JAMES ALEXANDER HEMENWAY
HEMENWAY, JAMES ALEXANDER, lawyer, legislator, United States senator from Indiana, was born at Booneville, Indiana, March 8, 1860, son of William J. L., and Sarah (Clelland) Hemenway. His father was a merchant of good business qualifications who died when his son James was but thirteen years old, and the latter was thus compelled to begin the battle of life at an unusually early age. He took his place among the wage-earners, tried his hand at various vocations, and despite the fact that he was obliged to leave school with but the rudiments of an education, he devoted every spare moment of his time to study, and made a reputation for trustworthiness which was rewarded with the deputy auditorship of his county. He performed his duties well, won the approval of his superiors in office, and was by them encouraged to study law. This he did during the interims of clerical work. He was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in 1885. In 1886, and again in 1888, he was elected prosecuting attorney of the second judicial district of Indiana. Declining a third nomination, he turned aside from the public service and for six years devoted himself unremittingly to the practice of law. In 1894, he was nominated by the Republicans of his district for congress and was elected. He was reelected to the fifty-fifth, fifty-sixth, fifty-seventh, fifty-eighth and fifty-ninth Congresses. Before taking his seat in the house of representatives in the fifty-ninth Congress, he was elected to the United States senate, January 18, 1905, to succeed Honorable Charles W. Fairbanks, who had been elected vice-president. From 1888 to 1892 Mr. Hemenway was a member of the Republican state committee from the first district.
Shortly after entering congress he received a place on the committee on Appropriations, and through successive stages made his way to the chairmanship of the committee. He was safe, trusted and responsible, and brought to the work of that important committee unusual ability and sterling patriotism. In his entire public career
