The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1903-03-20
The Planting
OF q Boss
BY ARTHUR HOOVER.
sSsseOsOssSssssssOosOOO
Copyright 1903, by Daily Story Pub. Coz

y
ID ruled the politics of his district
.znd the state for many years and
AT the time Alexander Hannibal
Spike decided to seek political
Ereferment. That is to say "Big
-Eohn'' was the controlling per-
aeonality of the machine which ruled
the dominant party. He was the great
east power in the state, made and I'M
made governors, senators and con-
gressmen, and dictated legislation
with all the power of a czar-not open
Ey, but from the obscurity of his un-
T9retentious Office. The great mass of
che people heard of him only occasion
ally during bitter political fights when
xne was sometimes excoriated by the
E9ress as ''boss," but those on the in
sslde of the great political game knew
E15na well and bowed before his power
szhether they loved or hated him.
He had not gained his power and held
f. all these years without some ire
mendous struggles. 1t had been long
series of fierce battles, but he had won
one after another, emerging each time
with added prestige. He had finally
Become to be regarded as invincible
aza.d was accorded the leadership of the
party without question. Even the ''re-
form" and independent" elements had
ceased to attack him because expert
eEE1ce had taught them that they always
-CVent down in defeat and they had tired
~af it. They now contented them
selves with shaking their heads sol
esTnnly and prognosticating sad things
1for society in general when it would
tolerate such man for a political
geader.
All this was before Alexander Hanni-
bal Spike bobbed up. "Alex," as he
Wzas generally called, lived in Brush
EOrd, which was the home town of
Aepworth. He had grown up lanky,
peculiar boy with thin light hair, thin
legs, thin chest, thin lips, thin nose,
pale blue eyes and a remarkable head,
Gong and narrow and covered with
odd looking bumps. Added to all this
he had voice which may well be de-
zScribed as thin-high, shrill and orig
Gnating, apparently in the top of his
mead rather than in his chest He had
always been regarded somewhat in
flae light of a joke, but this
did mot squelch his soaring am
hataons. The son of a dreaming
shoemaker who has always pre-
EHrredFtO talk impractical philosophy
I'm the>street corner rather than drive
pegs in his shop, Alex early an
Rounced that he was going to be a
Lzwyer and was going to congress
and maybe to the white house.
1t certainly was funny and people
had some excuse for laughing, but the
eYueer little chap was never daunted.
No, stree. He had mapped out his
course and he hewed to the line. His
Gather died penniless and Alex had to
carve out his career from an early age.
HE did it with his eyes on the shining
STARS and his shrill voice ever pro-
~zaiming that hE hook or crook he
vgould "get thar" He struggled
1hrough the city schools, worked his
way through college, and starved his
uEay through the law books. In all
his sstudies he stood well-but was a
coke.
= Then he hung out shingle and be-
waD 10 practice. The odds were fear
%lil, because ridicule is the worst
handicap any man ever lived down, but
Young Spike never paused to get dis
eoUraged. He grabbed hold and kept
esEerlastingly at it. He was always in
sE7dence and rushed in where angels
Feared to tread" He was forever up
and doing and to the surprise of those
sensitive souls who sat in their de-
Eserted offices and pitied him for the ass
E1e was making of himself, he began to
Go a considerable practice business.
And also he was nearly always success
EH1-always where tireless energy and
s2eepless vigilance could win the day.
his practice increased until he felt Sc
cure in the possession of very decent
living income.
1Nfan he went after politics He went
mtraight to John Hepworth and said:
Il want to go to the legislature
Hepworth treated it as joke. The
KRate was made up for years to come
~fThere is no joke about this, Mr.
DWOltlls hCO L am
going into politics. I want to go in
regularly with your aid and counsel if
II gan. If I cannot will have to break
in as ] have broken into everything
elise against all the opposition of the
established order of things
ooh, come now," replied Hepworth,
Laughing. Don't get on your high
horse and feel hurt. You're youngyet
and there's plenty of time. Better let
ms put you on the county committee
sznd get your hand into the game"
SsNo, legislature or nothing" replied
spike shrilly as he awkwardly backed
GEut-
There was guffaw from the poll
tae7ans who had been listeners, but
tshere was grave light in the "old
znan's" eyes.
ST don't like to have that fellow
against u.s." he remarked uneasily.
'+He is one of those persistent, Eighty
a-usses that nobody can guess what