The famous Senator from Missouri, whose name is known to every student of national affairs, was born at Frankfort, Kentucky, December 6, 1830. Center College, in Danville, Kentucky, is noteworthy for the eminent men who have been educated there, and Senator Vest is not the least of the long list. Among them may be named forty-four college professors, twenty-six Congressmen, four United States Senators, seven Governors, two Vice-Presidents of the United States, one Justice of the Supreme Court, forty-nine editors and thirty-nine Circuit Judges. Finishing his college course, Mr. Vest entered the Law Department of Transylvania University, at Lexington, Kentucky, and graduated there in 1853.

About the time he finished his law studies, Mr. Vest married Miss Sallie Sneed, of Kentucky, and in 1853 they set out for California, with never a thought of becoming residents of the Mississippi valley. The lumbering vehicle in which they traveled was not in good condition, and a breakdown occurred at a small village, one of the quaint, ugly, irregular ante-bellum settlements of the new Southwest. The place was Georgetown, Missouri, and there it was that young Mr. and Mrs. Vest found themselves at the mercy of a broken wheel. While the stage passengers were thus awkwardly waiting, an old negro approached the young lawyer and asked his assistance. The black man explained that he had a son who was accused of murder. Feeling against the boy was very strong, and the father pleaded with the traveling attorney to stop and lend his assistance. Mr. Vest concluded to allow the stage to proceed while he undertook the task of helping the negro and his boy. When the trial was over the boy was acquitted. A mob was speedily formed, the young fellow was taken from the jail, and in a little while he was dead.

Because of his connection with this case Vest was not particularly popular, and for this reason, as much as any other, he concluded to become a Missourian and stand his ground. At once he began to secure a following, and in a short time was rated as one of the important lawyers of the section in which he lived. He was a Presidential elector on the Democratic ticket in 1860, a member of the Missouri House of Rep resentatives at the same time, and three years a member of the Confederate Congress, serving in both houses. He was elected to the United States Senate in 1879, and has been thrice re-elected. His term will expire in 1903.

RICHARD CROKER

The man who perhaps better than any other in the United States stands to his enemies as the embodiment of political bossism and to his friends as the personification of good faith and genuine loyalty is Richard Croker, leader of Tammany Hall. He was born in Ireland in 1840, coming to America with his parents when he was eleven years old. Settling in New York at once, he has grown to manhood and power in that city, gaining his strong political influence by the force of his own per sonality. He has been in turn a mechanic in a machine shop, the leader of a famous "gang" of street roughs and a leader in ward politics. He finally became an alderman, since which time he has never had any known business or interest except politics and office holding. The only exception is that in the last few years he has acquired an interest in a real estate firm in New York, and even more recently has become heav ily interested in a valuable stable of race horses and in various city concessions and trusts in New York.

Such schooling as Richard Croker has had, he got in one of the public schools of New York, leaving it at an early age to begin the battle of life for himself. This was in 1856. His first situation was that of choreboy to a railway shop force at $2 a week. As he grew older and stronger he became first a leader of the "Fourth avenue tunnel gang," and then a local leader in ward politics. Finally he aspired to be an alderman, was granted the nomination and was elected. Once in a political street fight a man was killed, and Croker was tried for the crime. He refused to testify, but the jury disagreed and ultimately he was discharged. Later the man who was guilty confessed on his death bed.

Mr. Croker has held the offices of alderman, coroner, fire commis sioner and city chamberlain in New York, the latter office paying a salary of $25,000 a year. His leadership of Tammany Hall, the great municipal organization of New York Democrats, whose influence ramifies through city, county, state and national affairs, began with the death of John Kelly, his predecessor. He has extended and magnified the power of the place until to-day he has to be reckoned with in every political move contemplated by his party.