Evening star., 1942-04-12
Capital SideIights
BIZ Will p. Kennedy.

One Of the unique records in the an
mails Of Congress is that of the four
Washburn sometimes spelled Wash
burne) brothers, all of whom were
born in Livermore, Me, each of whom
served in Congress from different States
Israel, Maine; Elihu B., Illinois; Cad
wallader c., Wisconsin, and William D.,
Minnesota. The first three served In
Congress at the same time-between
1853 and 1861, while the youngest BROTH
er entered the Minnesota State Legis-
lature in 1861 and later served In both
the United States Senate and House.
Two of these brothers were State
Governors-Israel of Maine and Cad
wallader of Wisconsin. Both of these. as
well as their youngest brother William,
had close association with President
Lincoln. who appointed Israel Collector
of Customs at Portland, Me. Cad
wallader was delegate to the peace
convention in Washington in 1861 in
an effort to devise means to prevent the
impending Civil War. In the same year
Lincoln appointed William Surveyor
General Of Minnesota.
Elihu B. was named Secretary of State
In the cabinet of Gen. Grant, but
resigned few days later to accept a
diplomatic mission to France.
The two elder Washburns were elected
to Congress as Wings and the two young
er as Republicans. Israel was president
of the Board of Trustees of Tufts Col
lege at Medford Mass, and in his later
years engaged in literary pursuits.
Elihu B. was printer, editor and law
yer. During the Franco -Prussian War he
protected with the American flag the
Legations of the various German states
in Paris. He was the only foreign min
the days of the Commune. In his later
years he was president Of the Chicago
Historical Society.
Cadwallader was a school teacher in
Maine, State geologist in Iowa, lawyer
and surveyor in Illinois. lawyer and
banker In Wisconsin. He also was
colonel, brigadier general and major
general Of Volunteers IN the Civil War,
engaged in flour and lumber and other
manufacturing industries in Minneapo-
lis, and was president of the Minnesota
Historical Society. He founded the
Washburn Observatory at the University
of Wisconsin and the public library at
La Crosse.
William D. was lawyer but likewise
engaged in manufacturing industries.
He was director, principal owner and
managing agent of the Minneapolis
Water Power Co.: protector and presi-
dent of the Minneapolis & st. Louis
Railway Co.
The House of Representatives has had
43 Speakers. Massachusetts, ranks first
among the States that have contributed
Speakers, with five-Sedgwick, Varnum,
Winthrop, Banks and Gillett. Virginia
is a close competitor, with the same
number, 5-Barbour, Stevenson, Hunter.
Jones and Hopkins. but the latter served
for only one day, February %, 1845, and
offlciated after his colleague Jones had
withdrawn. (He has never been officially
listed either as Speaker or Speaker pro
tempore, as many others have been)
Kentucky had four men elected Speak
er-Clay, White, Boyd and Carlisle;
Pennsylvania, 3-Muhlenberg, the first
Speaker, Grow and Randall; Indiana,
Davis, Colfax and Kerr. Nine States
had each two Speakers: Maine-Blaine
and Reed, Ohio-Keifer and Longworth;
New York-Taylor and Pomeroy; New
Jersey-Dayton and Pennington; South
Carolina-Cheeves and Orr; Tennessee
Polk and Byrns; Georgia-Cobb and
Crisp; Illinois-Cannon and Rainey, and
Texas-Garner and Rayburn Five States
each contributed one Speaker-Connec-
ticut, Trumbull; North Carolina, Macon;
Missouri, Clark; Iowa, Henderson. and
Alabama. Bankhead.
Henry Clay Of Kentucky holds the all
time record Of serving as Speaker in
six Congresses. Stevenson Virginia;
Cannon. Illinois. and Clark, Missouri,
each served as Speaker in four Con-
crosses. Garner Of Texas has the unique
distinction Of serving as both Speaker
presiding over the House and Vice Presi-
dent presiding over the Senate -oflciat-
ing In both capacities on the same day,
March (, 1888. After 30 years Of lesis-
I