Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1893 — AN INDIAN IN CONCRESS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AN INDIAN IN CONCRESS.

Charles Curtis, a Quarter-Blood Kavr, Elected from Kansas. Kansas is always doing something unexpected in political fields, and at the recent election it again did a notable act in choosing a quarter-

blood Indian to represent the Fourth District, including the capital city of the State. Charles Curtis, Congressman-elect, is the son of a quar-ter-blood Kaw Indian and Captain O. A. Curtis, of the Kansas Volunteers, Fifteenth Regi-

ment. His grandmother still lives on the reservation in the Indian Territory and is very proud of her offspring’s prominence. Hewasbornin North Topeka Jan. 25, 1860. His mother died when he was 3 years of age, and he was brought up by his father’s parents. He was literally the architect of i>is own fortunes, having been a jockey until his 16th year, commencing as soon as he could manage a horse. He rode horses summers in Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, lowa, and Missouri and attended school winters, thus securing an education. In 1876 and 1877 he drove a night hack to support himself, going to school daytimes. In 1878 he had the rights of majority conferred by the district court of Shawnee County. In 1879 he entered a law office and In 1884 was elected County Attorney. He received the Republican nomination for Congress last June, made a house to house canvass, and was elected by a majority of 3,000 over a fusion candidate. A striking incident of his canvass was the appearancee in his audience in the south part of his district of his Indian grandmother, who wept tears of joy at the “big talk” of Charlie. When the speech was over he went down to her and kissed her, amid the applause of the crowd. He is an eloquent speaker and has a striking appearance.

CHARLES CURTIS.