The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-03
Young Man from the Woods

yes, my boy, once knew that SPLEEN
did specimen of Tony Toggery-that ami
mated exhibit rack for the art of Ballast
Trousers and See That Curve Frock
Goats" Bert Brooks absent-mindedly
pressed his coat down the front in the
way it should hang and stared in a
reminiscent manner at the statue or
BENJAMIN Franklin. And he remem-
bers me, too, though his habit of tax
ing interest in the Things Straight
Ahead grows on him. For we came to
Washington in the same bleak October
three years ago, his SartOrial Nibs and
I, and we sat at neighbOring desks in
the big room up the street there where
the Promising Youths from all corners
of this Broad Land gather to show their
Congressman what they can do with a
civil service examination. OF all that
Meek Herd there was no one so queer,
so lowly, and SO scared as Zenas Plover
SimmOns-yes, that was Mr.. Simmons
who just passed us NO-he is not in
the Government Service, and never was.
His story, though not quite unique is
one, of those never found in How to
Succeed series, nor yet did he gather
Pearls Of Wisdom of Self-made Fathers.
But III tell you the whole.
z. p. Simmons was born somewhere
IN the Thick Woods of the Southwest,
OF Honest, but poor Parents; he had
many brothers and sisters. In youth he
tried Passing Out sugar at the corner
=
ing was Unpleasant Exercise. He did
not shine behind the grocer's counter
and so fell to that of d news stand.
There he read the ads. that tell how
Nice it is to Draw the pay of a Gov
eminent clerk, and his parents cried
AT last the ambition of our Zenas is
Awakened" So Z. P. discharged from
the news stand, studied for the Service.
The old man Dug, bought him a ticket
and gave him $40 for his keep
Simmons struck Washington look
ing like Comic Supplement He wore
the complete Makeup of the Boy from
the Farm, from the long hair that
frtnged his shining face to the High
water trousers and Heavy Boots. Some
hoW-by the Joke of man on the
street, prObably-Z. P. found his way
to boarding house in the best part
OF the city, and there he took a narrow
room under the caves. He was in a
hurry to run down and see If the mon
Nment looked as it did in the PAPER
weight Pictures he had seen at the
news stand.
To make a long, sad story short. 2.
= failed to pass his examination. He
fat down on his little iron bed and
wrote home for money, saying that
there was but one Course to pursue
ne must stay in Washington and Study
Hard for the next trial.
Now, there. was Little Woman at
the boarding house where q. P. hung
up his hat at whom all the young men
looked with secret longing for Cour-
age she was rieh-that is. she had a
hundred thousand or so, and controlled
one of the busiest stores in the city.
The young men didn't have the Nerve.
the Figures on their salary envelopes
were ever before them. But when z.
T. came home from the examination
hall that day he felt like Celebrating =
he had Worked so hard. So he I'D ana
asked the Lady to go to the theater
and, to the surprise of all, she consent
ed.
1.-THE truth Of the matter is that the
lady was perilously near to the Hope
less Age-if there is such an Age for
rich wonderland all because the men
lacked Nerve. She realized this and