Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-21
NEW congressman.
NOT OVERMODEST
Write of Their Achievements
for the Latest Issue of Con-
gressionaI Directory.
LAFFERTY HOLDS RECORD
FOR CARE AS TO DETAIL
Some of the Budding Statesmen Pre-
dict That They Have Brilliant
Futures Before Them.

Modesty Is not the predominant fea-
ture in the biographies of new members
OF Congress, as shown in the Congress
sional Directory for the present session,
issued today. 1t is easy to pick out the
new members. as a rule. by the TACT
that their biosra phies are longer than
those OF such members as Representative
Underwood, Representative Mann and
other veterans. The new members have
gone into great detail to how they
happened to come to Congress. and some
of them predict considera BILE success for
themselves. Some give their own bust
nesses a few lines of advertising in the
pages of the directory. giving the names
and addresses of mercantile companies,
law firms. mines. etc
The bogra phical material for the d-
rectory is furnished by the congressman
themselves. and therefore has first-hand
claim 10 authenticity. SO that when one
Kansas that Ibis political success is al
most without parallel in the history of the
state it comes from the fountain source Of
knowledge concerning Senator Thompson,
who further writes about himself: "It is
acknowledged by all who know him that
senator he will not only bring credit
and honor to himself. but to the state
and nation as we'll
Lafferty Holds Record.
While most of the long winded lauda-
tons as to public character are confined
to the new members. the longest biog-
raphy in the book, and the one filled with
more family details than any other is
that Of Representative Lafferty of Oregon.
who came for the first time last Con-
gress Mr. Laffertys biography is some
thing in the nature of family tree He
tells where all his brothers and sisters
were born and where he was born: where
all the folks are living now; where his
various forbears We're born and what
they did to distinguish themselves and
prepare the family name for so illustrious
a descendant. Many of his kinsmen have
followed the art of war; even his brother
Rolla, who is mentioned in the directory
as having enlisted when but seventeen
years of age and who left the army with
private. Mr. Lafferty himself a ma
tional guardsman. When he entered on
his life work of service to the public lie
was in the government employ. a special
agent in the general land office. What
he did to right the wrongs of the settlers
in the far northwest and to prevent the
government from being robbed of an en-
perors ransom is all told in detail.
To show that success has not turned
his head Mr. Lafferty remarks that his
full name is Abraham Walter Lafferty,
that his friends call him Walter and that
his signature is simply A. W. Lafferty.
Newspaper Men in Congress.
The directory shows many a newspaper
man who has tired of fighting the enemy
with the typewriter. and who has gone
into the battle of ballots as candidate.
Representative Kavanaugh Of Arkansas
is the first one to come to light in the
book. He says he has held every position
on the Arkansas Gazette from reporter
to editor and manager. Representative
Heating was an active reporter and edf-
tor for twenty years in Colorado. before
he decided to represent district from
that state. LEngle of Florida says he
has had considerable trouble running his
papers.
I'm his determination to establish
free journal in Florida. says the biog-
raphy "he was twice forced to suspend
publication because special interests OBJ
iected to the truth about public affairs.
His third journal Dixie. published weekly,
appears to be strong enough to live
Mr.. j. Engle also SAYS that he studied
in the public schools of Florida "and is
still trying to get an education.
Representative Albert Johnson of the
state of Washington was Z reporter and
night editor of morning paper in this
city during the Spanish American war
Clyde Tavenner of Illinois, who writes
pieces for several papers even now that
he is a member of Congress. uses the di-
rectory to advertise his business. and to
tell the world that he can furnish live
Washington topics for pay. He says he
was DESTROYS of writing political articles
unhampered by the policy Of any paper
and therefore got into the business of
sending out independent signed articles.
He met with many reflections and blames
all his rejection slips on the courageous
attitude hetook in writing.
He Defied the Editors.