SIX FARMER BOYS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VIII, Issue 488, 12 July 1890, Page 3

SIX FARMER BOYS.

They All Met Years After in the United Stati s Senate.

The death cf Senator Beck, of Kentucky, says the‘Man About Town ’ in the‘New York Star,’ will touch none of his colleagues more closely than Senator McPherson, of New Jersey, and the reason of this was told by John Sawteller, a prominent merchant of Lexington, Ivy., who is now stopping at the Fifth-avenue Hotel. ‘ About forty years ago,’ said he, ‘ there wore six farmer lads working in the northern portion of the State of New York, every one of whom has since become prominent in public affairs. A radius of fifty miles from the point of junction of Livingston, Wyoming, and Niagara counties included the early homes of these youngsters, all but ono of whom were born there. That one was James Birnie Beck. The others were Angus Cameron, Francis Kernan, Henry M. Teller, Jerome B. Chaffee and John Roderick McPherson. The young fellows all worked hard, and made the most of the limited educational facilities afforded them. They wore all acquaintances, and kept up their knowledge of each other even after they had drifted away from their farms in search of wider fame and fortune.

‘On December 4, 1876, when Henry M. Telior and Jerome B. Chafieo took their seats as the first Senators from the new State of Colorado, the four men who stood by their sides as the oath was administered them were their four former friends, who had known them years before. Francis Kernan was Roscoo Conkling’s colleague in the Senate, Angus Cameron was Senator from Wisconsin, James B. Beck was Senator from Kentucky, and John R. McPherson was Senator from New Jersey. The sextet was first broken by the death of Senator Chaffee a few years ago, and now Mr Beck follows him. All the others are still living. Mr Teller, after sening as Secretary of the Interior, is back in the Senate, and John R. McPherson is there still. Angus Cameron is practising lav/ in Wisconsin, and Francis Kernan is enjoying the sweets of an honourable and comfortable old age at his home in Utica.’