Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1905-11-11


where he was en-
gagged in the promotion of irrigation
schemes Six months ago Chicago
specialist pronounced his case hope
less and for ten days prior to his.
death life had been sustained only
through the power of a rugged will.
jeremiah Socrates Simpson was the
name presented him by his parents In
New Brunswick, where he was born
March 81, 1912. But to those VINO
came in contact with him in the days
of his political fame he was known
and will be remembered as plain
Jerry while the great masses who
form their conception of men in pub
lie life at long range-who judge
characters by the idiosyncrasies that
are exploited by the oddities and cpl
sodes of a career that attract hu-
man interest" rather than by the
basic elements that go to make up
the real man-knew him only as
''Sockless Jerry"
One of his first efforts, after he had
become well enough acquainted with
the ways of Congress to address the
chair, was to offer ocular as well as
oracular evidence that the sockless
story was myth. He did 1t SO enter
tainingly, albeit without effect on the
public that he at once was placed on
the list of representatives in the
House who were worth listening to.
Politically Jerry Simpson was
product of the Populist uprising that
began in the West in 1890. Previous
to his election to congress in 1880
Jerry had been a Republican and
Greenbacker. In private life he was
at that time a farmer.
'tGod Almighty sent our family hard
knocks in lunches" said Mr.. Simpson
one time in speaking of the poverty
of his youth.
At the age of IA Jerry started in as
cabin boy on the lakes, and for
twenty-three years he followed the
life of a sailor, on boats plying be-
tween Chicago and the upper ports,
with a brief intermission following
his enlistment in the army in 1861,
where he served only few months.
After. some years as sailor Capt.
Simpson thought life on land was
preferable to a rowing career on the
waves. He had purchased farm in
Indiana with his savings, but after
UndI 1OT d DIlSl llilS hC INV
ed to Kansas, where he pre-empted
$50 acres, buying in addition an en-
tire section in Barber county. In the
late sos he gave up farming owing
to the i'll health of his wife and NOV
ed to Medicine Lodge, where they
elected him marshall, and where he
distinguished himself by stopping abb
solutely the sale of liquor.
nnnOrtunitV
found him when the Kansas Farmers
Alliance sprang up as the -forerunner
of the Populist movement. The farm
ers of the seventh district cOncen-
trated on him for congressman and
the allurements of official life was
rendered to him on a silver platter
The "sockless'' episode occurred at
Sterling, while Jerry was making his
| campaign. He was making speech
| to a composite audience, largely made
up of alliance men, some Republicans
and a few Democrats. Jerrys per-
sonal appearance was far from what
the appellation of "socklesS states
man. would naturally suggest to one
unacquainted with the man. Although
uncouth in speech, he looked more
like a prosperous country banker than
| a rough, weather-beaten, mortgage
plastered old farmer. So when he
touched up the corpulent aristocrats
the incongruity of this well-dressed
man calling them silk stockings"
mortgage sharks and the like SEEM
ed altogether preposterous. A horny
handed old farmer who hadn't Joined
the alliance at this juncture called
out: ".Pears to me, Jerry, that you
uns wear silk stockin's, too"
Quick as a wink Jerry pulled up his
trousers my friend, them are all
the stockings 1 ever wore. If you
don't see them from where you are.
come over and touch them" And
~-~~~s-~~-~-~----~-~-~-~
Didn't Realize Treasure He Had.
While working in the cellar OF a
house at Falkenberg, Pomerania, Prus-
STA, a laborer found porcelain urn
containing a number of gold pieces
Not approaching the value OF the
1 treasure, the man gave some OF the
coins to children to play with, and had
! a collar made for one of his dogs with
the remainder Examination proved
i them to be excellently preserved gold
pieces dating from the sixteenth cen
| fury and the owner of the house mas
i now claimed the treasure, which is be
neved to be worth $4,000.