The Huttig news., 1908-01-11
GROWING UP SLOWLY NEAR TAT HOME"
By J. w. Foley

They used to call him Perkins S Boy down where he was born. He lived on farm out a little way and in winters he went to school in town. He did his share of fighting and wearing of old clothes cut down, and eventually graduated. with a head full of knowledge and face full of freck- les. He wasn't the valedictorian of his class, but stood well up and had a lot of hard sense.
 'Perkins's Boy is a likely lad" they said.
 Then he went to work because his father had to struggle along to give the other nine children a chance, and there wasn't any surplus for col lege training. He needed a part of the money that "Perkins's Boy" could earn, and "Perkins's Boy" was willing to earn it.
 He got place in village store and read books nights, and in the course of a little time he had a chance to sweep out a lawyers office learn to draw mortgages, register as law student, and he did that.
 'Perkins's Boy is ambitious" they said.
 He interested himself in everyday affairs, and was able to talk Sanely and sensibly on current topics with out getting mad, and one time they ont for him to make a Decoration Day address down at little country picnic, and he acquitted himself so well that they said "'Perkins's Boy was summat of speaker"
 One day he went into court on a rather important case and won it, and he so impressed the jury that they declared "Perkins's Boy" would make his mark
 One time they needed a compromise candidate for State attorney and somebody suggested "Perkins's Boy and to the horror of those who feared intrusting boy with such important duties he was nominated and elected And they vowed that 'Perkinss Boy was certainly coming along"
 He met with his usual reverses, but one day he prosecuted an important criminal case, where the sympathies of the community were aroused in his favor because of the nature of the of fenSe charged, and he handled the case so skilfully and tactfully, and addressed the jury with so much reason and so little bombast, that they found the accused man guilty in five minutes.
 'Perkins's Boy certainly did him self proud" they said
 He got along n years before he got out of the States attorneyshir and entered little larger field ol politics in the State, and one hot con vention day he made an address that carried closely fought battle, ane somebody asked:
 Who's that speaker?"
 And a gray-bearded old delegate who had known him when he was going to school, said:
 Why, that's 'Perkinss Boy"
 He had few gray hairs at this time, but lots of sanity, patience and good nature, and when there was a matter of rather more than usual i'm. portance, the men of the town used to go down to his law office and talk it over with "Perkins's Boy" His ad vice was generally sane and his in stincts fair and just
 And one day old Simon Kramer picked up a paper out on his farm and emitted a whoop of surprise which brought his wife in from the kitchen with her hands full of dough.
 What in the world is the matter Simon?" she said.
 That 'Perkins's Boy has beer nominated for congress" declared Kramer, holding up the paper.
 And "Perkins's Boy" was then near ly 50.
 Which shows how slowly boys grow up near at home