The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-07-14
"Uncle Ike" Stephenson Is the
WeaIthiest Member.
GETS A CHECK FOR ST, 100000
Fattest Man in House Is Plum
ley of Vermont.
Anthony and Barchfield Are
CIassed as Giants.

Washington, d. c.. July 14.-'Uncls
Ike" Stephenson of Wisconsin enjoys
two distinct honors He is the old
est man in the United States senate;
indeed. he is by a number of years
the Oldest man in congress. And he
is also the wealthiest by many mii-
lions of dollars.
Only the other day he pulled q
small scrap of paper out of his waist
coat pocket and showed it to one OF
his fellow senators. 1t was a check
for S7,OOO,O0O. i've been selling a
little lumber he said. by way of ex-
PLANTATION. From which it may be
correctly inferred that Uncle Ike" is
by no means the least successful of
the men who have chopped great for
tunes out of the woods of the region
from which he halls. Exactly ten
DAYS after this letter is printed he Will
be "a years of age.
AS to who is the richest man in the
house of representatives, there seems
to be some doubt, but in all likeli-
hood this distinction belongs to JEFF
ferson Levy. He inherited the bulk
of his money, and incidentally the
mansion and estate of Monticello, tor-
merly the home of Thomas Jefferson.
His fathers brother, Uriah p. Levy,
a distinguished naval officer of the
last generation, was mainly instru-
mental in the abolition of flogging in
the United States navy. In 1880,
Commodore Levy. at the suggestion
of Andrew Jackson, bought Month
cello, which, when he died, he left
to his nephew, jefferson. Since then
the historic homestead has been main
tanned by the latter in keeping with
its dignified traditions. An effort has
been made to persuade congress to
take it away from him by purchase,
but without success.
Seen From Press Gallery.
| Now, as, from a seat in the press
| gallery, one looks over the new house
of representatives, one gets a much
| better view of the members than was
obtainable when they sat half-con-
cealed behind desks. Arrayed as they
are at present on leathered-coVered
| benches, any physical peculiarities
/ they may have are observable. There
seems to be more very young men
| than in the congresses of a genera
tion ago, but this impression is doubt
less largely due to the fact that
boards and even mustaches are no
longer in fashion.
The constitution does not permit
anybody to be a member of the house
who has not passed his twenty-fifth
birthday. But the youngest repre-
sentative is Lathrop Brown, who is
80 years old. He was born in New
York City, is six feet tall, and was
graduated from Harvard in the class
of 1908. His business training was
obtained in the real estate office of
Douglas Robinson, Colonel Roose-
velts brother-in-law.
The fattest and jolliest man in the
house is Frank Plumley, of Vermont.
He is a widower, bank president, and
is supposed to weigh not far from 300
pounds. The exact figures are not
obtainable.
The thinnest member is Ezekiel
Gambler of Mississippi-small, wiry,
clean-shaved man, who knows how to
talk. When he gets upon his feet in
the house he always has something to
say worth hearing. He belongs to an
extraordinary number of secret socie-
ties, being a Mason, an Odd Fellow,
Woodman, a Knight of Honor, an Elk,
a Knight of Pythias and a Beta Theta
Pi.
Giants in the House.
The house possesses two real giants.
One is Dan A. Anthony of Kansas. and
the other Andrew Jackson Barchf1eld
of Pennsylvania. Both measure near
seven feet and are built in proportion.
Mr.. Barchfield is a physician and Mr..
Anthony is the publisher of a daily
newspaper at Leavenworth.
The baldest member is Henry NJ.
Goldfogle of New York city. In fact,
his head is entirely devoid of hair,
and in this respect bears somewhat
the aspect of an egg, inasmuch as he
is clean shaven. On the other hand
the distinction of owning the most hair
is held by Henry T. Rainey Of Illinois
"a stout, broadshouldered man, whose
locks are fast turning gray. He is a
fine debater.
The pictures of Richmond p,
Hobson, which one sees in news
papers and magazines, were ta-
ken not later than Is years ago. Since
then, alasi he has lost most of the
hair off the top Of his head, and has