New Ulm review., 1908-06-10
Billy Stones Labor of Love.

There is one man connected with the
Chicago convention who deserves men
ton here for his arduous work is a
labor of love, and the country at large
hears little or nothing of him. His
name is William T. Stone, but at his
home in Baltimore he is Billy Stone.
Mr.. Stone is sergeant at arms of the
national convention. The late Senator
Hanna picked him for the job four
years ago, and Stone made svch hit
that he was elected to a second term.
Billy Stone has been about the busiest
man in America for the past month.
It has been up to Billy to see that the
convention hall was put in shipshape
for the gathering.
Do you know what that means? Well,
any day for month you might have
seen Billy Stone somewhere in the vast
area of the Coliseum at Fifteenth
street and Wabash avenue, bareheaded
and coatless, directing a big crowd of
Observation-Disclosures plumbers, paint
ers, carpet layers, and SO forth. A saw
mill was set up inside the building to
saw the lumber for the special floors
required. Stone worked like the buzz
saw There was Wild West show in
the arena when Nh Stone arrived.
After getting rid of the Wild West the
next thing was to get rid of the earth's
surface. Stone brought in plows and
mules and plowed up the dirt floor. He
did some of the plowing himself, The
ioosened dirt was removed with scrap
ers. The flooring was put down, the
glarv white walls were painted in har-
monious parrot and canary hues, an
Office was built for Chairman New,
committee rooms were constructed, the
big platform was built, the seats for
delegates and spectators were arrang-
ed, and the chairs and desks for the
hundreds of newspaper correspondents
and telegraphers had to be put in the
right place.
But these We're merely the big things
that Billy had to look after. They
were easy The multitudinous little
things to be done were what kept the
Baltimore man awake nights. In fact.
be tied writing pad and pencil to the
headboard of his bed and jotted down
ideas which occurred to him in his
dreams SO that he wouldn't forget
Billy Stone gave his list of things
needed to the Chicago local committee
after thinking them all out and imagin-
ing that he had thought of everything
possible to facilitate the business Of
the convention and enhance the COM
fort Of the delegates and correspond
ents. The candidates, of course, didn't
rount; they are supposed to be at home.
and you didn't forget a SINGLE soli-
tary thing, did you, Billy?" admiringly
suggested one of Mr.. Stones assist
ants.
yes, did. forgot the rubber
bands" sorrowfully confessed the SER
geant at arms.
You see, he had provided. ink, pens,
blotters, writing paper, and what not,
for every desk, but he had forgotten
to order rubber bands to go around
important documents
There are cold blooded humans who
say that men act foolishly at great
political conventions; that they yell too
much and carry favorite sons around
the hall on their shoulders and wave
flags like lunatics. The correct diagno-
sis of such critics is that they are not
good Americans. Their dignity Is an
Indication Of despotism. It is the un-
conventional enthusiasm for our APP
proved political methods that makes
and kaena ffn soni1h1ic rniohfv