Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-12-10
Kansas congressman.

woods. The fact is that large ma
iority of the men who have made great
regulations in the senate and house
came originally from the farm. Just
why the country districts should pro-
duce more genuine statesmen than the
cities is a thing which l cannot under
stand Possibly it is because the
bright and ambitious men of the CEN
tiers of population are more drawn off
into trade, the professions, specula-
tons and money making in general
than their brothers of the back coun-
ties.
Probably the most distinguished
farmer member of the next house is
Jerry Simpson He is SO we'll known
that need nos say. much about him.
know Jerry very well, and can tell
you he is shrewd enough to take care
of himself. He sat In my Office one
day for two hours talking politics, ag-
riculture and finance, and discover
ed that he knew a heap and doesn't
always believe every thing he says.
He made no bones about telling me
that when the sockless story was start
ed on him he determined to make the
most of it, 'Twasn't true story, but
that made no difference. In sixty
days it transformed him from an OBJ
scure atom of humanity to one of the
| best known and most widely talked
about men in America. Probably
this is the only country in the world
in which such trivial thing as an al
legged absence of stockings could make
a man famous and pave the way for
a career of distinction.
Who can blame Jerry for making
the most of the good luck which thus
came to him by mere accident? There
is a good deal in the man except his
reported tendency to go about in bare
feet. He is as keen as razor. DER
RVS hands are as soft as woman's, and
1 doubt if he has done much farm
work for several years. The fact is,
am told, he is a pretty prosperous
citizen. He said to me that he had
been farming in Kansas fourteen
years and growing poorer every year,
| and when | wondered how he had
managed to keep out of the poor
house since he started in Kansas WIS
nothing but an old horse, a cook stove
and bed, Jerry looked at me over
his gold trimmed spectacles and smil-
ed.
The sharp, shrewd "sockless' Simp-
son will be worth keeping an eye on
| in congress next winter. Since his
election to congress, a little more than
a year ago, Simpson is said to have
received more than 300 pairs of socks
from sympathetic and admiIing
friends, and he has now on hand
enough stockings to last HIM the re-
mainder of his days. A fact not gen
orally known is that for many years
Jerry Simpson was a sailor. Mrs.
Simpson is a comedy little woman, whe
likes a simple life, and who frankly
says she wishes Jerry would give up
politics and go back to the farm.
Kansas sends us a delegation of
farmers. Among them is one who
will certainly be counted one Of the
handsomest men in the new house.
[ refer to Hon. B. H. Glover. A very
good name, surely, for farmer who
has been elected to a $4,000 a year
Job, with hopes of continuance. Clio
yer looks more like a dashing board
of trade man or lawyer than like a
meek and lowly follower of the all
conquering pillow. He went down to
the Florida farmers convention last
year, and had his pocket picked while
on the cars. When Jerry Simpson
heard of this he exclaimed: "Well,
they won't get my wallet. 1 carry it
in my sock"
An old man from Kansas, whose
earnestness and learning will be sure
to attract attention in congress is John
Davis. He is three score and five, a
native of Illinois, and married a sister
of Major Powell, director of the Uni
ted States geological survey. Anoth-
er brother of Mrs. Davis is superin-
tendent of schools in this city.
Congressman Davis is a man who
has not lived in vain. He has been
fifty-seven years a practical farmer
and made enough money at it to en-
able him to buy a prosperous newspa.
per. Mr.. and Mrs. DAVIS have reared
family of six sons and three daugh-
ters, now all grown up and self sup
porting. The sons are prominent as
educators or in scientific work, anC
the daughters are married to clergy
men and business men. One Is super
intendent of drawing and painting II
the public schools of Miss Francs
Wizards town, Evanston Ills. Th'
! Congressman was conspicuous 10 thu
Grange movement and has been prom
inent IN the Knights of Labor, Farm
/ ers' Alliance and Peoples Party. III
! and Mr.. Powderly are warm friends
J Forty years ago Mr.. Davis began
an agitation for government endow
ment of an agricultural college or in
; dustrial university in each state of tn
Union, and after twelve years of IN
renting effort his labors were re
: warded with success. He was instru
! mental in the establishment of public
; county libraries in Kansas, and has
plan for mortgage lifting which b
: will probably bring up in congress
An interesting old man, is he not
He has a face and an expression no
unlike those of n famous man VIII
once lived in Kansas, and whose soU
il is marching on"
These Kansas farmer eongresslne
are a pretty strong lot of men Her
l is John q. Otis, of Topeka. His bal
q head indicates much thought, his eye
are those of the enthusiast, his ia
q shows stubbornness and courage.
don't believe it worth anyone's Will
Y to sneer at these hayseed statesmen
s 1t Is better to wait and see what the
have to do and say.
~
New Try This.
1t will cost you nothing and viii sur
re- IL do Won ooOd If Won have q cOugl