bowties

T. W. Sims (Thetus W. Sims, Thetus Willrette Sims, Honorable Thetus W. Sims) (1852-1939) was an American politician (Democrat) and served 12 terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 8th congressional district of Tennessee. He graduated from the law department of Cumberland University, Lebanon, Tennessee, in 1876. Sims married Nannie "Nannie" Kitrell Sims (1855-1946) and they had seven children. Sims was an important advocate for the nineteenth amendment which gave women the right to vote. Tennessee was also the last state to ratify the nineteenth amendment. He pushed for the Sims Act, which forbade interstate transportation of fight films, primarily boxing after the Johnson v Flynn fight in 1912. The act was known as the first time Congress took censorship action in regards to films and remained on the books until 1940. – Photograph: Edmonston, Washington, DC  [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

In April, 1913 – the time period this photograph could have been in the news – Congressman T. W. Sims was assaulted in Farragut Square [Washington, DC] by Charles C. Glover, President of the Riggs National Bank, one of the most prominent men in Washington financial and social circles. "The assault was the outcome of criticism directed at Mr. Glover by Mr. Sims on the floor of the House of Representatives [four years earlier] in connection with Mr. Glover's effort to sell to the government a large tract of land adjoining Rock Creek Park [in Washington]. Mr. Glover said,

"I looked at him squarely in the face and said, "I want to tell you to your face that you are a contemptible liar, yes, a miserable contemptible liar. Furthermore, I mean to show you just what I think of you.' "With that, I struck Sims a blow squarely on the jaw..."

While Congressman Sims did not press the matter a congressional investigation was begun a few days later. Ultimately, the matter was resolved when Speaker of the House James "Champ" Clark (D-Mo.) issued a warrant for Glover’s arrest and reprimanded the banker on the House floor.

"If one person is permitted to go unpunished for an assault upon a Congressman, everybody can assault a Congressman for words used in debate on the floor of the House, and free speech is at an end", Clark said just before he released Glover.

[As an FYI aside, any speech made by an elected legislator – from a town meeting/city council member to a member of the U.S. Congress, on the floor of that respective body is protected speech, and is not subject to any action for libel, slander, defamation, etc.] "Yet Glover eventually had the last word in land preservation. For example, one bill he lobbied for finally passed Congress in a compromise that created the National Zoo, a more popular possibility among Members, and opened the door to a commission that established Rock Creek Park. It was just one of the many fights Glover fought on behalf of the District. In fact, Glover, after whom Glover Park was named, went on to help create a city that would be very different today had he not played his part."  [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

David Edmonston (D. B. Edmonston, David B Edmonston) (b.1860), the photographer of Congressman Sims' portrait operated Edmonton's Studio at 1407 F Street NW, in Washington, D.C. from 1916-1924. [1]  (There is a photograph of 1407 F Street NW, in the May 6, 1911 edition of The Washington Times in The Library of Congress Chronicling America collection. The text refers to the buildings as acquired by Col. O.G. Staples from the estate of Miss Cruit, and reports Col. Staples will remodel both of them.) Edmonston photographed an impressive number of prominent men and women during a short period of time. In addition to photographs of President Wilson holding his first grandchild, Francis Sayre and Charles A. Lindbergh as a young man with his father, Edmonston has more than forty photographs of prominent women in the Women of Protest Collection at The Library of Congress, including a photograph of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. This also tells me that because Edmonston was active from 1916-1924, my l-o-n-g-i-s-h post about Mr Sims being smacked in the face in 1913 likely wasn't the reason he was "in the news" at the time of this photograph's publication -- so it's back to the drawing board.     LOC - add Edmonston as creator/contributor?

Thank you, Pixel Wrangler--we will update our record to be more complete!

"Joseph "Colonel Joe" Henry Thompson (September 26, 1871 – February 1, 1928) was a highly decorated World War I veteran, recipient of the Medal of Honor, lawyer, Pennsylvania state senator, head football coach of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers, and College Football Hall of Fame inductee." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_H._Thompson

It seems that the photo shows athletes of the soldier team at the Inter-Allied Games in Paris 1919. Among the members were: - Meredith House, Riverside, Cal., 200-metre low hurdles - Fred W. Kelly, Los Angeles, 100-metre high hurdles - R. L. Byrd, Chicago, discus throw - Ed Caughey, Ukiah, Cal., 16-pound shot put (s. The evening world., June 23, 1919, Final Edition, Image 15, col. 1 & 2 chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030193/1919-06-23/ed-...)

Looks to be taken at the same location as:

I hypothesize that both pictures were taken just after the troops arrived back in North America.

New-York Tribune., August 10, 1919, Page 23
chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1919-08-10/ed-...
reported that members of the Inter-Allied track team were on the Imperator and due to dock at Hoboken that afternoon.

Norwich bulletin., August 11, 1919, page 1, column 2, half-way down
chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014086/1919-08-11/ed-...
confirmed that Colonel Joseph H. Thompson was with them on the Imperator.

Capt. J. A. Praether is J. Allen Praether "special representative (of the Capitol City Athletic Club, Washington), former captain, United States army ... J. Allen Praether, well known in the sporting world here, has been authorized to promote, organize and solicit subscriptions for the capital stock of the new club." (The Washington herald., December 16, 1920, Page 3, col. 1 chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045433/1920-12-16/ed-...)

Edgar R. Caughey was the winner of the shot put, s. The sun., August 11, 1919, Page 9, col. 5 chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030431/1919-08-11/ed-... According to other sources, his name was Reginald E. Caughey, s. e.g. - 'Annals of the Olympic Club, San Francisco', 1914, p. 43: "Reg. Caughey — He is Australian champion in putting the 16-pound shot" archive.org/stream/annalsofolympicc00olym#page/42/mode/2up/ and - 'Stanford: Home of Champions' by Gary Migdol, p. 51: "Stanford LEGEND - Reginald E. "Reg" Caughey" books.google.com/books?id=ntBDmB_fYo8C&pg=PA51&lp...

Highlights of Moments in Queensland Racing History! Mid 1880's Track established "by the creek" - Albion Park - with a sand surface. It was purchased by Melbourne businessman, John Wren in 1910, and unregistered race meetings were conducted. In 1924 the Brisbane Amateur Turf Club was formed and purchased Albion Park from Mr. Wren for 300,000 pounds ($600,000). Source: www.teamthoroughbreds.com.au/articles/highlights-of-momen...

Remembering The Creek, Brisbane’s quirky sand racetrack The Creek, Brisbane’s now-defunct Albion Park racecourse, holds special memories for many horse-racing enthusiasts of a certain age. Known as “The Creek” because it was bounded by Breakfast Creek which runs into the nearby Brisbane River, it was an all-weather sand track that provided an alternative to the more upmarket grass tracks of Eagle Farm and Doomben. In hindsight, it could be argued that it wasn’t a smart decision to locate a racetrack in such a flood-prone position. Many times since the track was established about 1854, officials had to clean up after such an event. In a measure of the benefits of a sand track, racing re-started two weeks after the 1974 flood receded. It took workers several days to remove the silt and debris. Gallopers such as Recovery, St Aubin, Auction, Lucky Ring, and Red Seas mostly won at Albion Park and were referred to as champion “Creekers”. The Creek was never going to survive long-term as horse racing expanded. It was the stuff of another era, filled with characters and situations that will be hard for some to comprehend. As well, harness racing events were included on the program on occasions and those who had standardbred horses back then could not have imagined that one day the location would become a world-class venue for that racing code. The site is now headquarters to both harness racing and greyhounds and is still known as The Creek, but many would know little of the history behind that title. Just a short walk from The Creek is the iconic Breakfast Creek Hotel which has long held a reputation as one of Brisbane’s best steakhouses and gathering places. Source: nunn.com.au/the-creek/

Interesting to see almost all spectators are male, and almost all, except just a few, wearing hats.