The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-22

Champ Clark, when small boy. worked
for farmer down in Kentucky who had
a disposition like the average rattlesnake.
The man used TO beat Champ on slight
provOcatiOn. and. as the latter did not
then stand six feet two, nor weight 40
pounds. there was nothing for him to do
but take the beatinGs-and bide his time.
As he saw himself developing into
sturdy young manhood. Champ Clark
watched his muscles waxing strong with
much gleeful satisfaction. There was A
certain important use to which he desired
to put mis- muscles just as soon as the
proper time arrived. He purposcd to hunt
up that farmer who had abused him and
deal him out a little retrihutive justicr.
His idea was to give him a thrashinS tina:
would not only even up all scores TO
date, but that would linGcr long in the
mans memory as one of the noteworthy
events of his life.
However. Champ did not wish to be in
too great a rush about H. He felt that
he was becoming a fairly husky young
person. and ne knew also that as time
was making him stronger it probably was
making the colder man weaker: still, il
was too important thing to take chances
on. He earnestly desired that he should
h. in just the carmine Of condition when
the little reunion took place. II waiting
a year or two longer would contribute 10
the success and Eayety of his little plan.
he was willing to endure the delay.
II was ten years before Champ Clark
determined that cnnditic were right
for going hack to that ia and creating
a red-letter day for his former employer.
And those ten years hadn't softened his
feelings toward the man who had
trOunCed him when he was a small
youngster. Champ had a good memory.
even in those days. and he felt toward
the man much as he did toward one
William Jennings Bryan for several
months following the Baltimore conven-
ton.
Well. anyway. Champ Clark knocked
off from his school-teaching job one
Friday evening and set out on a days
journey to find the man he had been
waiting those ten years to meet again.
As he neared the old farm house. the
recoIlections OF the beatings he had en-
dured there came back as II they. had
occurred within week instead of a de-
cade. and he patted his biceps to make
certain he was fit.
1t had been a long wait. but at last
his time had come. He knocked at the
door. and even then clenched his fists,
ready to begin the exercises.
But there was a hitch in the pro-
gramme Ten years had dealt harshly
with Champ Clarks former employer.
His wife and children had died, and he
lay i'll. He was all alone when Champ
entered the house, and there were signs
of poverty and distress about the place.
Il came here to beat you up" remarked
the future Speaker of the House: been
waiting to do that for ten years, but
guess l won't
Instead he took his meager savings
from his pocket. left it with the man. and
went his way.
Now, while we're on the subject.
here's an entirely different sample of
Champ Clark's memory. When he was
young lawyer out in Louisiana, Mo-,
Old Man Burwell, as he was known,
ran a grocery that served as a forum
where young and old might meet and
talk politics. Old Man Burwell didn't
like to stop talking politics to sell
sugar or other commodities, and his
grocery did not prosper as 1t might
have, but he had a lot of influence po-
liticelly He could tell three months
in advance who would be elected
Sheriff and the vote he would receive.
When Champ Clark got 1t into his
head to run for prosecuting attorney.
Old Man BurweIl neiped MIN. hOune
Clark might have been elected anyhow,
and then again he might not. At any
rate, he appreciated Old Man Burwelrs
help, and never forgot II.
Not so long ago he received a letter
from one of his old neighbors. contain
in% gossip of old-time acquaintance,
and one bit of news 1t contained was
that Old Man Burwell had met finan-
cial reverses and was having all kinds
of hard luck.
With the note from back home stil
in his hand, the Speaker seized check
book and signed his name to a slip for
eroI gh TO take care of-Old Man Bur-
wei for a while. and dictated a letter
to his secretary.
And" he admonished his secretary,
don't tell my wife about this. She
might think 1t was extravaganza"
Carl Hayden, Congressman-at-Iarge
from Arizona. looked up from his
desk the other morning to see the out
stretched hand of a beaming and well
favored stranger who said he just
dropped in to pay his respects He rel
marked that he had once heard Hayden