Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1913-05-09

al reporter for the local paper IN
GAINESVILLE. Tenn, where his father
was president Of the Southwestern
Presbyterian University. Joe. in
his humble occupation Of collect
ing items for the local and personal
columns of the paper, had 3 great
journalistic ambition. 1t was to be
sent to Washington as political
correspondent for some city news
paper. and to sway national affairs
by his writings.
He worked hard. With Scotch
thrift characteristic of his family,
he saved his money until he bought
the GAINESVILLE paper. His father
died And then, as a step toward
realizing his ultimate ambition, he
sold his newspaper plant and took
a position on the Nashville Banner.
There was drudgery in his new
work, but he toiled faithfully until
he was made state political report
er His spirits bounded This would
be the apprenticeship that would
earn him the position of Washing
ton correspondent of the Banner
Painstakingly. he complied a card
index of Tennessee politicians, and
covered" that states politics as
they had never been covered" be-
fore
This work won him advancement,
but advancement which seemed to
him off the beaten trail between
the Banner office and the Press
Gallery in Washington. He was
made the city editor of the Ban.
ncr. Still he diG not complain
since the new job brought an in.
crease in salary 10 S25 per week,
He resolved to work faithfully kso
as to be the most available man in
case there should be a vacancy il
the Banners Washington office
Then. in two or three years
things happened. Woodrow Wilson
became president, and Joe Wilson:
salary had grown to S35 per week
Nashville suddenly realized that she
had the Presidents only brother
The e 5 of the country realized it,
too. Joe Wilson's mail grew heavy
Out of an envelope tumbled ar
offer from a New York insurance
company at a salary of Sl2, 900 pei
year. This letter was cast into
deep shade a lite later by a letter
from a New York trust company
offering $24, 600 for his services.
Realizing that to accept either
wOnId simply amount to selling his
distinguished brothers name. Joe
Wilson r~esolutely put both aside.
Then followed an amazing sue.
cession of offers from great news.
papers, holding forth dazzling salar.
les to the Banners city editor to
represent them at Washington. AT
last he could realize the abmition
towards which he had struggled all
his life. 1t was within his grasp.
He could accept all the newspaper
offers, syndicate his writings, and
thus with a bound attain affluence
and power.
But a second thought. II he ac-
cepted, it would mean that every
word Of his writings would be TAX
en- by the public as inspired and as
coming from the president. 1t
might, nay it would, become a con
tinual embarrassment to the sincere
older brother, who is trying with
such devout singleness of purpose
to be a great president Of the
United States.
One recent day Joe Wilson indul.
ged himself in the luxury Of add
ing up the compost lite salary Of his
ne wspaper offers. They totaled
$4,000 a year. For a few mo-
ments he sat in abstraction, dream
ing for the last time his life dream.
Then he dictated a few letters Of
refusal, and with a sigh turned
back to his desk and his S35 per.
7-~.-
A CASE OF HOOKWORM