The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-26
A BOY IN OLD KENTUCKY
Where Gen. Adlai E. Stevenson Was
Born and Passed His
Early Days.
The Old Log Cabin In Which Ho
First Saw the Light
of Day.
n. Loved Books More Than Playing
Marbles or C~hopping WOOD
Sense Of Humor.

Sense Of Humor.
The farmers who meet and talk about ths
boyhood days Of the candidate Tor vics
president have cleared up most Of. the
points in regard to his early days. Now
and then The meeting has a relief from III
somewhat srduous duty of making
biographical researches by the detailing Of
some aeod story on Gen. Stevenson when
he vas 4 'littls shaver" ~ one joke teller
puts IL.
The story, which within the past month
has besn told and retold until every boy
knows it by heart. illustrates the old sdage
that the boy 10 father to She man, and shows
that Gen, Stsveuson's mind was turned
toward spesch-makink when no was yst =
child, says a Herndon (Ky.) letter to the
Louisville Courier journal. James L. ste-
venson, . cousin Of the nominee
for vice president, a prosperous
farmer, whe was Justice OF the
peace for years, dug up the
story from the dim past. 1t was one winter
evening, The Stevenson family. with the
exception of tho father of the house. who
was away from homo, was gathered around
q roaring hrslog. There was one visitor.
James E. Stevenson, who was there to spend
the night, partly on account OF tho absence
of the head Of the family. Adlsi Steven
son laid down a book which he had been
reading and "bantersd" Jimmy for a de-
bate. IN argument a. Adlai called II.
jimmy hesitAted. for he feared the boy.
who was always reading. Had the invita-
tion been TO wrestls. James would have mad
off his Jacket in . moment Finally. by dint
of much persuasion, Adlai got his playmate
to meet him in the forensic arena. The sub
jeet was "proQress." Jimmy. having only q
vague idea Of what progress meant, made .
short. bsshful effort. Adlai followed. lie
did not drag out his sentences slowly, a. his
opponent had done. but his words fell
short, sharp and clear. The little children,
half asleep, opened wide their eyes ana
wondered what Adlai was doing. The young
orator, who stood by q table, now and then
brought his clinchsd fist down ON its top
with crushing f,Ioe. ne wa >. o nnnnas 1o ths
table so hard that the nails in it were
loossnsd, Then Adlai called on his mother
TO decide which had beaten. Mrs. steven
son at frst refused to take upon herself the
responsibility OF deciding q question OF SO
much moment. However. whom Adlai had
less than fifteen times, she gave q decision.
"Why, Adlai," she said, you beat the
table To most" It's good for the blues to
hear the audience at tho village store laugh
when the point in this story is reached:
There are other stories, but they will fit
more naturally in the history OF Adlal
s%tevenson's boyhood days. He is the son
IT John Tuner Stevenson and Eliza Ew-
ing. James Stevenson was the father OF
John Turner Stevenson. He came to Ken
tuckv from North Carolina before the be-
ginning Of tho present century. A young
wife, q member Of the Turner family OF
that state, accompanied him. Ihey wansed
ports of the richness of the kentucky soil
att, acted them. They settled in
what il now Christian county. but
what was then wilderness, where
ranthera roamed for prev and In
dams hunted white men. But tho young
pioneer was brave and strong, and he soon
cleared enough ground to support himself
and an increasing family. -Four boys and
three girls were born to them. John Iu ner
Stevenson was the eldest. He married at
an early AGE and kept the homo place.
l3Adlai was the second son. Asa child be
was not 30 boiaterous a. many OF his play
mates, but enjoyed fun just as much. He
wal D. oSAcoA INV
Thu institution Of learning whore his
Young ideas were first taught to shoot was
known rs the "Blus Water" school. 1t
was a log house and stood where the town
of Herndo now IL.
It was as a schoolboy that Adlai's traits
Of character were nrss notlesd. IN those
DAYS there were no regular hours for the
opening and closing of school. The pupils
came as early 40 they could and staia az
late Is the day would let them. Adlai was
generally the first boy there and tho last
away. His thirst for knowledge became a
matter of no little remark, and be was easily
the aptest pupil in his "deestrict." He
read most Of tho time when at home. In
deed. it became q common remark about
the countrywide that "Ad" Stevenson always
had a book in his hand. Adlal was not as
popular with the boys as he would have
been had he loved his books less and mar
bles or hunting more.
Adlai loved books too we'll to like to pillow
or hoe. His parents were proud OF this quail
ity in their boy and allowed him to spend
Hs much time a. he wished in studying.
One day, however. when the tobacco needed
''suckerinR' badly. or the corn thinning"
Adlai was sent out to help tbs other hands.
But he did not put in an appearance at the
field. Dinner time came; the horn blew;
the fold hands came in, all except Adlai.
After a time his absence eaussd ~uneasiness,
and & search was begun. He was found
under q tree in the orchard. A book was
in his hands and he was completely lost in
its pages. He had not heard the horn. The
red-headed boy did very little work, there
fore, about the farm. He carried wat. ,
chopped wood and ran pyramids; but this
was considered nothing at all, for all the
other boys worked from 'sunrise to sunset
Adlai did not even like to chop wood. He
was always complaining of q dull Ak and
generally managed to put this defect in the
Instrument to some good.
$&""Adlai would chop a stick or two says
james Z. Stevenson, "and then say: This
is'the dullest az | ever Jaw. You never cut
with an AK as dull rs this. Just trv and see
if you did, Then | would take the az, and
in trying it. Of course, chopped wood for
Adlai. Sometime he would get three or
four boys to try his ak, and thus get all his
wood chopped"
Adlai read every pooh for ten miles
around. He enjoyed history most. and his
favorite wss tho history of the United
states. He read this over and over until he
knew every chapter by heart.
The red-headed boys preatest pleasure
was to 90 to mill. There was something
adventurous about this. He was going GU,
in the world, to stay away from home one
whole night, and to bargain with n crown
man. Whenever the nOur or this mail oo,