The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-02-25
men WHO HAVE ASCENDED
LADDER OF FAME

When the Democrats of the north
western part of the United States set
about the task of selecting a cab
met for. President e1ect Wilson, with
the charitable idea of saving that gem
tleman lot of bother, many differ
ences of opinion developed, but there
was substantial agreement on one
point, viz: that John Burke, Of Dew
IFS Lake, N. D., was entitled by all
the rules of law and evidence to a
portfolio. Moreover, they knew a
job that would fit said Mr.. Burke to a
T, viz; Secretary of Agriculture. And
so the matter was decided, lacking
only the minor detail of Mr.. wilson's
acquiescence.
Mr. Burke will be the recipient of
birthday congratulations to-day, this
being the fifty-fourth anniversary of
his birth in Keokuk county, Iowa. Al
though a Democrat, he has been three
times elected governor of his adopted
State, North Dakota, which proves
that he is a popular man. His quail
i1cations as the successor of ''Tama
Jim Wilson, of Iowa, as head of the
agricultural department, are not glar-
ingly apparent to the nude eye, as he
has been a lawyer since early man
hood. In his youth he had some ex-
perience as a son of the soil, but that
was before he went to the State Uni
versity and had LID. tackled to the
end of his name. He began the prac-
tice of law in Des Moines, but remov-
ed to North Dakota in 1888 His
first public office was as county
judge of Rolette county. Later he
opened law office in Devils Lake,
went to the State legislature, and in
1907 began his first gubernatoria1 adj
ministration. He was reelected twice
his last term expiring Mast month.
He was not a candidate last Fall, and
a Republican was chosen to fill his
| job. Mr.. Burke IS a Catholic, and
| of Hibernian descent.
| Edwin Gould, second son of the
late Jay, will celebrate his forty-sev-
enth birthday to-day. Like all of
| the sons of the golden GouIds, he was
born in New York City, but he holds
| the distinction of being the only mem
| ber-is it necessary to say the only
male member ?-of the Gould family
| to wear whiskers. The late Jay Gould
had a luxuriant hirsute appendage on
his chin, but Edwin is the only son
to follow his tonsoria1 precedent.
| There is nothing patriarchal about
Edwin's beard, for it's always neatly
clipped and quite Frenchy and van
| dykish. He is not alone among the
| powers of Wall street in his liking of
whiskers, for Jacob Schiff, James J,
Hill, H. c.. Frick and a number OF
i others are old fashioned enough TIC
cling to the boards of their fathers.
Princess Alice Mary Victoria Au-
gusta Pauline, daughter of the Duke
of Albany and granddaughter OF
Queen Victoria, was born thirty years
i ago to-day She married Prince Al
exander of Teck in 1904.
i Sir George Reid, who rose from e
IowIy position as a civil servant in
Australia to high commissioner fol
the Comm onwea1th in London, is six
ty-eight years old to-day. Sir George
is all for imperial unity through the
tariff, the navy and other means. Ii
London he has sought, but with pool
success, to turn the tide of British
emigration from Canada to the An
tipodes.
The Little Wilhelm H. as tn,
King of Wurtemberg is sometime;
3 called, was born sixty-fve years ag'
} to-day, and assembled the throne Ii
: 1891. He has been twice married
but has no sons, and his heir is a dis
tant kinsman, Duke Albert
: AN EEFTCTENCY OPPORTUNITY.