Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 4.djvu/255

 chosen presidential elector. In 1892 he was again elected to Congress and has been reëlected in 1894, 1896, 1898, 1900 and 1902. Mr. Hepburn is a public speaker of unusual power and eloquence as well as an able debater. His long term of service in Congress has given him great influence in that body and for many years he has been one of the earnest workers for the construction of the Nicaraguan inter-ocean ship canal. JOHN HERRIOTT was born at Herriottsville, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, October 24, 1844, where his youthful years were spent on a farm. He usually attended school a few weeks in the winter season until he was twelve years of age when he received three months' instruction in the Normal School in the winter of 1865. When the Civil War began young Herriott enlisted in a Pennsylvania regiment and served as a private soldier in nearly all of the great battles fought by the Army of the Potomac up to September 27, 1864, when his term of service expired. In August, 1865, he emigrated to Iowa, settling on a farm near New Liberty, Scott County. In 1872, Mr. Herriott removed to Stuart where he opened a drug and book store. He was elected on the Republican ticket treasurer of the county, serving two terms and making a record which brought him out as a prominent candidate for State Treasurer. He received the Republican nomination for that position in 1894, was elected and twice reëlected, serving three terms. He brought marked ability to the discharge of the duties of that office, introducing many new methods in the transaction of its important duties, which met general approval. As a member of the Executive Council Mr. Herriott took an independent stand in advocacy of whatever he believed to be right. He was a courageous advocate of important reforms in the assessment of corporate property, acting alone in that respect in the Executive Council. So warmly was his position indorsed by the people, that his Congressional District gave him a unanimous support for Governor in the Republican State Convention of 1901. The convention, however, nominated A. B. Cummins for Governor and Mr. Herriott for Lieutenant-Governor, to which position he was elected by a large majority. FRANCIS J. HERRON was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, on the 17th of February, 1837. He was educated at Western University in that city and began his business career as a clerk in a banking house. He afterwards became a partner in the bank. In 1855 he came to Iowa and with a brother established a bank at Dubuque. He was among the first to enter the military service upon the opening of the Civil War in 1861, having been chosen captain of Company I, which was incorporated into the First Iowa Volunteers, organized and sent to the field under the first call of President Lincoln for 75,000 men for three months' service. Mr. Herron took part in the Battle of Wilson's Creek and distinguished himself, so that