The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-16
oNE WHO KNEW HIN
l-naIyzes the Character Of the
Late INC of D."
HELD MEN IN HIS GRASP
But Loved the Wilderness
Above the Power He Crayed.

aoQuaancaocs with him dating from my
very earliest boyhood- IL the early sew
Indies we attended together a country
District school IN Kansas. = very small
10Y, he q very large and magnificent
@oung man He must bsve been o OF
years Old As g mere boy be had seen
.erv1ce as Union soldier IN the closing
years OF the civil war. His youth had
lot been one Of opportunity, and Toen
n- came 20 our eerle district school &c
was simply devour>d by znsbItton-7aD1D.-
ton 70 be g scholar. = gentleman, and
an orator. That was the dream Of ms
ife IN those days-oratory. He believed.
nd not without reason, thai he had spe-
cIaI eado 1ments for tHrzs field He was
saH and firm and straight He had
fine musical voice . handsome. Noodle
face, abundant black, curling ha4r-alto-
sether q striking and commanding pres
erce He labo-ed Ike one possessed
and 50 he waste make up for ohe lack
Il early training. And he did il. so far
as human being might, IN the short urle
he could give 70 e. The teacher n our
Modest school during those years was
: retired professor OF mathematics and
languages, and so Mcdonald got at least
: glimpse OF something beyond the curri-
c'lum OF a country school
But. as I said. his chief delight and
consuming ambition was rhe study and
Practice OF oratory. How well renem-
Der the winter nights when our neignbor-
hood literary society met IN the little
school house-the long. red-hot cracked
I'D stove; the walnut benches, whitfield
9ad Scared the shutting crowd, all bent
n res4rving the very back seats; outside.
ne moonlight $50 I always think OF those
lights falling on the crisp frost or creak-
.ng snow. And Mcdonald was easily
ne star OF every program He was mod
st enough about Il, and made no enemies.
5uc ne was determined 70 get something
cut % every meeting, and he got II by
diving the best that was in him may
gay here that he acquired al that time
a fault from which he never quite es-
saped-a little over-exhuberance both OF
siction and delivery. Oratory was to MIN
< mistress so nigh and glorious that he
never quite persuaded himself that SIM
pie and unadorned apparel might some
times become her best
Perhaps 7 may be pardoned for recount
.ng an incident Of one Of these meetings,
somewhat personal to myself, but illus
rating the thoughtful kindness OF my
friend. I was on the program to open
debate. L was my very first attempt at
an original speech" and, as before re-
marked. 7 was a very small boy aud
-ery bashful one. The sound Of my own
vioce was so very remarkable that lost
ny head Immediately and completely.
The strange thing about it was that I
didn't know enough either 10 go on or 70
aait I do not know how long these
strained relations between myself and my
audience might have lasted, had not Nc
Donald called up from the audience in his
kind and musical voice, Read ii. my
boy" remember wondering dinly how
ne knew II was in my pocket. Cor I fan
cied that was my profound secret, but
n the great relief Of all concerned, 7
drew Il out and read II.
n later years when Mcdonald was po-
ice Judge in lola, Kansas. an incident
happeued-in connection. STILL with MS
oratoricsI proclivities-about which the
Town laughed for many a day. A most
tioursfing literary society. or club ex-
is.ed there having in its membership the
choicest men and women in the town.
The club divided into two sections for the
purpose Of presenting competitive pro-
grams. and were asstduously rehearsing
several times a week Mcdonald was a
leading spirit. OF course, and one night
ne went 10 the Presbyterian church TO
participate in rehearsal OF his section
.'p5n entering ne saw a group OF people
n the front Of the church. whom he took
70 be the gathering members Of his com
psnv." He threw back his head, flied
aEzF.
declaimiug in his most magnificent man
ner the resounding old lines. 4 come not
here TO talk. Ye know too well the story
OF our thrau6ou1" What vas his horror
70 discover. even as the last words as
capped him. that he was addressing the
Iaid-week prayer meeting. in full biasLi
He remained TO pray.
Z vas in the old Carlyle ueignborhood.
F-sr mentioned. and while he was at
school. thar he met Alice Noble. the belle
and beauty OF the whole country side.
md. with the impetuos1ty that distin-
F7Iisaed him in everything fell wildly IN
ave with her.
think - her alwsyS as a graceful ard
charming figure. ca-eeri1g recklessIy over
ne pra!r5es on 2 beautiful pony. Their
marriage put an end 70 his school DAYS.
and then began. without anything % be-
Gin on. the serious business OF getting Up
\ ne world. with wife and children.
L - not nv purpose - follow that
struggle in d,stau. Il vas the brave and
honest fight always y brave and honest
mar Z was wsge6. fo- The most psrc
on The very outer rim ~ ctvilizatio7-in
western Kansas TIL that grew old II che
Panhantle I'll the railroad broke -hs
charm: r. Oklahoma. first within IS cen
tral hounds. ard thea far n the western
brakes where teath came.
Why did ne DIR: 50 inevitably - ~
frontier Many - his friends. knowing
his ambitions and rs talents have often
-s}z@t the question -Alnk can give
his oEu answer II che FIRST place ~
believed hat there the start was easier
AID re opportunity greater thar n thA
olde- Setclene1cs-whe- her i ar e,itcor's
room : lawyers Office o. On = cstc!e
Fauch- But. - the second place NcDou-
rflil+stine-at;er q mos gentle sase.oa.
sc was fro--;ersuan ~ nature. Es
loved the front via its Erea- distances.
rs breezy outlook. Is cree and primitive
sic He would have carried f.tll-d-ess
tuit . perfection. but all RE kings horses
and all the kings men could nor have
got him into ore. Now a71 again whs7
4 rare impulse OF civilization wsx u7oa
h4m. he would cone i-.a t5s towns.
smoke an unaccuS.3rre+ ctEs- wlth so-re
CHOSEN friend ard ak deep :utc re
Risnt-ot books. religion. s-atscrat;-aa