Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-09-28
GREAT MEN AS BOYS.
How Leading New Workers Behaved
When Young.

How Leading New Workers Behaved
When Young.
A great many people often wonder
what sort of uTchins our great Or we'll
! known citizens were at about the time
when they were shedding their short
! frocks, or discarding the obnoxious bib.
For the edificatiOn of those interested
in this subject it may be said that in
spite of the present dignity of an
| IngersOll, the oratOrical abilities of a
/ Depew, and so on along the lines of
prominent New Workers, all were hui
man-intensely so. In fact, they were
| just like other boys. Some were adj
dicted to getting themselves and every
one else into trouble, while a few were
models Of goodness and propriety.
| Even in the undeveloped youth of
! these men, according to the New York
Morning Journal, some Of the procli-
vities which have made them famous
in latter years were noticeable at the
time they were being drubbed ON their
mothers knees. Nearly every one &C
knowledges that he participated in
many a good old-fashioned spanking
bee in those early days and admits
that he is better for it.
The Chesterfeldian Depew, for in
stance, says it was part Of his daily
back to the time when family prayers
were followed by breakfast, and break
fast by a hearty spanking, with two
objects in view. In the first place, it
was sought to impress upon his youth
full mind what his relative position in
his fathers household was, and sec
ondly, to Undue him with the idea that
all flesh was grass. And he says it
usually was, after the opera ton was
over. It acted, thirdly, as a good di-
gester, and in those days the doctor
never felt the need of a cordial after
a hearty meal.
Many day during his early years
found young Chauncey proclaiming pa
triotic sentiments to an audience of
admiring youngsters from the pinnacle
Of a pine stump up in the woods back
of Peekskill.
1t is doubtful if Mr.. Depew has since
had, or even will have, more appre-
ciative listeners than those in Peeks-
kill woods. He was a born leader
among his fellows, and while able to
put up good fight with rebellious
subjects, he usually banked heavier on
his power to sway them with his voice
He was able to cast a marble with
the~sbest of them, and a few years
later used to 60 in swimming with
his clothes on on an average of five
times a day. Sundays he went to
church, and usually had to submit to
an extra spanking in the afternoon
because it was Sunday.
The proudest moment of his youth,
DR.. Depew thinks, was the day he wore
his first pair of boots. They had red
tops and copper toes, and even Solomon
in all his glory was not arrayed like
our Chauncey. Added to this was a
pair of suspenders, and Chauncey near
ly caught his death of cold by leaving
off his coat in order to better display
the glories of his first decoration.
Bob IngersOll, on the contrary, never
had to submit to infantile chastisement, |
and he thinks he is all the better for
it.
Bob's forte was preaching. He was
a good deal such a boy as Depew, /
only Depew aroused the hilarity Of
his subjects, while Ingersoll used to
delve deep into the pathetic side OF
life, until he brought tears to the eyes
of his hearers. Bob was cut out Tor
a preacher. That's what everybody
said until he became to believe it him
self, but it did not take him long to
disabuse his mind of this idea, and