The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-08-21
(Binghamton q. " Press.)

When Judge Alton B. Parker was a
student in the Cortland normal school
back in the early '7Os one Of his best
friends was Professor J. L. Lusk. now
principal Of the High school at Union.
They had many good times together.
and the friendship which was begun
then has lasted through all of the years
since.
During a recent visit to Albany Pro-
fessor Lusk called on Judge Parker and
talked with him of the days when as
young men they went to school at Cort-
land together.
When AItOtn Parker entered the
normal school" said Professor Lusk,
he was as plain a country boy as ever
attended a village school. Nothing
about his dress, manner or school work
would indicate that he would ever make
his mark III the world. Not brilliant in
his studies, without ability as a de-
batter, he was outelassed by dozens Of
other young men in the school. But
there was one faculty that he possessed
IN a marked degree, and that was the
ability 10 reason. His Judgment was
surpassed by none. He was slow TO
think, but when he made up his mind
nothing could change him.
He loved to tell of his life at home
on the farm and of his experience
breaking steers and doing other work
Then he. would speak with pride of his
experiences as a country school teach
er- lie was a. good fellow among all OF
the boys and participated with them in
al OF their sports. He was an invet-
crate pool player and every night would
be found with The boys in a poolroom-
When he lost he paid accompanying
ly-and he lost frequently
One day his father came down from
the farm 10 see how he was getting
along in his studies and to make a
short visit Following his usual Gus
tom, young Parker went to the pool
room at night and his father went
along with him They began playing
and the future jUrist lost every game
That night when they were going home
MS father said: Alton, / see that you
lose quite often in your pool games
Yes, replied Alton. I don't seem
10 have very good luck
And when you lose do you have TO
pay?
Why. yes, that's the rule. you know
to pay when you lose, and Of course
I pay when the game goes wrong
Well, Alton said his father. you
know the resources of the farm are
small. that we have to earn all Of the
money that we get and that il takes
i all 70 pay your expenses IN school.
IL is for You TO decide whether this
money is TO be spent in playing pool or
in getting an education. You can either
stop playing pool or leave school,
Well, answered Alton, I guess you
are right. but I had never looked at it
in that light before. uBt as long az I
am student in this school / viii never
play another game Of pool And he
never did.
Parker was never fond of athletics
and never was a very ambitious stu
dent. No one in the school thought
much about the quiet young fellow. ex-
cePt in q. friendly way He knew how
70 win friends and he kept them
Judge Parker did not continue his
studies in the normal school until grad
uatiOn, but accepted an invitation to
take charge of a school at Accord. His
work vas successful as a teacher and
he made hosts Of friends In the neigh
borhood- There were two young women
in the neighborhood for whom young
Parker formed a strong attachment
They were members Of the Schoonaker
family in which there were distin-