Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-11-28

and in the north and south.
Fought Side by Side in War.
The friendship between Harrison and
Ransdell began during the early years OF
their lives. Col. Ransdell was in that
famous 10th Indiana Regiment which was
| commanded by Col. Benjamin Harrison
When the war was over and the two men
returned to the pursuits of peace in In
dianapoliS the friendship continued, aho
| it never Jagged 1t is related that Gen
| Harrison was presiding over county
convention out in Indiana before Whlch
! Col RanSdell was one of SIX candidates
| for one of the nominations to be deter
| mined by the convention. Just at the
| time for the nominations Gen. Harrison
! stepped to the front of the platform and
| began a description of Col Ransdell, end
| ing with:
He was one of the bravest OF the sons
| of Indianapolis and he gave a bread
| winning arm for the cause he believed
was right" And Gen. Harrison escorted
| Col. Ransdell to the front of the stage
and held up the handless right arm The
convention deiega les went wild with the
| appeal, forgot the other candidates and
| nominated Col. Ransdell by reclamation.
Col. Ransdell too. did much for Gen:
Harrison, and some of his friends say
| that it was Ransdel that really won
| Harrison the republican nomination that
put Harrison in the White House.
Ransdell was power in Indiana poll
| tics. and he worked increasingly for Har-
| rison. Ransdell was one of what was
known as the "slick six of Indiana, and
| that group was credited with debating
| political developments in the Hoosier
commonwealth. His interest and activ
| ty in Indiana politics continued up to
the very end of his life He returned to
indianapolis this fall to register SO that
| he could vote in the recent election, but
his illness prevented him from carrying
| out his wish to cast a ballot.
Born in Indiana Seventy Years Ago.
Col. Ransdell was born in Indiana near
indianapolis June Is, 1912 and was there
fore seventy years of age. He was the
son of John H. and Mary E. (Grubbs)
Ransdell. He attended the common
schools during the winter and worked on
a farm during the summer until he was
sixteen years of age. when he entered
years, teaching school during the winters
he was at college, he enlisted in the army
and served as a private and non-commis-
stoned officer.
In the battle of Resaca. May u, 1864.
| he lost his right arm. When he realized
the damage done by the shot that went
| through his forearm. his first thought
was of his mother. He knew she would
! hear of it and would worry; so he de-
termined to write her a letter. But it was
is right hand that was gone and he had
never written with his left hand before.
| We'll, I've got to learn to use that left
hand. he thought to himself. And he
used it well in preparing a letter to his
mother
At the close of the war he took a COM
mercial course in a business college and
took up the business of teaching for
year. He then he'd his first public office,
that of deputy recorder of Marion county.
Ind. He was elected city clerk of India
napolis in 1861 and reelected in 1869. He
served in the city council of the city for
two years and engaged in the wholesale
trade. following which he served four
years as clerk of the courts in Marion
county. He was appointed by the COVER
nor member of the board of commits
sioners to erect soldiers monument in
Indianapolis.
His prominence and activity in Indiana
politics are to be shown not only in the
public offices which he held, but by the
further fact that for years he was a
member of the republican state COM
mittee.
Appointed in Senate in 1900.
1t was in 1889 that he was appointed
! United States marshal for the District,
and he served until January, 1894 He
was elected sergeant-at-arms of the Sem
ate January %, 1900, and has held the
Office since. During that time he has
had charge of many of the arrange
ments for the inaugurations of Presi-
dents and Vice Presidents and for many
of the other congressional ceremonials.
! His consciousness in his official po-
sitiOn was the subject of much COM
ment and praise on the part of senators
and other officials of Congress. In his
| office he was loved; his assistants point
to the fact that he never uttered a cross
| word to any of them. 1t was said at the
| Capitol today that his term of office as
sergeant-at-arms is the longest on record.
| His last official act was to select the
page boys for the coming session of Con-
gress. In making the choices for page
boys he was always very particular. He
favored boys who helped widowed moth
ers or had some one dependent upon
them. His last selection was made be-
cause the grandmother Of the boy was
blind and he was helpinN to cheer the
sightless declining years of the grand
| parent. The appointment was made
While he was on his deathbed.
| During his many years of residence in
| Washington Col Ransdell held a wide
circle of friends and had several local
business interests. For several years he
was president of the Blue Ridge Rod and
Gun Club. to which many local business
men belong, and he enjoyed his visits to
its clubhouse.