Evening star., 1938-03-06
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Did you ever hear about the four broth
ers who served in Congress-three at the
same time-and each from a different
State? All of them were lawyers. One
of them was Secretary of State and had a
famous diplomatic career. Two of them
were subsequently Governors and the
fourth was United States Senator.
These were Mother Washburn's
boys all born in Livermore, Androscog-
gin County, Me-, but three of them wan
dered tar from the old home town and
had prominent part in State and ma
tional politics in Wisconsin,, Illinois and
Minnesota
Cadwallader Golden Washburn was
born in 1918. When he was 20 he was
teaching school in Wiscasset, Me-, the
next year he was employed in the geo.
logical survey of Iowa. then, while study
ing law at Rock Island, ILL.,, he was elect
ed county surveyor when only % and two
years later was admitted to the bar in
Mineral Point. Wis. where he founded a
bank when he was "a. He next served
as Republican in Congress from 1855
to 1861 and was delegate to the peace
conference in Washington which sought
to prevent the Civil War. He served in
the Union Army and was retired as a
major general at the age of A. Then he
did another stretch in Congress, from
1867 to 1871, and the following year was
elected Governor.
Israel Washburn, jr., was five years old
er than Cadwallader. He began the prac-
tice of law in Orono, Me, when he was
21. After serving in the State Legisla-
ture he was elected to Congress, first as
a ,trvN IL 1ot
ing 10 years. from 1851 to 1861, and quit
Congress because he had been elected
Governor. President Lincoln appointed
him collector of customs at Portland, Me-,
in which position he served IA years. He
was president of the board of trustees of
Tufts College, Medford, Mass.
Elihu Benjamin Washburne mote the
final "e') was born in 1916, served as a
printers apprentice and was later as
sistant editor of the Kennebec journal
at Augusta. After course at Harvard
he was admitted to the bar when he was
"a and moved to Galena, 10 Daviess
County, Ill. He was elected to Congress
as Whig, serving from 1853 to 1869.
He was appointed Secretary of State in
the cabinet of Gen. Grant, but soon re-
signed to accept diplomatic mission to
Paris, where at the outbreak of the
Franco-Prussian War he protected with
the United States flag the legations of
various German states. He was the only
foreign Minister who continued at his
post during the days of the Commune,
and protected all the foreigners left by
their Minister'S
These three brothers named above
served at the same time in the Thirty
fourth. Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth
Congresses. Cadwallader and Elihu also
served together in the Fortieth and For
ty-first Congresses
William Drew Washburn was born in
1881, graduated from Bowdoin College,
was admitted to the bar when he was 26
.and commenced practice in Minneapolis,
MINI. He was appointed by President
Lincoln as surveyor general of Mime
sofa. serving four years. He was prin-
cipal owner and manager of the Mime
apolis Water Power Co. and protector
and president of the Minneapolis & St..
Louis Railway Co. After service in the
State Legislature he was elected to Con-
gress, serving in the House from 1879 to
1885, followed by a six-year term in the
Senate.
y Y
There was one United States Senator
who served from three States-Missouri,
Illinois and MinneSota-James Shields,
whose uncle had previously served in the
House. He was born in County Tyrone,
Ireland, and came to the United States
when he was 49, He was first member
of the Illinois Legislature. auditor of the
State and Judge of the Supreme Court.
He was next commissioner OF the General
Land Ofice when he was 35 He was
brevetted major general in the Mexican
War for gallant and meritorious con-
duct" President Polk made him Gov
ernor Of Oregon Territory. When he was
first elected to the Senate from Illinois in
1s49 the question was raised that he had
not been q citizen of the United States
the number Of years required under the
Constitution, but he was later reelected.
When Minnesota was admitted as State
Shields was elected first Senator. He
moved to California and was brigadier
general Of volunteers during the Civil
War. After service in the Missouri Leg
islature he was elected to the United
States Senate when he was SO years of
age.
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