The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-04
Prophecy of Simplicity Fulfilled
by the Administration. -.
Bryan Carries His Luncheon In
q Hand Basket.
WILSON BUYS BALCONY SEAT
Daniels Rides to the Capitol in
q Truck.
AdvertiseS in Want Column for
Second Hand BrOugham.

washington, Dec. 4.-The prophecy
that this would be simple administra-
ton in keeping with the traditions Ut
Democracy. is being quite faithfully
fulfilled. Not only does Secretary of
State Bryan unblushingly carry his
luncheon in a hand basket; not only
does Secretary of the Navy Daniels ride
to the capitol in a truck belonging to
the department and advertise in
the newspapers for a secondhand
brougham preferably with green cloth
lining), but President Wilson takes
strolls on F street and finds amusement
looking into the store windows, while
secret service men and newspaper re-
pOrters watched from a distance lest
some untoward incident might happen;
and the chief executive also seeks the
alter seats in the balcony, where his
identity may be lost-at least for a time
and he may enjoy the performance in
quiet.
Only recently the president is said
to have remarked to q friend that his
job Of being president was lonely,
very lonely" OF course, he may not
have said it, but 1t is fact, indeed.
that Mr.. Wilson has but few intimates.
His physician, DR.. Grayson, Is with him
most of the time. but he does not have
people coming and going constantly in
an intimate and unostentatious way, as
Presidents Roosevelt and Taft did. One
reason for this. probably. is that the
president Is very devoted to his family
and that he finds most of his social
recreation with it's members. When
they are in the country, as has been the
case this past summer, he finds nothing
to take the place of their society.
1t has long been the custom for thea
ter managers to place at the disposal
Of the president a box which he may
whenever they may choose to do so.
This courtesy has been extended to
President Wilson, who has accepted it
by attending several performances at
different theaters and occupying the
presidential oOx but he has intimate
that he would be pleased if no demon
stration were made over him. He pre-
fers to attend the theater and go ilto
other public places just like any other
citizen. In this respect his wishes are.
in the main, respected. But the presi-
dent seems to find a stage box too con-
spicuous. for at a recent performance
at Keith's he sat in a balcony chair
and was scarcely noticed by anyone
until the performance was almost end
ed. This. by the way. was the second
vaudeville performance that the presi-
dent ever attended. and he seemed to
enjoy it.
Representative Phil p Campbell of
Kansas is probably the only member
OF the house who saw the descent OF
the grasshopper in the great plague
which fell on Kansas in 1874 and gave
the Sunflower state the name of the
"Grasshopper state"
Mr.. Campbell remembers the event
we'll because 1t was on the morning OF
Saturday. September 10. and he wal
all prepared to join the other boys In
an expedition to the ole swimmin
hole But his duty lay in cutting
what was called sod corn, and the
boy, young as he was. started mourn.
fully at his task, while his friends dis.
appeared around the bend in the road
in q cloud of dust kicked I'D by theiI
bare feet.
Toward noon he heard a mighty
roar as though the Pacific and At.
lantic had met in battle. The Sky
above him darkened. blotting out tho
sun, and overhead appeared a mas
of insects. The grasshoppers settled
down on everything green in sight
corn, trees, bushes and vines. In fact
they were SO thickly spread over ev
erything that it would have been i'm
possible to get knife blade between
them.
The cloud Of devastating hopper
was probably a hundred miles acros
from east to west and 200 in exten
from north to south. And the,
brought starvation and suffering Il
sas ''bled." The insects laid thei
eggs and in the spring the youn
were Matched. Then suddenly. on tn
4th Of May, they ALI rose In the air
every hair and hide Of them-an
floated away.
NO. said Mr.. Campbell. In re
Spouse to q query. there has neye
been any scientific explanation of thi
remarlkable phenomenon. Did 8
swimming on the Saturday they came
Oh. yes; after they settled on tn
fieidk. took out for the hole am