Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-05-12

! the career, which has made Mr.. Meyer
known the world over.
He was afterwards made delegate to the
VI estern Federation of Miners IN Denver
and then organizer and ultimately preti-
dent OF the federation. He has been elected
TO this office time after time and Is tn"
idol CT the western miners. Scenes were
enacted at the last two times when he was
| reelected which brought tears to the eyes
Of every miner present. The rules Of tie
| federation are that no one shall be elected
u office who is not present in person.
However, two years ago when Meyer was
IN the bull pen at Telluride he was re.
elected By reclamation. as he was a year
ago when he was ln' jail In Boise City, Ida.
At tie last meeting his picture was placed
in the presidents chair and was greeted
VITA cheers.
His Marriage.
| Mrs. Fred Payne of this city, a sister
in-law o; President Meyer, her sister being
the wife of the noted leader. tells the
| following story of the courtship and mar
riage OF Mr.. Moyer and Miss Bertha
Houser The marriage resulted in rather
| a peculiar mixture of relationships. Miss
Houser was the granddaughter of Mrs.
| Meyer, the second wife of Meyers father.
| Miss Houser. who was a school teacher,
during the summer of her sixteenth year
spent her vacation with her grandmother
on the beautiful farm home on the Boone
Story line. The farm was a delightful
place for a vacation visit a great lawn
sweeping from the house. with beautiful
trees and shrubs. Charles Meyer had been
west a number OF years and was home
making his father a visit at the time Miss
Housrr was visiting her grandmother Mr..
Meyer was attracted to the pretty, refined
young woman and she at once loved the
| quiet, unassuming but forceful young
| man, who had seen so much of the world
and who. despite his usual silence, was 30
well Informed on so many subjects that
hvlsit SVith him was a delight and the meet
| ings between the two became more fire.
quent with the passing days After Meyer
! returned to the west a correspondence
was started and in four years he returned
to wei her. The marriage took place In
| February. but Mrs. Meyer wished to con-
tinue teschng until the close of her term
OF school and so the groom returned with
out her to Spearfsh, s. D., WHARF he was
overseer Of large ranch owned by Peter
J. Reilly. 1t was in May Of the same year,
| 1890 that she Joined her husband in their
new horne and has faithfully stood by him
through his success and also through the
trials and tribulations which have fallen to
| his LOT
Man of Wonderful Nerve.
Meyer has always been known as a man
OF wonderful nerve and at times al home
when a youngster he would often display
a will OF his own. He was studious and a
deep thinker and often would SIT and be
lost in the deepest thought, as though try
ing to solve some perplexing problem. All
OF sudden he would brighten up and start
whistling like a songblrd, happy in the
success of his silent meditation His BASH
fulness was the Joke of his friends and
neighborhood and he was a youth who
I preferred to be alone He was during his
active business life always known for his
small charities and the lowliest 'newsie"
generally found some way to work" the
great labor leader for coin Of some de-
! Nomination He is a man of forgiving dis
position and often injuries have been for
given with the statement that 1T was not
them. but the power behind them"
Mrs Payne tells OF little incident which
| Occurred In Denver which showed the pop
ularity OF Meyer among the newsboys and
those who had come in closer contact with
him. Mr.. and Mrs. Meyer and Mrs. Payne
were at one of the large theaters of that
city one evening. The gallery was crowded
with newsboys, the guests Of the Star that
I evening. Shortly after Mr.. Meyer entered
he was sped by one of the youngsters
I who irrepressibly cried cut: what is the
matter with Meyer" Instantly scores Of
boys took up the yell and Meyer became
the cynosure OF all eyes, much 10 the dis
| comfture OF the man who 80 dreaded the
limelght of notoriety and publicity.
How the manliness OF the man impresses
strangers Is told even Of those who are pref
\ udiced against him, When he was In
prison in Cripple Creek, Colo a wealthy
| woman from Chicago was touring the west
and called at Cripple Creek, This woman
had come down from Denver TO zee him.
having been told that he was one of the
| sights OF Colorado. The cell door was
| opened. and this woman stood and looked
I'm upon him. lorgnette at eye. She said:
| Il have been told that you were one OF the
sights, / came 70 see you" Mr.. Meyer
! gently replied Il am willing any one
should look at me who wishes 70 do 80.
7 am sorry I am IN the center Of the stage,
out I cannot help myself" The woman was
SO impressed BY his gentlsmanly manner.