The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-05-06
GIVE FAMOUS MISSOURIANS"
SEEN THROUGH MISSOURI EYES.

, shooting into them choice excerpts from
these speeches.
when Champ Clark was a child he had
a very large head and a small neck, which
combination made his father fear that the
youth had a weak constitution. SO he set
him TO Ginning poles, swinging on hand
swing and practicing other athletic sports
70 develop his neck and chest. To those
who nave Seen Mr.. Clark in later life. il
is suIernuous To state how We'll he sue
ce"ded, ana 10 those who have not seen
him II might be stated that he wears a III,
| collar. and i coat of ~ inches chest meas
urennent. A. a part of hie physical train
Ing Clarke father hired the youth 10 work
on q farm from the time he was large
enough 10 thin corn. until he WAS large
enough TO do mostly as he pleased. The
farm of Clark Montgomery. on which
Chanlp hfst worked. and for years there
after. was poor. hiIly and rocky. 1t is said
mat the limestone crop far exceeded the
production or corn. and that young Clark
must have broken enough rock with a
sledgehammer while working for Mont
soHery to incloSe a township with stone
fence.
As a farmland Clark WAS a success. 1t
soo, came about. however. that boy
though he was. he was sent for to teach in
! nhtuly districts and II unusual prices. He
WIS put II when he began the life OF q
pedagogue. He says OF his life as a teach
ct: 1 was "a schoolteacher At intervals
from the time / was between IA and L, m
Ill | was past S.
Nhlie Clark was teaching in tho public
schools OF Kentucky, Mr.. William stevens,
locally known as Uncle Billie Stevens OF
tainden. Anderson County. offered TO edu-
cate Ciark at any college in America or
Europe IL he would become a preacher in
the Christian Church. and on anntbpr ncc.-
sion offered him the education and one-haIf
OF mas estate. then considered a large one
50 10 do' both of which generous offers
clark declined. intending all the tim. to
become a lawyer. He declined the
tempting offers for fear that. when fully
grown UP. he might not have his whole
heart in preaching which he thoueh, riobt
anu essential in the ministry
after MT. Ciark had been graduated from
betHdnS IoHeSe he was advised to apply
lor I position as principal in a West Vlr-
sihia school. His application read; IT
nave Just graduated at Bethany with high
est honors, am q years old. over s feet high
weigh 10 pounds, unmarried. am a Ken.
tuckian by birth. q Campbellite in religion. Il
democrat iii politics, and a Master Mason"
ne oid not secure the frs: position, but
one in another school was offered TO him ..
a better salary. He studied law In Cincin-
nau, and came to Missouri in 1915 and
taught IN Louisiana, Pike County. lie has
peen : Piker' ever since. He has nrar.
ticed law. and edited a newspaper in Bowl
ins Hfeen, NO.. for years, Interrupted. how
ever, by attendance upon legislative duties
TO which the people called him.
IN the person OF Doctor James VI C,esp-
wood. says the bicgrapher, " is found an
example OF the superintendent of one of the
leading school systems of America. honorefi
with the highest Offices within the eft of
MS co"orkers, who Is not an alumnus Of
any institution and who attended school hut
seven years of his life"
Professor Greenwood is known To Mis-
Sourians Tor his years of successful work
for education. at the KirksyiIle Normal
School, and at the head of the public school
system OF Kansas City, and for his writings
along eGucatiuna, lines.
When being questioned by school dire.tars
before taking his first school he was asked
about his politics. Young Greenwood said:
TX you want politics taught in yoir
school, you will be compelled TO look about
Tor another teacher. for I'm TOO good a
patriot to be a partisan anc too good a
christian to be a SeCtarian.'
The renowned physiologist, AxenfieiI,
once said: Men of genius are always the
first-born of their parents. Second or
third sons may be eminent men. and sons
born later may be men of talent, but they
can never be great
"Axenfield's assertion is not an iufaIlibla
law, for many notables have been younger
sons. Bismarck and Gladstone Were fourth
sons. Shakespeare. Charles james Fox, the
Duke of Wellington. Lord Lytton. Tenny-
son and Philip of Maceion were third sons.
Benjamin Franklin was the fifteenth son.
Sir Joshua Reynolds. the seventh son; AL
ired the Great, the fifth son, and Sir X.
Arkwright, the thirteenth.
be IL as II may. certainly 1t is Il remark
able coincidence that four of these five IA
nous Missourians were frst-born sons:
James VI. Greenwood. Champ Clark. Rich
ard Parks Bland and Joseph orvil!s
Shelby"
In the introduction TO the biographical
sketch OF General Joseph O.. Shelby Mrs.
L. J. Henry relates this incident of The dis
tinguislied Missourian's childhood. which
was spent III Lexington. ky., associated
With his cousins. Benjamin Gratz Brown
and Frank T.. Blair:
"once Miss - was visiting her aunt
IN Lexington. Ky. A General in The regular
army on furiough visited that city al the
same time. Little Joe Shelby. thinking his
VISITS 10 the young lady too frequent.
slipped over one night and hung the fol-
lowing piacard on the front gate: General
5 headquarters. L. :. A. She was
very indignant then at what proved 4, bIes..
Ing after many years. During The Civil
War this officer WAS ordered to Lexington
and. locating his troops near this Same
house, proceeded to occupy IL I'm reality for
IieauIudfteFS- Inc owner treated the in
truder With her usual courtesy. but asked
III he did not remember this Joke: al tn.
same time offering him a room in her com
modio,s house for an office, which he posi-
lively refused. saying: L will send a guard
To protect you SO long as | stay here
which promise was faithfully kept. Sh.
often told this story, and said that little
Joe's piece of fun saved her home from de
struction, for she was the mother of the
great Southern raider. John Morgan.
Joseph Shelby came to LAFAYETTE County
Missouri. in 1882. When the war came
Frank Blair telegraphed to Shelby. his
brave and fearless cousin, asking him TO
come TO st. Louis. Shelby went and scorn-
fully refused a commission in the Federal
army. seyerins for a season the fond reIa-
lions formed In earlier years In Kentucky.
He returned TO Lafayette County. fired with
the military ardOr of generations. and
gathered around him a company of cavalry
composed of Western Missouri farmers.
They were soon mounted. armed, uniformed
and on the march toward Independence"
This was the beginning of the many gal
liant exploits of shelby and his men, so
well known to Missourians, and to many
others. not Of this State.
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