The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-01-28
His Passing Ends Career of Fifty
Continuous Years of Pub
lie Service
WARM FRIEND OF LINCOLN
Dying Wish He Might Have Lived
to See Completion of Men,
orlal to Martyr

Washington. Jan. 2S.--Former Sena-
tor Shelby NJ. Cullom of Illinois died
today after an illness Of more than a
week, during which he lowered be-
tween life and death.
His last words were the wish that
he might have lived to see the compile
ton Of the national memorial TO ABB
raham Lincoln, who was a personal
friend.
Shelby Moore Cullom's death ended
fifty years of continuous public serv-
ice that had made him a figure in Am
erican national life and brought him
into official relations with every presi-
dent from Abraham Lincoln TO Wood
row Wilson. President Taft once said
OF him.
why here's my old friend Uncle
shelby; he comes nearer connecting
the present with the days Of Washing
ton than any one else whom l know"
As u ploughboy driving his fathers
oxen over the fresh prairie Of Illinois
he had known and talked with sur
vivors Of the revolution and on the
rugged foundations of life begun in
pioneer hardships of family of
twelve children had built a career that
took him 10 the Illinois legislature as
a member; speaker Of the assembly,
two terms in the governors chair,
service in the national House OF Rep
resentatiNes, and thirty consecutive
years in the United States Senate.
"UncIe Joe" Nearest Contemporary.
His nearest living contemporary
probably is Uncle Joe" Cannon, whose
senior he was some seven years by
birth and some three years in national
service
Andrew Jackson was president of the
United States when Mr. Cullom was
born in 1929 down in the Elk Spring
Valley Of kentucky near the Cumber-
land where the Culloms of Maryland
and the Comeys of North Carolina.
drifting westward with the tides OF
immigration that set in at the close OF
the revolution, founded their early
horc
During the year 1S29." Mr. Cullom
recently wrote To Illustrate the epoch
in which he began life. the crown of
Greet Britain descended from King
George the Fouth to King William the
Fouth: that reign passed away and
have lived TO see the long reisn Of Vic
toria come and go; the reign of King
Edward come and go and the accession
Of King George the Fifth. Charles the
Firth ruled in France, Francis the First
I'm Austria, Frederick William the
Third i'm Prussia, Nicholas the First
in Gussia, while Leo the Twelfth GOV
crncd the papal states. the kingdom of
Italy not yet having come into exist
encS. The United kingdom Of Great
Britain and Ireland had not yet a pop
ulation of 24,O00,O00 all told. No man
who had not served his country in
some capacity in the revolutionary
war had been elevated to the presiden-
cy Of the United States and this was
the case until 1S43"
Born In Slave State.
Times and events in his own coun-
try were no less stirring and his part
in them was marked one. Kentucky
was slave state at his birth, the con-
troversy which was TO hatch into
greet civil war was In the process Of
incubation. i'm fact the Culloms moved
TO Illinois to be in free state and
Chicago then was small village The
elder Cullom was then friend of Lin
coins, recommending the struggling
backwooK LAWYER 20 prospective
clients. Young Cullom's hrst rccollec-
tion of the future war president was
under such circumstances Scraping
together the rudiments Of an education
gained by toiling over rough primeval
roads he became succcssively q stu
dent at Mount Morris Academy,
country school teacher and a lawyer,
being admitted to the bar ut Spring
field in 1855.
when he became city attorney of
Springfield he launched upon a politi-
cal career, which for a record Of uu-
broken service, is unchallenged as cx-
ceeding that Of any other American.
Continued on 9th Page. 4th Column.