DE ALVA STANWOOD ALEXANDER
DE ALVA STANWOOD ALEXANDER, Lawyer, legislator, member of the United States house of representatives, is a native of Maine, but in his professional and public career he has been more closely identified with the State of New York. Born in Richmond, Maine, on July 17, 1846, of Scotch-Irish ancestry, he early removed with his mother to Ohio, and at the age of fifteen entered the 128th Ohio volunteer infantry as a private, and served three years, until the close of the war. Returning to his native state he took up his books and decided to prepare for college at Edward Little institute, Auburn, Maine. He was graduated from Bowdoin in 1870. Removing to Indiana he taught in the public schools, gradually turning his attention to newspaper work. His first connection was with the Ft. Wayne "Gazette," at that time one of the leading Republican papers of Northern Indiana, in which he secured a proprietary interest, and at the same time became one of its editors. He later became a staff correspondent of the Cincinnati "Gazette," with a residence at Indianapolis; and while thus engaged was elected secretary of the Republican state committee, in which capacity he served for six years. This contact with state politics led to his appointment as clerk of the United States senate committee on Privileges and Elections, through the influence of Senator Oliver P. Morton of Indiana, and he accompanied Senator Morton to Oregon in the winter of 1876 to investigate the senatorial election in that state.
Mr. Alexander now determined to study law. He entered the office of Senator McDonald, at Indianapolis, and was admitted to the bar in January, 1877. He began practice in partnership with Stanton J. Peelle, of Indianapolis, now judge of the United States Court of Claims, and continued actively engaged in his profession until 1881, when, upon the recommendation of Benjamin Harrison, then United States senator from Indiana, he was appointed by President Garfield fifth auditor of the treasury department and thereupon took up his residence in Washington. While he was in
