The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-05
WIEN Mfr STARVED
Experience of the Oklahoma
Fusion Candidate as an Actor
HON HE PLAYED AN ORGAN
And Delighted a Farmers
Family and His NeighborS.
HOW HE PLAYED AN ORGAN

Nef, the candidate for congress of the
fusion forces in Oklahoma, knows what
hunger is. He did not acquire this inter-
esting experience as a pioneer on
homestead, or in the more usual channel
that of fighting Indians, or in doing scout
duty for the government Although he
was reared in Wichita and in the west
his starving experiences were located east
in Missouri.
When Neff lived In Wichita as boy
and fastened his necktie on with a bride
buckle (his father was a sadder), in the
days when David Payne agitated Okla
homa from the Peerless Princess, Men
had a comfortable home. But he had also
a dramatic ambition, and three square
meals a day did not weigh against the
fire within him which bade him go forth
and receive the plaudits of the world. He
went Somewhere in eastern Missouri,
across the Mississippi river from the
Quincy neighborhood. Neff found a trav-
cling theatrical company laundering I'M
der that awful adversely caused by a
quarrel between the leading lady and the
leading man. The leading lady, as his
tory afterward revealed, had first yearned
for the stage from some Missouri farm,
and had accumulated some cash and was
the angel" Of the company she headed
in its assaults on the hapless denizens Of
old Missouri IN the belief that she stiil
retained some filthy lucre the company
in the quarrel took her side, and the
leading man, thus Disseminated against,
and designating the whole outfit as a set
Of hoboes. bade them farewell and was
engulfed in a cruelty populous world. !
Bob was hired for leading man, and the
troupe set out for the next town. Upon
their arrival there they were assured that
d big audience awaited them, and the
struggling little company on that prospect
cheered up while Bob learned his lines.
Shortly after supper the hall" the only
opera house in the town. burned. The
company did not play and moved on to
the next town billed They were met at
the depot with the tidings that the opera
house in that town had just been blown
away by a high wind. They moved onto
the next town, in desperation. The show !
had been poorly advertised. They got
supper. the play began and finished be-
fore microscopic audience, and there
was no money TO pay the hotel bill, no
money for further railroad travel, and
with the company inquiring for the best
walking on country roads and the fair
Missouri actress in tears the landlady
arrlua ced that she would hold the trunks
and lhe wardrobe"
one Of The first to depart was Bob
Neit He was stranger and he went
alone. heading for Kansas City and walk
!ug the ties. lie never had any Of the
G2re of a beggar about him. lie never
hal begged and he resolved he never
would. lie was without penny and in
strange land and he resolved to get
work from one Of the farmers he met
But no enc wanted him All dag he
lrulEad along ana at last late at night
pursued light IN a farm house and
hungry, foot sore and bedraggled asked
once more. The farmer, acc3sted, told
him he would take him. 1t was 10 o'clock
at night supper was over and Neff heard
wjth delight the farmers wife say:
Hadn't We better get the new man
something to eat" and with pain
the farmer reply: Let him wait
TIL morning" SO Bob went TO bed
and sought the food with which uncon- !
sc:ousness appeases the appetite At 3 !
commanded 10 get uD." Tired as he was |
the thought Of breakfast pried his eyes |
open and he struggled into his clothes |
and met the farmer in the kitchen !
There was no fire in the stove and on |
this point the farmer soon enlightened |
Bob by telling him that they didn't have |
breakfast until O'Clock and until that /
time he should take this bucket Of !
whitewash and go out and whitawash the |
back fence. Bob went out and In the |
black night began on that fence Weary I
nature succumbed and after trying 10 I
paint the spaces between the pickets as
much as the pickets themselves the wan /
derer sank down on the ground and slept. /
The farmer found him SO and took him 1
10 breakfast. Bob didn't get enough. Of 4
course, and it was still dark when he I
took his whitewash bucket and went out |
10 tackle the fence again. Pretty soon !
the farmer called out: You had better /
come down here and start at this end /
But no answer came from the murkv /
dawn Bob had fed. He trudged on |
seeking new employment with a more
congenial man. But he was not used 10 4
walking and about o'clock in the az /
ternoon he gave out and asked permits /
sion az pleasant farm house to sit /
down under a tree and rest These peo-
PIE We're cultured and treated him with /
consideration They evidently knew his |
place in life and brought him a chair and I
a glass Of water. Bob at once braced I'D I
and when little later kind faced I
woman with little curly-haired child I
hanging II her skirts asked him II he I
Wouldn't come in and have bite to eat. 1
he thanked her kindly and said no But
she prepared some bread and butter ana /
jelly and set ont a tempting bowl of 4
sweet milk and told him that he surely /
must come in and refresh himself She I
knew he was not hungry. she said. hut
She wanted 10 show him that she made /.
the i'm st Jelly in that country. And ~
last reluctantly. Bob. who had made !
friends with the little curly-haired baby
reluctantly consented 10 test that 5e,lv
Having given him napkin. the vorasn
and he- daughters. who had spread ,ha
lunch withdrew nsiderate,y. ana when
the door had closed between them Bob
grabbed bunk OF bread and biz a hole
- il AS big as the Niagara Fans horse
shoe and then The baby. who had NOT
zone. looked N and said:
100 IS awful hungry. atn't ooe"
And Bob looked back into those eyes
Of Innocence and said: NO my little
dear
The vayfarer saw he must maintain his
reputation. even before the child. and he
went m the foa3 with the delicacv % q
man badly overfe5 But MS ap0eti,s
tF.pped him again and presently the chHd
put On The brakes with this question: