Evening star., 1920-01-18
s,.r,.. of Well known Folk.


Mrs David Franklin Houston is as
deep a student of social conditions as
her husband is of the agricultural
sciences. In st. Louis. which was the
home city of the Houstons before
they became a part of official Wash
ington. Mrs. Houston led a contin-
gent of practical charity workers:
which might inspire those in every
city where visiting nurses. EVERYDAY
hygiene and such topics are under
consideration. Mrs. Houston found
number of Jealous women preaching
fresh air to the poor, insisting that
they leave their windows open on re
tiring. all those minute details Which
are really necessary to health ana
usefulness But it was discovered
that bed coverings were pitlfully lew
and very light; SO that the hrst meas
ure adopted by the crusade for NY
giene was to see that each poor ram
iIy to be cared for was provided with
warm wool blankets and few hoor
russ TO help endure the awful chill
produced by night breezes in such
climate as the Mississippi valley pos
sesses 1t was found that offerings,
though generous in every way sell
dom included proper bed covers. ana
for some years past such items nave
been almost prohibitive in price. even
for the well-to-do. Mrs. Houston re-
tains her preference for social service
work. but in Washington the term
spells an entirely different activity.
has time for any other duties save
The wife of cabinet member rarely
those pertaining to her station. ana
in Mrs Houstons case the cares OF
young family are ADDED ihe VINE
of the Secretary Of Agriculture comes
of distinguished family of the Lone
star state, and was before her mar.
riaee Miss Helen Beal. Her maternal
gra andfather. Judge Turner. was a re,
nowned jurist OF Austin: Tex, ana
served on the bench Of the supmeme
court for many years. He had' now
ever. before donning the sedate robes
of the tribunal, been member of the i
Rangers and was noted for the dead
ly sureness Of his AIM The Turner'S
and Bealls rank among the first citl-
zens Of Texas and the older generations
fought against Santa Ana for the inde-
pendence. DIR. Houston was the teacher
of his wife in the University Of Texas.
and the marriage occurred soon after
her graduation from that institution
They resided in Austin for about ten
years before the Secretary was called
to the presidency of the Washington
University, st. Louis. a post he still |
holds, having been granted an indefinite |
leave of absence by it's trustees.
The Secretary of Commerce and |
Mrs. Joshua w. Alexander. the new
est members of the cabinet circle. |
bring one of the largest and most in
teresting family groups which it pos
sesses, namely, four sons and three |
daughters. Judge and Mrs. Alexander |
have been familiar figures at the cap !
ital for the past fourteen years and
have always been conspicuous mem |
bers of the social set identified with |
Missouri. Judge Alexander is native !
of Cincinnati and came to Missouri !
in his early manhood. but his wife is !
a native-born daughter and comes !
from parts adjacent to her present !
home at Gallatin. which is the princi- |
pal seat of her husbands recent dis |!
trict in Congress. the third. Like |
all good Missourians, the Alexanders |
look forward to the states fulfilling |
it's destiny through the return of the |
great steamboat service on the Missis- !
sippi and the navigable portions of |
the Missouri. When the Panama canal |
was opened the residents of the Mis- |
sissippi valley saw the same vision |
which spread before Jefferson when |
he signed the famous paper which |
gave the United States the domains |.
of the French-the carriers Of the |
inland commerce bearing their rich ;
cargoes down to the sea. thence to |
every part of the world. Judge Alex !