The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-31
Stories of an Inland State.

| bis promise that he was not after inter
| views"
MY idea of reform" said legislator
named Brooks, "has changed a good deal.
| l recognize and confess the evils of the
day for just what they are worth. And il
is my belief that every man in his life time
| discovers them and believes himself verb
BILE Columbus until he finds that the same
evils are known to every adult and have
| existed for years"
Think, Brooks, of our present aristo-
cratic tendencies" interrupted Holcomb.
You don't mean 10 say that we have had
an aristocracy always in this country
| "Pshaw," cried Brooks. I'VE haven't
any aristocracy now. One man is as good
! as another. Fortunes are disintegrated
| daily and a family name hardly survives in
prominence a single decade. We have no
aristocracy."
81 believe you willfully blind yourself"
/ said Holcomb.
| blind myself What do you mean?" ask
| ed Brooks vehemently.
| Eyes. That is what / mean. Do you sup
pose you would rankle under the system Of
| peasantry if you were an European peas
ant No You would be the victim of a
bad condition and you would extol peas
antry as the best condition in the world.
4
and contentment."
| "Pshaw," said Brooks.
Il believe it," Holcomb went on. 81
think we have an aristocracy and that it is
growing. I believe further that you are
| just enough of a peasant TO be unable to
maintain yourself gracefully in the atmos-
phere that aristocracy breathes."
| Rats cried Brooks.
Furthermore" Holcomb went on ct be-
/ lieve their pleasures and their usages, Gus
toms, dress, if not their language, you
would be unable TO understand
"Oh,'' derided Brooks.
! 81 know you think not" said Holcomb,
but You are mistaken. Your grand chill
| dren will come to confess it honestly to
| themselves and bless themselves that they
| have a good master with their poverty"
The end of Harrison's cigar Redeemed be-
meath it's white cap of ashes under an i'm
pulse of the smoke to speak.
The group turned to him. They respected
| his utterances.
''Holcomb, said Harrison, the reporter,
lis right
The crowd was silent. Brooks was crush
ed.
What makes you think so?" some one
asked
Let me give you an instance" said Har-
rison. I'm moderately intelligent VIII
you agree to that? I've read a good deal
l can write fairly well. l admire Tom JEFF
ferson's assurance that We were born free
and equal. 1 love America. But American
( aristocracy has reached a place where
would not be at ease in it's presence and
| do not believe Brooks would either, or any
| of you. Did you ever notice a farmers
| walk on a city pavement. He is used to
| straddlIng burrows. He keeps the gait
when he gets on a level walk. 1t is very
| funny, but he can't help #. Now they
| used to call farmers clod-hoppers. I have
| walked around on these stone pavements
for years. My feet have become accustom-
ed to the :mmovable rock. I am fitted for
rock and nothing else. In the presence OF
American aristocracy can not walk a.
well as even their toddling babes. Let me
tell you story:
About a year ago was assigned TO get
an interview from Higgins at his home.
Higgins Is the big banker, you know, who
lives in the palace on the hill.
81 went to his home. A maid admitted
| me and directed me up long hall TO An
open room on the right at the end Of the
hall. Then started TO navigate that hall.
The floor was hard and polished like glass
and strewn with thin Turkish rugs. My
feet were used to hitting those solid stone
pavements. About the third rug I struck
fell smack fat on my back full length in
the hall. TIE maid had gone. I WAS glad
OF that"
TIE crowd about the reporter laughed.
'1 don't believe even Brooks could have
got along without falling" commented
Harrison. by good deal OF care got to
- 10 A.. -,
Portable chair in the room which probably
cost the most and waited. Higgins came
IL and interviewed him. His grammar was
bad. I took courage at that and almos.
had the spunk to correct him TO his face
the hall had made me believe he was an
aristocrat. 1 got over that bravely at that
moment.
when the interview was finished Mr.
Higgins said es polite as you please: 'Har-
rison. wouldn't you like to look over the
house?'
MY first impulse was to refuse the invi-
tation. l wasn't sure that l could master
those slippery rugs. But Higgins bad
grammar plucked up my courage and l
agreed.
Higgins was as nice as you please about
IT, He certainly has a beautiful home. /
think 1 was able 70 appreciate his single
Corot which cost thirteen hundred dollars.
His cut glass collection was certainly very
fine and told him so. ! asked him, too. If
water from a cut glass goblet tasted any
better than the same water from a mug
and be said yes-as much better as glass
OF champagne is than a glass of white
wine
Then Higgins sprung his surprise on
me.
mfr. Harrison he said. Every mar has
his folly. Every man has some little craze
for collecting which takes his mind away
from business cares and gives him real
bliss. With some men it is one thing with
others another. Now I have a hobby. In
the mex room l Will show you my collec-
tion-the finest collection Of jade west Of
the Mississippi river
'I followed him into the next room. 1
guess it was dining room. There were
numerous mural decorations, brackets, cab
inets. pictures. mantles and things.
Higgins stopped and watched me. He
expected me to see the jade and rush up TO
Il enthusiastically and expatste over its
beauty. l knew this. I gave a wide sweep
ing, comprehensive glance over the whole
room. hoping had included the jade.
Higgins looked at me- hopeful would
spring upon his collection of Jade and fill
the room with EXPLANATIONS OF delight
But / did not.
81 did not know what jade was
The crowd laughed at the reporters tale
Brooks shifted unessily in his seat. The
reporter glanced at him and went on:
well. Higgins was nightly d.ssppolnt-
e3. felt pretty mean myself l forgot
his bad grammar and concluded that was