Omaha daily bee., 1916-05-24
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L Drexe which was really remarkable out
pouring Of pepole both in point Of numbers and
representative character, including all classes
high and low, wage earners and business men,
! politicians, neghbors and old settlers. The at
tendance on the funeral attested the wide
quaintance Of Mr.. Drexe who had the happy
faculty during all his life OF making friends every
day and seldom creating enemy
Aside from seeing Mr. Drexel on official bust
ness In the City Hall | think ! have met him
OF late more often at funerals than al any other
place, and II just happened that four FIVE
such recent occasions ! rode back with him in
his car, the last time when we were together at
the obsequies OF Bill" Kent Both Kent and
Drexe were coroners years ago, in fact, believe
Kent was one Of the few who ever succeeded in
taking that job away from the undertakers and
am not sure whether he came in officially before
or after Drexel or his partner, Mike" Maui when
II was "Drexel g. Maui undertakers and funeral
directors" one democrat and one republican, en-
abng them TO pass the coronership back and
forth between them. could not but help Won
der more than once whether the incumbeney Of
the coroners office had anything to do with start
ing Mr.. Drexefs steady attendance at funerals II
is certain he had no expectation Of having his
friends 50 soon pay their last tribute to him be-
cause, scarcely ten days or two weeks since, he
was joking with his colleague Commissioner Jar
dine, about wearing baudage around his head
where he had been kicked by horse, but only
temporarily ncapacitated
One remark made by Rev. Baltzy, in his eu-
logy OF Mr. Drexel should not pass unnoticed
for he spoke OF THE commendabc pursuit OF
public office when, as we all know, the usual at
ttude OF mind is that the pursuit Of public office
is anything but commendable | agree with Mr.
u. ~
should be, eommendabe, conditioned only on that
it be honorably sought without making false pre-
tense and with fair assurance Of making good, If
the pursuit proves successful.
As this column is this time in the nature Of an |
obituary chronicle, let me note that the Rotary |
club is making It's session memorial meeting for |
two Rotarians well known and highly esteemed |
Omaha business men, who died almost at the
same time. sat at the lunch table with George
Rogers at last weeks meeting OF the Rotary club,
along with Edgar Howard and Tom O'Bren and
several others, all of us joking back and forth,
and the next morning was shocked beyond meas
ure to hear Rogers sudden death announced
| had known him for fifteen years or more bark
ing back to the time when he was on the road as
a travelling cigar salesman, in which capacity he
gave play TO the traits OF geniality that made him
so likeable and won him many friends The other
member whom the Rotary club mourns is +. S.
Parker, active in the management OF the Baker
Bros. engraving establishment, who was keen and
bright and gave promise OF being one OF the COM
ing men in the business life OF the city which will
now miss him.
The death OF William n. Michael, which was
rhronieled from Washington this last week, would
have attracted much more attention had it oe-
.urred few years ago. Captain Michael who
served in the war in an Iowa regiment and later
n the navy was an influential newspaper man in
Nebraska in the '70s and 'S0s. Senator Mander-
ION took him from the paper he was editing at
Grand Island to Washington his clerk, and he
lid some correspondence for while for The Bee
When General Henderson became chairman OF
he joint printing committee, Michael succeeded
Ben Perley Poor as the clerk of that committee
ipon whom devolved the compilation Of the Con-
yressional Directory and which, under Michaeps
experienced supervision, was wonderfully i'm
proved in makeup and contents, becoming more
han ever standard reference book. Afterwards
le transferred TO the State department.
where he served as chief clerk from 1897 until |
COS, position which made him the repository |
i all the confidential reports and delicate in |
ormation involving our relations with other coun- =
ries, lie was selected for the goat in an effort
o stir up scandal the time the secretaryship {
vas changed While he was sent as consul gen
raj to Calcutta, searching congressional inquiry r
vas made into his conduct, but failed to develop {
nythiug rejecting upon him and he stayed in the
ervice until relieved by the advent OF a demo-
ratio administration. He was very helpful to 4
omaha IN many ways in connection with our "
ransmississipp exposition, for which he served
he State department