The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-06-04
Story of Old Burnt Sixth and
Our DUN Dick Elliott 7old

was born at Brookville. Indiana, blu,
died at Charlottesville, where he was
living at the time of his death. His
bust is in the Hall of Fame OF the
capitol. Other distinguished men who
were born or who have lived in Brook
vile were Eads. builder OF the famous
Eads bridge and the Mississippi jet
ties. Hiram Powers. greatest OF
American sculptors, whose Greek
Slave is on exhibition in the Corcoran
Art Gallery at Washington and James
n. Tyner. long a member OF congress
from Indiana and postmaster genera
under Grant
Home Of Celebrities
Joaquin Miller. the Poet OF the
Sierras, was born three miles north
of Liberty. Ind. on a farm. and the
residents of that community have
erected a monument TO his memory
at the side of the highway by the farm
where he was born
Charles Major, author of When
knighthood Was in Flower and the
Little Bears of Blue River and other
stories, lived in Shelbyville.
Earl Williams, author OF The
Court of BalshaaZar,' is a newspaper
man at Connersville.
Robert Underwood johnson.
brother of Congressman Henry @
johnson, was editor of the Century
Magazine and is now ambassador and
plenipotentiary to Rome.
Then, there is Honorable William
Dudley Foulke, author OF The Life OF
Oliver z. Norton Benjamin S Par
ker. poet, of Newca stle: Strickland
Gilliland. who first won fame with his
off Again, Gone Again. Finnegan,'
written while he was a reporter on
the Richmond Palladium; Isaac Jen.
kinson, former consul to Glasgow,
Scotland, wrote a History of Aaron
Bur- Francis McNutt historian and
diplomat, has written several histor
les of the Spanish Americas; Oliver
H. Smith wrote Early Indiana Trials
Carl Alderman, newspa per CORE
spondent and author; William Bayam,
magazine editor and author.
Wright Native Son
Probably the most famous man
who was born in the district was Will
bur Wright. He was born near Mill
vile, Henry county, April Is, 1857.
With his brother, Orville, they in
vented and developed the heavier
My district contains more singing
Quakers than any other district in
the United States. For many years
the Seventh district Of Pennsylvania
was the rival for the honor of being
the biggest Quaker district in the
United Sta ties, and it was finally set
tied by Honorable Timothy Nicholson.
of Richmond, Ind. one of the grand
old men of the Sixth district, that the
Old Burnt District had the most sing
ing Quakers and the Seventh Penn
sylvania district the most Orthodox
Quakers.
The principal station of the fam
Gus underground railroad of Civil war
fame was locat ted at Fountain City.
where Eliza, the heroine in the story
of Uncle Toms Cabin took refuge.
The house where she was kept after
her famous escape is still standing
there"
Eiliott's Nickname
When it comes to the use of nick
names, the Old Burnt District has
nothing on its present popular repre-
sentative All of official Washington
from President Harding on down the
line invariably fondly refer to Elliott
as Dick" And it's dead sure bet
by his first name or an appropriate
nickname is generously equipped with
a fine brand of humanness. good old
fashioned horse sense. and the ability
to do things safely and sanely.
When Congressman Elliott first
saw the light of day in the middle of
the night back in 1873, such things as
silver spoons were unheard of. Judg-
ing by his present substantial appear
ance he must have started out with
something a bit more appetite-satisfy-
ing than~a silver spoon.
Elliott has always been strong be
lever in hard work At Is he was
obliged TO assume the duties of full
fledged man, due to the serious ILL
ness of his father, who was confined
TO his bed until his death five years
later With his mother and several
younger members of his family to
look after Dick" shucked his coat
and wrestled with the old family farm
from early morn till late at night,
thus making it possible to keep the
gaunt old wolf a considerable dis
lance from the door. In the winter
months when there was no blowing,
cultivating or harvesting to be done,
| his dear old mother would pack a spa
cious dinner pail with homemade
bread and butter, pie and cookies.
and the young lad would happily
trudge across the fields TO the country
school several miles distant. In this
way. he managed at odd times, to get
a total of six months schooling be-
yond the thirteen-year-old stage of his
career. Practically all of his even
ings were devoted to reading and
studying which made it possible for
l., i6ly ;af4 81,
by the time he was 10 TO land the
much sought job of teacher in the
little country school. Three winters
were devoted to teaching. and then he
decided it was time to climb higher
At % he commenced the study of law,
and so seriously and constantly did
he plug away at his chosen profes-
sion that one year later he expert
enced no difficulty whatever in pass
ing the bar examination. Before
! coming to congress he served many