Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1911-01-06
Plumb Kept Tab on Kansas

would have placed him as 4 plain
farmer
Again. ingalls, was not especially in
terested in political patronage, or in
any of the minor political duties with
which senators are so often burdened.
In patronage and the details that it's
distribution brings, Plumb was deeply
interested, and in this connection his
intimate knowledge of his own state
was constantly source of wonder to
his colleagues, and good deal of q
mystery. why" said Senator Frye
OF Maine to me. in the autumn of 1884,
Senator Plumb seems to know every
man In the state of Kansas either by
name or sight And what's more, he
has the entire statistics. as well as
the latest thought. of the state at his
tongues end. How he does It all /
can't quite comprehend"
A little later had occasion to call
upon Senator Plumb one evening at
his rooms. When ! opened the door
and walked in in response to loud
and hearty summons to enter, | at
first saw no one. But | had never be-
fore seen such a collection of news
papers and unbound documents as the
room contained not even in the Office
Of newspaper exchange editor They
were scattered abouA everywhere; the
floor was literally cafpeted with them,
and they were stacked up in the cor
ners and on shelves placed against tho
walls For few moments | gazed
about me in silent wonder. Then,
hearing rustling In an alcove of the
room, as of some one turning over a
| newspaper, ] walked thither and dis
covered Senator Plumb all but hidden
behind an opened newspaper and dash.
ing through 1t at breakneck speed,
seemingly taking In an entire column
at single glance of the eye.
We'll, Senator" | said, In my sur.
| prise. this is somewhat unusual"
He smiled This Is where and how
keep in touch with my state" he
said Il have every newspaper pub
iished in Kansas, daily or weekly, sent
! to me here. ] read every one Of them
! faithfully | do not look at the Asso.
ciated Press reports or at the reprint
matter, but / read carefully and fully
! the local news, and | am especially
/ particular to scan the columns con.
/ trbuted by what are called the coun.
/ try correspondents. who are never so
happy as when they are telling all
they know about everybody they know
( Through them have come to know
about their neighbors just as much al
they do themselves.
Il also read the editorials very care.
fully. ! am especially careful to read
/ the editorials Of the Democratic pa.
pers In this way | am able to keep
abreast of the latest twist in Kansas
thought, just as from the local news
/ columns and the letters Of the coun.
try correspondent / learn of the lat.
est happenings to and views of John
Smith and John Jones
They say in the senate. believe
that know everything worth know,
ing about Kansas Well, try to learn
all about IT that IS worth knowing
and It lie only by taking and readina
thoroughly the papers of the state
that have been able to keep in touch
with It. its people and its prevailing
opinions. But it's job 1t keeps me
busy evening after evening; It turns
my quarters into an old paper scrau
heap And the junior senator from
the Sunfower State looked ruefully at
the mass of discarded papers hiding
the carpet completely.
Copyright. 1910. by h J. Edwards. Al
Rights Reserved