The Washington herald., 1912-04-10

A man employed on DOC" Akin's farm
up wherever It is that Doc lives in New
York State came around one morning
looking os sorrowfuI as II he wee
obliged to go shopping with his wife. He
explained that his home had been largely
destroyed by fre the night before.
"well, that IS too bad" said DOC"
sympathetically How did it catch, and
did you lose much?"
"Oh, I wouldn't have minded ordi-
narily," the man told him, but lost
brand new violin that Just paid $50
for
Ben Focht. the faney-weskited Repre-
sentative from Pennsylvania, Zealously
sends out all the garden seeds In his
quota and all he can coax away from
other Congressman. He derives many a
thrill from contributing in this lavish
manner to the gay, glad cornucopia OF
plenty. and making onions and radishes
and votes grow where none grew before
Besides sending out seeds, Foeht re-
members his constituents handsomely in
the way Of current literature from the
Agricultural Department. and he has
placed the Horse Book and a number OF
fascinating annual reports on the Grand
Rapids oak center table Of nearly every
home in his district
During the last campaign a Lewisburg.
Pa, resident was impiored to turn over
new leaf and vote for Focht's oppo-
nent
The man pointed to a shelf containing
fully a foot and a half Of books, and
asked:
Now, how could vote against Ben
Focht when every day sit here face 10
face with that lovely library he gimme?"
Here's another bit Of Foeht lore The
Congressman had been driving over the
district IN a buggy. He stopped at
small village restaurant for the MONDAY
meal. When he and his driver had eaten
their, fll, Focht paid for the meal, and
while the waitress was ringing up the
cash register, laid an additional quarter
on the counter.
Few people had been educated down to
the tipping system in that locality.
''whut's that quarter forT' the driver
''oh. just a little tip for the girl" said
Foeht.
Gosh. don't start nothIn' like that
around here" cautioned the driver
People here are used to workin' for
what they get. I'd better just keep
that"
And he put the quarter In his pocket.
Senator John Sharp Williams goes In
for ducks. On his plantation at Yazoo
City he has a crew OF the finest white
ducks to be found anywhere, and he
takes them more seriously than II they
were trotting horses or high born cat
tie. His ducks comprise Senator Will
iams' chief hobby. and he endeayors In
every way to make their lives full of
joy. He has built them a swimming
pond with q nice little duck garage at
one end where they may keep their
backs dry when 1t rains, and he feeds
them with his own hands. In fact, If
any one else offers to feed the ducks
John Sharp Williams will almost make
q scene.
Next TO his ducks comes HIS roses.
No matter how fraught with politics
he may be. or how many speeches there
are to oe made over his district, John
Sharp Williams will not do a stroke of
work. when at Yazoo City. until he has
gone out right after breakfast and
gathered an armtul OF roses. That is a
part of his daily ritual that must not
be interfered with.
Representative "Jed" Prouty, of Iowa, |
is the walnut king Of that State, and
Is interested also in big manufactur-
ing enterprise. One Of his standpat !
colleagues asked him the other day
what his concern manufactures.
Prouty flushed with embarrassment |
and said that, being a progressive. he |
would rather not have it known what |
he mauufactures-or, at least, not until |
after the next election.
That merely piaued the curiosity of |
the inquirer, and he did not rest until |
he had learned what Prouty's factory |
turns out. Then he wasn't surprised |
that Prouty didn't like TO be identiied |
with the enterprise until after the cleo
tion.
The factory makes steam rollers.
1t is nne sport to note the effect in
the House OF . speech by Victor Ber-
ber. the Socialist Congressman He'll |
smits the Democratic party with a
stuffed club and the Republicans win ap-
plaud IN high giee. But it won't be many |
minutes until Berger picks up his war |
stick and takes a crack at the Repub- |
lieans. Then the Democrats applaud and 1
laugh as heartily as q small boy at a
moving picture Of = fat man falling down
stairs.
Berger Is the only man in Congress
whose speeches make hit hrst on one
side OF the House and then on the other.
Representative Byrnes. Of South Caro-
Ina. comes from the town of Aiken. |
and Representative Aiken, OF the same
state, does not. Every once IN a while
Aiken makes a proposition 70 Byrnes that