The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-27
REPORTERS TELL STORIES.
The Kind They Hammer Out on
Type Writers After e'The Papers
Out"

There is a romance connected with
the early acquaintance of William Jen-
nings Bryan with Miss Mary Baird, now
Mrs. Bryan, which has never been pub
nshed- Only a. few persons know the
story, one of this number is a Topeka
man who relates it.
At the same time that Miss Baird was
a student in the Jacksonville female
college at Jacksonville, Ill, young Bry-
an was attending the Illinois college at
the same place After a certain hour
In the afternoon the young ladies of
the college were free to promenade
about the college grounds, and while
enjoying this recreation took the Op-
the Illinois college who were invaria
bly, on hand.
It was during these prOmenades
that Miss Baird attracted the attention
OF young Bryan, and Irritation was
commenced. This led to an acquain-
lance, and a meeting was arranged at
the home of a relative of the young Ia
dy's in the suburbs of Jacksonville
The first meeting was but the fOrerun-
ner Of a series of weekly visits by both
parties to the same place.
But the enjoyment of the young
couple was not allowed to proceed
without interruption. The matter came
to the ears of the president of the fe-
male college, and he at once called Miss
Baird before him and questioned her
concerning it. She acknowledged that
she had been in the habit of meeting
young Bryan, and as such conduct was
distinctly against the rules of the col
1ege, her sentence was expulsion. She
was ordered to be in readiness to leave
the college at a. certain date.
The news of Miss Baird's expulsion
reached Bryan the same day, and
without waiting to map out any plans
of procedure, he FASTENED to the pres
ident's Office. Young Bryan was even
then the prize orator of the Illinois col
1ege, and he started in to convince the
president that he had taken the wrong
q no & CnT7VT n
merited.
A few days prior to this event Bryan
had written the parents of Miss Baird
asking their consent to visit the young
lady Although he had not received a
reply, he presumed on an affirmative
answer. and told the president that he
had the consent of the young lady's
parents and that his intentions were
entirely honorable. He also presumed
upon the affections of the young lady
and stated that their formal engage
ment was only a matter of few
weeks.
At the end of an hour young Bryan
had the president of the college look
ing at the matter in an entirely differ
ent light. Not only was the sentence
of expulsion repealed, but Bryan OBJ
tanned consent to visit Miss Baird at
the college weekly.
Although it was not until after the
young couple had left their respective
colleges that their engagement was an
nounced, it was while at school that
they became fast friends. Both grad
uated at the same time. and a few
years later We're married
There are two lawyers in Topeka
whom the people are continually get
ting mixed up about. They have diff
ferent names, but that little difference
IS made by changing one letter With
a U, you have the handsome justice
of the peace, J. B. Furry. With an Z,
you have the scholarly looking police
judge of the city. L. s. Ferry.
The offices of these two young men
are near each other, and many are
the mistakes which are made every day
by people who haven't learned that the
difference of one letter of the alphabet
makes a whole lot of difference in
some transactions.
Justice Furry and Judge Ferry are
full cousins They have a family re-
Semblance which is not hard to see.
But there is one point on which
these cousins differ, and that is as to
which of the names has been changed.
Originally the two branches of the fam
lily went under one name, and Justice
Furry says that it was his name which
was used.
when my uncle died several years
ago the children were very young, -
said Justice Furry to a State Journal