The Washington herald., 1911-01-31
DICKINSON Is SIXTY
Secretary of War Celebrates
His Natal Day.
KEIFER HALE AND HEARTY
Furthermore. Representative from
Ohio, Seventy-Ave Years Old, Has
BackH-Representa Bartlett and
Others Will Celebrate To-day.

Secretary Jacob McGavock Dickinson
who wields the power in the War Depart.
ment, celebrated his sixtieth birthday
yesterday, and Representative Joseph
Warren Keifer. of Springfield. Ohio. also
received congratulations for having
reached his seventy fifth year.
Representative Keifer is a hale and
hearty member of the House, and dis
last election.
Representative Charles Lafayette Bart
lett Democrat, Of Macon, Ga, is fifty
eight years old to-day and other members
of the House who are celebrating are
Representative John Hopkins Foster, of
Evansville. Ind, who was born January
81. 1862, and Representative Charles F.
Booher, OF Savannah, Ga. who will be
sixty-three years old to-day
Rides Horseback.
Secretary Dickinson proved yesterday
that despite his threescore years he was
as fit as ever to indulge in his usual
morning horseback ride. Every morn
ing the Secretary may be seen galloping
through the parks sitting in his saddle
with the same ease and grace as in his
Nos "iitii ile StI Yea part
Of the civil war as a Confederate soldier
Instead of spending his birthday at
home, however, the Secretary was at his
office promptly on the hour, and found
congratulatory messages from the Pres
ident and his associates in the Cabinet
as well as scores of notes and telegrams
from friends the country over. He opened
them all and then dug into his work with
a spirit that belied his sixty years.
Secretary Dickinson comes from good
old Southern stock, with Virginia blood
from his fathers side and Tennessee
from his mothers. He was born jan
uary so. 1851. in the midst of a slave
holding community. in Columbus. Miss
where his father, Henry Dickinson, had
moved from Ohio. after leaving his Vir-
g1nia home in early youth
The future Secretary led the usual life
of young Southern boy, and before he
had barely reached fourteen years of age
became so imbued with the war spirit
that his father could no longer keep MIN
at home, and he joined the Mississippi
volunteers, serving in the vicinity of
Columbus. 1t was in this manner during
early youth that he gained that fighting
tenaclty that has marked his determina-
ton and career before the bar ever since.
One of the Fortunates.
Representative Bartlett is one of the
few fortunate Congressman who can
boast of receiving every vote cast at
the primary election. which is going
some, when it is taken into consideration
that 12.765 voters availed themselves of
the privilege of depositing their ballots
This is conceded to be a political phe-
nomenon. but to cap the climax the cleo
ton which followed was unanimous.
there being no opposing candidate and
no votes cast for any other person.
Mr.. Bartlett was born at Monticello.
Jasper County, Ga In 1875 he removed
from there to Macon, where he has lived
ever since. He was educated in the pub
lie schools, the University Of Georgia,
and the University of Virginia, gradu-
atlng from both. When nineteen wears
old he was admitted to the bar, and at
tWenty-four was appointed solicitor gen.
eral for the Macon judicial court He
was Twenty-Five years of age when first
elected to the house of representatives
Of Georgia, being reelected three sue
cessive terms. In 1855 and 1889 he was
elected to the State senate. and shortly
before he became forty years of age was
elected judge of the Superior Court of
the Macon circuit. which Office he re-
signed little over a year afterward.
He was nominated by the Democrats
as a candidate for Congress, and was
elected to the Fifty-fourth, Fffty-fifth,
tffty-sixth, Fifty-seventh. Fifty-eighth, |
Sixtieth. SiXty-first and Six
ty-second Congresses