The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-09
j. L. BristOw and His Camuaien
Disadvantages.
His Arrival at Hoisington Was
Not Heralded.
TALKED AT AIR DOME.
Sun So Hot That People Hunted
Shade of Seats.
His Speech Deals With Senator
Longs Record.

Longs Record.
Hoisington. Kan, June 9-Joseph L.
Bristow, of Salina. who wants to be
United States senator from Kansas is
a candidate without a campaign man.
ager. Leland has his Stuart and
Richter; Stubbs has his Dolley; Long
has his Morgan and Albaugh and 9TH
ers, but j. L. Bristow makes his own
campaign plans. arranges his own
oates. dictates his own letters.
This is big undertaking for any
candidate and 1t has it's disadvantages.
Monday morning a State Journal re-
porter arrived in Hoisington for the
purpose of hearing Bristow speak in
the afternoon. 1t was o'clock when
the train pulled in, and the reporter
walked UP the broad cement sidewalk
along one side of the almost deserted
Main street. Placards were in the
store windows announcing the Hoising-
ton-Clafiin baseball game. Also pla-
cards signed by DIR. s. j. Crumbine OF
Topeka announcing in very black type
that it Is unlawful for producers to
sell bad eggs. On the sidewalks in
numerous places were large whitewash
proclamations concerning ''tonight's
of which theater, more will be heard.
But there was not syllable about
Bristow's speech that afternoon, unless
it can be said that DR.. Crumbines
placard contained some sinister ref
erence to the event. An early rising
citizen was asked whether J. L. Bris-
tow was going to speak there in the
afternoon.
''why, 1 hadn't heard anything about
! it, said the early riser.
In grocery store a copy of the last
| issue Of the only local weekly newspa-
per was dug up by an obiging pro-
/ prietOr, but it revealed no intimation
| that former fourth assistant post
master general of the United States.
| commissioner of Panama and present
candidate for United States senator was
about to unbosom himself to the wait
| ing Inhabitants.
| Then the reporter went back to the
hotel wher J. L. Bristow.s name ap-
peared on the register. Mr. Bristow.
lima ana Hoisington. had managed to
get across the flooded valley late the
night before. He was working out on
plate OF "ham and'' when the re-
porter greeted him.
| Mr.. Bristow was much surprised
that his meeting had not been adver-
| tised. Yes, he had arranged with q
| man in Great Bend to arrange with a
| man in Hoisington about billing the
meeting and announcing it in the
newspapers. He couldn't understand
| it at ali.
After talking with his Great Bend
parties in Hoisington. Mr.. Bristow un-
derstood. The Hoisington man who
was supposed to do the arranging nad
been out of town and had failed to get
| the letter.
Disadvantage No. 1 in not having a
campaign manager and machine"
| A nice, well-oiled machine would have
Instructed the postmaster to do the
H.
~This is discouraging." said Brfs,ow.
"But we'll have a meeting anyway. II
there are dozen people in this town
who want to hear me, I'll talk to
them"
Air Dome Politics.
A council was held at Lawyer J. b.
Prose's office. Prose is a lawyer for
occupation, but he is one of the people
who bought land at 81 an acre and
you know the rest. G. w. Mitchell.
candidate for county commissioner:
Warren Whaley, a capitalist farmer.
who owns an automobile, and others
were there. They decided not to rent
the opera house. because it was cal
culated to seat a thousand people, and
their prospective audience might get
lonesome. They looked at the city
hall, and as its seating capacity was
too. Finally they decided that Bris-
tow should speak at the Air Dome
theater, which consisted of few tiers
tween two sheet-iron buildings
This was disadvantage No. 2. for no
public speaker with a couple OF
months Of speechmaking ahead or him
likes to talk in the open air. The
campaign manager would have ar
ranged for use of the opera house. and
the advertising would have brought
the crowd.
Boy Who Saved the Day.
When they went up to the sole
that the "boss" had gone over to ''the
Bend" which is the county seat. to
get a marriage license. A 10-year old
devil was in charge of the office"
"Can you set up a job?" asked Mr..
Bristow.
"I never did," replied the boy. "but
I think I can. I'll try
"Good," said Bristow as he wrote
out half dozen lines of copy for
the dodger The boy did nobly. In
the day. Had the boy pied his form.
or failed in his manly efforts to lock
it up In the chase, or not known what
to do when the paper stuck to the
Mr.. Bristow might have been unable
to speak after all. The boy printed
$50 handbills without wrecking the of
fee.
Thus disadvantage No. was met
and overcome
An Audience Under the Seats.
There were numerous other minor
obstacles to be overcome. but at last
2 o'clock arrived. and people began to
drift into the Air Dome. There were
no farmers. because the roads were
flooded and bridges were out on all
sides Of town.
How the sun did scorch down into
that little Air Dome! Bake Oven''
would have been more appropriate
name. Bristow took his place at .
small table.
tContinued on PAGE Sikh