The Washington herald., 1909-03-21
SENATOR JOSEPH LITTLE BRIsrow. OF KANSAS.

OELNAASh 0NOEI IL LII 4
or the nation thinks that a public on
/ Ger Is honest and brave. he is not likely
10 meet with permanent disabilities. pro-
vided he is sensible. intelligent, and as
siduous IN his business"
I had heard that Senator BristOw was
married at the age Of eighteen. and that
his early life in several respects was de
cidedIy bizarre and interesting I pried
my way into his personal story by asking,
rs it true that you were born in a log
cabin?'.
''Oh. yes. / saw the cabin several years
| ago, when I returned 20 the mountains OF
Kentucky on a visit Ny father moved
into that country to practice the profes-
sion Of school teaching. He married into
a family OF some local prominence. When
I was an infant he enlisted in the Union
army as a private. Ny mother and
I grandmother took my sister and me into
a part Of the State where we would be
safe from Confederate raiders. Il so hap
pens, therefore. that / have no recollec-
tion of the log cabin myself
While in the army my father felt
Z
lister. He preached in Kentucky for a
time and then moved 70 Kansas. on the
death of my mother ] went 10 my grand
( father. who was Methodist circuit rider
and farmer. He and my uncle. with whom
he then lived, were kind-hearted and in
dulgent men and humored my desire TO
be away from school and spend my time
In the main among the horses. cattle.
. sheep, and other live stock. When I
was eleven years old I grew restless and
went TO Kansas. My father was preach
Ing in little settlements. often changing
from one place 10 another. as was the
custom OF Methodist ministers. For
three years went TO school pretty regu-
larly without acquiring a very great Ifk-
Ing for study. Meanwhile. Kentucky was
always in my memory. and I suddenly de-
YelOped an aggravated case Of hOmesick-
ness. l returned therefore. TO my grand
father. who had ceased 10 ride his circuit
and was living on his own farm.
AT the age of eighteen I was six feet
and two inches tall and simmer than
am at present I was ignorant. OF course.
and unsophisticated. but. happily, I was
not without sentiment. One day a little
orphan girl-she lived with her brother.
a prosperous farmer-and i were married.
Yes, sir, we were married" Senator Bris-
elllDudSlLe
pride and JOY in the occurrence.
And you were only eighteen?" I asked
Eighteen and a month or two over.
Remember. ] was as tall as I am now
and was full hand in the harvest field
or at the pl0W. Furthermore. I was old
enough TO comprehend the responsibilities
OF matrimony and to understand the lin
ftatiOns Of Kentucky NY father was
preaching az Howard City. IN Kansas
and thither I tOurneyed with my bride
Did you have any money!"
Enough TO pay our railway fare. From
Eureka we Travelled thirty miles In a
stage over the gray and brown prairies
The stage stopped before my fathers
door. and Mrs. Bristow and I entered the
house. We hadn't written. ard our we'd
ding and our visit were to be a SUNRISE
Ny stepmcther looked AT me for a mo-
ment and then exclaimed: Why II IS
Joe, know you by your eyes.
Apc this lady, said, pointing down
ward toward the little girl at my side. IS
Joe's wife
My stepmother was speechIess with
amazement or something eIse-doubtlesS
1t was something else However, she-re-
covered quickly and sent for my father.
who had gone TO the village. Ny father
was six feet and four inches in height
Normally, he was a large man. but on
that particular day he looked as big as
house.
Mrs. Bristow and I stood I'D as he
entered the room Four years bring
r7,ar,x- chances 70 ~ -. - l., So.
ognize me. II is possible that ne thoughr
we wanted 10 be baptized, or TO Join the
church. Finally. my stepmother broke
the tension and said: Father. Joe has
come 10 visit us and has brought his
wife
My father just sat down and gazed
at US. / smiled and tried to look as bold
az lion. but 7 fear I didn't succeed.
We'll" Senator BristOw went on 20
say. dropping the curtain Of silence over
his whimsical picture. I got down to
work as soon as / could. a farmer. some
distance in the country, had an immense
crop Of corn which l cut and shocked
nearly all winter, getting S225 a day for
my labor In the spring bought eighty
acres of land, ten miles from Howard
City. near the flint hills. A man had pre-
empted it at the usual cost Of 500. I paid
Ni'" COW i"l iiS equity ana Hiulned a
mortgage Of $50. A neighbor had come
IN, haif mile away. The man felt crowd
ed and wauted to go where the popula-
ton was not so metropolitan and dense.
After he loaded his wife and children
into his wagon and passed cut of sight
over the plains toward the West. Mrs
Bristow and ] moved into our little cabin
l was eighteen years Old n family man
and landed proprietor. We had one
room and very modest supply Of house.