When the Indiana legislature elected Albert J. Beveridge to the United
States senate in 1898, he was but thirty-six years of age, and with
one exception was the youngest member of the distinguished body in
question. Mr. Beveridge was born October 6, 1862, in a log cabin of
Highland county, Ohio, his father being a small farmer. When the
war broke out the year preceding his birth, his father and his four
half-brothers entered the army, while his mother volunteered as a
nurse. Moving to Illinois, they settled near Sullivan, renting a small
farm there. At the age of ten the future senator was a full-fledged
farm hand. At fourteen he was a railroad laborer and at sixteen joined
a logging camp. Whenever he could find no work he attended school. At
the age of seventeen young Beveridge heard that the district cadetship
for West Point was to be filled by competitive examination. He was
one of the competitors, and, although practically self-educated, took
second place on a list of twenty-five. In 1881 he managed to enter De
Paw university, his capital consisting of $50. By wheat-cutting in the
summer, serving as a steward in the college club, and winning money
prizes offered to students, he managed to pay his way. Graduating
from college with high honors, he went direct to Indianapolis, called
on General Benjamin Harrison and asked permission to study law with
him. Failing in this, he obtained employment with Messrs. McDonald,
Butler & Mason, well-known lawyers at the Indiana capital, and soon
became a third partner in the firm. In 1889 he opened an office of his
own, and his first fee was from Governor Hovey. His initial political
speech was in 1884, and, as someone has put it, he turned out to be “a
revelation, a dream of oratory and a trip-hammer of argument.” His fame
as a speaker being established, he was in demand in all directions.
His subsequent career is well-known to the public at large. In 1887 he
married Miss Catherine Maud Langsdale, daughter of George J. Langsdale,
the editor of a well-known paper in Indiana.