The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-08

When The Man came to Kansas he
was The Boy. He came in freight car
from Ohio with the family COW, the
team of heavy horses. some bedsteads
and tables, buggy and a wagon, pat
ent churn and a few odds and ends. That
was 80 years ago and today he will tell
that the most enjoyable trip he ever had
was in that freight car.
The Boy landed with the freight car in
southern Kansas county and he began
to work. He learned all there was for
boy to learn about milking and churn-
ing and then he earned the right to play
ball once in awhile and go fishing now
and then.
The Boy was timid, self conscious and
bashful. He knew he was awakard-
There was nothing about him that made
him marked character. He didn't min
gle with other boys much, he didn't
have time as he was busy on the farm.
He wanted to play ball. The Boy used
to throw a ball onto the roof of the
barn and catch it when it rolled OF. he
threw green apples at the hay stack and
he believed that he could pitch If he
only had the nerve to go onto a ball
diamond with other boys. One day the
country boys were short Of players and
they got The Boy, just to fill In, and 10
keep him they treated him kindly and
made him feel easy.
When The Boy first walked onto that
country DaSeDdll QldInOuu ne SlOO0 a
foot taller than any of the other boys.
In fact he was almost, or looked to be,
two feet taller than a man who has
since become a famous Kansas writer
The advent onto that diamond was the
first epoch in the history of The Boy
He could outpitch any of the other
fellows. and he was the wonder of all
the one old cat and work-up games
that were played in -- county.
From that day on the standing of
/ The Boy was established in the COM
munity. He began to have confidence
| in himself and got over blushing every
time girl saw him and tripping on
his own feet when he walked onto the
ball grounds, clad in kniclerbockers,
before a crowd of spectators. The Boy
began to draw deeper breathS and to
account of his superiority as pitcher.
Then The Boy became The Man. He
moved to Topeka and decided to start
in business. He had never had more
than the price of a circus ticket to
spend during his years as The Boy;
| that is at any one time and those times
were mighty few and far between. he
borrowed a thousand Gin the stories It
would always be a cool thousand) and
promised to pay it back. He bought
grocery store. The first year he made
money enough to pay back the thousand
and after paying all expenses, buying
his clothes and treating himself to all
the luxuries of life he had about $2,2O0
clear profit above board in the bank
Things were looking bright to him,
though coal oil was only 40 cents Tor
five gallons and if necessary the can
thrown in besides. He thought the mat
ter over and decided to sell his store,
as he saw competition coming when
meant that his profits would be dlVloeo
among others. He sold. Life was easy.
He had a pocketbook stuffed with DIS
and the whole page of a ledger at the
bank devoted to his account He felt
better than he did the day he became
baseball hero.
ua dec;ded to get married. The Girl
in the east consented and the The Man
hought a home and furnished 1t very
nicely. He looked about for gooo Pc
sition. but he didn't find 1T Just tnen. so
he took little hunting Trip 10 Solo ere. =
and came back and looked again TOT
nosition. He didn't find it. His cash
capital was dwindling. 1t was apout
time for his marriage. He went east at
wife. He paid the hackman for driving
| himself and wife to their home ana
then he had just-forty- eight dol
lars left He went out In the PACK
ward and batted fiys with neighpor
boy for awhile.
didn't find it. The house was comforta-
HE He had bought nice large stoves
hut where would he get the coal to burn
in them? He had put in nice pantry
shelves but where would he get the FOOD
to put on them?
He had not reckoned on the boom enc
ing. 1t wasn't long until he was actudl-
Nv penniless and in another week ne was
in debt. He mortgaged the home. he
worked by the day or the hour at any
thing he could get to do. Those were
nretfv hard times for The Man, and Tor
The Wife too, but they both had PUCK
and they pulled through until the day
came when an eastern man Nanleu ~
make an investment.
THE Man was equal to the emery
ancv He got q livery carriage ton
credit and drove the man around town
and kept him busy smoking good cigars
me hoi11ht them on time), and d1ned
him at the best hotel ION ttckl, ana
wound up by selling the man what ne
wanted to buy, and he MADE gooo
com mission and then paid off few or
the debts he had incurred. That day
he went to 4 baseball game ana PAID
to sit in the grandstand.
That was the turning point. If The
Man had not acted as If he was indie
pendently rich he would not have made
the sale Last week he closed a deal
TO sell a $4s, 900 farm he owned in west
ern Kansas, after he had made $4,000
on the wheat he raised there this year.
He owns other farms and is ready to
buzz more.
The Man still likes to play one old
cat and he does, with his boys out in
the back yard every afternoon when
he isn't buying or selling farms, and he
can still pitch curves to the wonder
ment of small boys.
Taken With Cramps.