Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-23

to the color of that flaming and garish green
indicative of envy, jealousy, and vain regret;
for Mr. Burke, since the time he began to
practise law in Pittsburgh has had Brum
mel and all the other dudes of history faded
into the penumbral shadows OF wan and
pallid colors.
Some years ago he approached the rainbow
with calm and judicial eye, and learned all
about the science combination, and concord
of colors Then he made a pilgrimage
through the silvered glamour of moonlight
nights, such nights as are full OF purple
shadows, mellow radiance, and elusive lights.
The fruits of his journeys are his costumes.
But the ripping harmony of Mr. Burke's
raiment is merely the establishment OF his
powerful personality. He sits now in high
place; but he took long trip to get there,
for, in every sense of the word, he began his
career at the bottom. He founded the rec
ord of his legislative achievements and sar-
torial splendor on the pennies he saved from
backing boots, and graduating from this
line of endeavOr, he amaSSed more money
by selling newspapers. After that his race
up the steep and spiral pathway of success
created the impression that his motive
power was sixty horsepower automobile.
In keeping with the eternal fitness of
things, he was born in Petroleum Center,
PENNSYLVANIA, and nowadays he IS one of
the Republicans employed to round up the
boys" and pour oil on the troubled waters
when there is threat of disagreement among
the members of his party in the House. He
has the distinction of having been the young
est man ever chosen for the position of sec
rotary to the Republican National Com
mittee. In Chicago, the scene of the nomi-
nation of President Taft, he made last
ing impression as a manipulation OF votes
and organizer of men in his attempt to land
the big honor for Philander Chase Knox.
On the floor of the House the young
Pennsylvania is known as a convincing
speaker and an untiring worker. When
there is anything brought up affecting Penn
sylvania in particular or Pittsburgh in gen.
eral, he is in the front of the fray with re-
sounding voice, his figure prominent because
of it's faultless attire his necktie command
ing the attention of his fellows. When the
War Department gave its permission for the
establishment of public playground on a
military reservation in Pittsburgh, the Presi
dent made speech at its opening. Among
other things he said:
"You, Ladies and Gentlemen, have been
very kind in giving me such hearty and
enthusiastic reception but the man for
whom you should do the cheering, the man
who has made this playground possible for
the children of your city, is Jim Burke. The
people of Pittsburgh can scarcely realize the
value of his services on the floor of the
House and in Washington generally
After he had educated himself by working
all day and studying far into the night, he
stepped into the hubbub and smoke of
Pittsburgh as a full fedged lawyer brim-
ming over with ambition and poverty. For
a few years he gave phenomenal and real
istic imitation of man deeply enamored of
the gentle and tedious art of starvation but
later things began to come his way and he
formed the law firm to which he still belongs.
When Mr.. Knox left the United States
Senate to become Secretary of State, Burke
was put forward by a number of his friends
as the best man Pennsylvania had to offer
for the vacant seat Some of the Bosses
however, took a look at him, INDUCED in a
second glance, and then informed him that
:. he looked too young for the job Paraphras-
ing the language of a garrulous but eloquent
Englishman, Burke explained that his youth
was thing that he would attempt neither
to paliate nor to deny; but that, when age
; had put upon his bullying brow the benedic-
ton of gray hair, he would develop unprece-
denied speed as an added start in the race
for senatorial honors. His friends say today
the only thing that can keep him out of
the upper House is the grave, and they add,
incidentally, that his health is wonderfully
GOOD