Evening star., 1933-09-03
Capital Sidelights
by WILL p. KENNEDY.


One of the new members of Congress
who has seen the great Southwest de-
velop since the days of the Civil war
Is Representative Sterling Price Strong
of Dallas Tex. He was born in Cole
County, Mo, near Jefferson City, during
the war between the States. At the
same time twin boys were born in a
neighbor's family, who were named
/ Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis. Mr..
| Strong recalls that soldiers OF the
Northern Army confiscated all the prop
erty Of that Jealous family Of Southern
sympathizers. To save the family goods
! and chattels. lares and penates. the
Strong baby was called "Sawnle" un-
til after the war ended.
In 1867 his father started in covered
wagons for Texas, intending to locate in
Clay County. On the way he was con-
tinually meeting people who had left
Texas, and they told him he could not
afford to go there because the wild In
dians would steal all his live stock and
murder his family. So, when they
reached Fayetteville, Ark, the elder
Strong decided on account of these haz-
ardous reports to abandon temporarily
his objective in Texas. He stopped
of in Mcdonald County Mo. for three
i years-and then in 1870 went on to
Montague County, Tex. then a wilder
ness. But people entered that part Of
the State rapidly and in a few years
schools and churches we're established.
When he was 20 Sterling Strong jour
neyed North to school at Eastman S
National Business College. in Pough-
| keepsie. N. Y. After graduation he was
successfully deputy clerk for two years
and then clerk Of Montague County.
Being reared on a farm and ranch, he
was fond Of live stock and invested the
proceeds Of the county clerks office
largely in horses. As Montague County
was rather densely populated. he sought
| larger range and at lower cost by emf
grating to Hale County, which was
sparsely Inhabited. He drove his horses
overland a distance of more than 300
miles.
Hale County was organized in Novem-
Der. 1888. and in January. 1889. the
State Legislature attached to Hale
County for judicial purposes the unor-
ganized counties Of Swisher, Lamb. Bal
ley. Lubbock. Hockey and Cochran.
Strong arrived in Hale County in March,
1889. just before the county clerk re-
signed on account of disability, and on
account OF his experience as a county
clerk Strong was invited to take over
the Job. His ranch was a mile from the
court house and he rode to and fro
daily on horseback. performing his du-
ties OF that ONCE for four years
He then accepted the position Of
salesman for a large concern manu-
featuring county supplies. Since then
ne has been a travelling salesman-for
nearly 40 years-except that he took
time out for about three years, starting
In 1908. to conduct a campaign to
make Texas dry. Then he went back
10 salesmanship. In the campaign for
congressman at large. with IA candi-
! dates. Strong ran first in the primaries
and in the run-oh with the second
highest candidate. In the general cleo
ton he received $4,000 votes against
90 600 for the Republican candidate.
Mr.. Strong came to Congress with
one particular conviction-that the de-
preston could and must be relieved
through larger circulation Of money
and that permanently.
Young Joe" Bailey is another Dallas
newcomer in the House. He is the son
OF the sllver-tongued orator and out
standing figure in Congress-lO years
IN the House and II in the Senate from
1881 to l9l3-Joseph Weldon Bailey,
VINO was a presidential elector both
times on the Grover Cleveland ticket
While Young Joe" is a native
Iexan. he spent most of his youth in
the National Capital during the hey
| Gay OF his fathers career Part of his
eoucatlon was received here at a pri-
vate school conducted by Robert d
preston. Among other students at the
time were the Roosevelt bows John
hays Hammond, jr.. and Robert Y,
rleming. president Of the Riggs Ma
tlonai Bank. Joe" later graduated
from Princeton with the degree Of
oacneior OF science and from the Uni
verSlty OF Virginia with the degree Of
pachelor OF laws. While a student he
enlisted in the World War as cadet
AT the ofhcerS training camp at Fort
Myer He won a commission and was
assigned to the 3l4th Field ARTILLERY in
tne american expeditionarv forces
Alter MS discharge he went back to the
University Of Virginia and received his
law degree. ---'
when the National Capitals new
Municipal Center is completed the old
Clty Hall. now remodeled, modernized
ana strengthened against the passing
years and occupied as the Court House
VIII occupy dominating position It
Will look down between the imnosinp
new buildings. along a beautiful park
way on the line of John Marshall place
ana the major cross axis of the Mall
INTO the new Union Square.
Archltecture is printing press
Whicn gives history to the state of
society OF all ageS.'-Morgan.
When the corner stone of this strlc
ture vas laid on August %, 1920. Mayor
samuel N. Smallwoods invitation to
the citizens to participate in the event
SAID: IT is to be the seat of legislation
ana OF the administration of Justice for
tnlS metropolis when it will have
reached its destined populousness, and
II is therefore to be erected on a scale
worthy of the uses for which it is in
tended. 1t belongs to Washington's
golden age OF architecture, the first half
century OF its occupation by the Fed
eral Government. To this same period
belong the magnificent legislative halls.
the majestic Doric temple. the Patent
once; the graceful White House and
the stately Treasury"
Competent authorities have empha-
sized that this old City Hall" is one
OF the lew architecturally perfect speci-
mems OF the Georgian or Colonial COM
olneo with the Ionic portico which NAV
De admired in the Western World. The
Treasury Department some years ago
paid belated tribute to its worthiness
by selecting its reproduction in Federal
buildings throughout the South AS the
City Hall it was the first permanent
building IN the group, added as the
needs OF local government increased,
which was devoted exclusively to Wash
ington in its municipal sense as dis
tinguished from its Federal aspect.
Now that the new Municipal Center
project has been definitely started with
the acquisition Of this most appropriate
site between the Court House and the
Mall, where it will dominate the i'm
provement OF the north side of Penn
sylvania avenue, it is interesting to look
into the history of the ancient City
Hall" Although there had been nu-
merous suggestions that central quar-
tiers for the municipal government
should be provided prior to that time,