give attention to the wants
OF his constituents and of his friends.
During large part OF the time OF
his service in the Senate Mr.. Elkins
was chairman of the important COM
mlttee on Interstate Commerce. As
the head OF this great committee, he
had charge o. the Hepburn rate regu-
lation bill OF 1907 and OF the admin
istration bill of 1910. A railroad
builder and owner himself, Mr.. FL
kins had intimate knowledge OF all
the questions affected by the legisla-
tion.
de was the outspoken champion of
the bill OF 1910, and as such fought
Tor its passage night and day for
many months. Mr.. Elkins would
not allow differences OF opinion to
make enemies, and he was as popu-
lar on the Democratic as on the Re-
publican side OF the Senate chamber.
1t was the late Senator Dolliver, Of
Iowa, who declared that In putting
| through the administration bill the
| West Virginia Senator had perform
ed the hardest task which had been
undertaken by any Senator for thirty
years.
Among the achievements standing
to Senator Elkin's credit IA the pas
sage OF the Elkins antitrust bill,
soon after he entered the Senate; in
Vulnerable material amendments to
the railroad bills OF 1907 and 1910,
and many notifications OF the tariff.
de it was who first suggested the use
OF the corps OF engineers OF the army
in building the Panama Canal.
Mr.. Elkins was born in Ohio in
1S41. While still very young he
went with his fathers family to
Missouri. He was one OF the first
graduates from the UniverOity OF
Missouri. and as early rs 1864 went
to New Mexico, where he lived for a
number OF years, becoming in success
sion attorney-general, United States
district attorney, Territorial Senator
and delegate in Congress from that
Territory.
| While serving as delegate In Con-
gress, Mr.. Elkins married the eldest
daughter Of Henry Gassaway Davis,
then Senator from West Virginia.
Soon after his marriage he establish
ed his home in that State, and there
he built up a great fortune, largely
through the development of the nat.
ural resources OF the State.
The Republican party iu West Vir-
ginia owes much TO Mr.. Elkins.
From the time he settled there
he was active in promoting the
party interests, and brought bis
State into the fold. He became chair
man OF the Republican National
Committee which elected Benja-
min Harrison to the presidency,
and become Mr.. Harrison's Secretary
of War. His first election to the Sen
ate took place In 1896.
SEIZED AS A SPY.
While residing in Missouri, Mr.. FL
kins taught school, and to this cir
cumstance owed his escape from one
OF the most thrilling situations OF his
eventful life. Riding one day toward
the close of the Civil War along a
lonely road In the western part of the
State, he was seized by g. squad from
the band of the Confederate leader
Quantrell. He was charged with
being a spy, and the penalty was
death. Fortunately for Elkins, he
was placed In the care Of two broth
ers, who recognized the young man
as their former teacher. Approaching
his peril, they contrived his escape.
The Senator's new-found friends were
Jim and Cole Younger, who after
ward became notorious as the most
daring OF the band OF outlaws led by
the James brothers. When, after
the close OF the war, the Youngers
were captured and sent to prison on
a lifs sentence for robbing d bank I'm
Minnesota, Mr.. Elkins recalled their
kindness to him. He exerted his III
inence to procure their release and
ultimately succeeded.
Mr.. Elkins was u consistent advo-
cate Of statehood for New Mexico,
and came very near having the Ter
| ritory admitted In 1876.