The Washington herald., 1913-12-30
Statesmen, Real and Near.
BY FRED c. KELLY.

About the most ideal shopper in WASH
tngton, from the point OF view of the
salesman IL William ]. Bryan. When
Mr.. Bryan sets out to buy anything he
does not bubble about prices, but takes
what is placed before him.
All the salesman has to do il pull out
the best in the house and Mr.. Bryan
looks no farther.
The other day Mr.. Bryan determined
to 1uy himself some new shirts and a
Few ether personal accouterrnents. He
stopped in at a haberdashery on the
way home and told the clerk frankly that
he had come with the intention OF buying
shirts.
The clerk showed him one variety.
Wrap up some OF those" said Bryan,
without moment of hesitation
Then he spoke OF socks. The clerk
pulled out box Of costly ones. Bryan
ught them on the spot, without so
much as a single question about quality
or price.
That Is the way the Secretary of State
goes shopping. He simply buys the first
thing that Is offered to him. Some day
salesman will take advantage OF this
trait ana send Mr.. Bryan a shirt with
wide stripes In bright colors. such "a
Henry Cabot Lodge often wears. ana n
will be a mean trick.
John Shelton Williams, Assistant Sec
retary of the Treasury, never walks
except on fourth speed He Ia n brI.L
person, and energetic, and especially so
when proceeding afoot from-nne place
to another. To see him going down the
street enc would Immediately jump to
the conclusion that he has only two
minutes to catch a 3:45 train. or that
he is trying to overtake some one a
block and half ahead without actually
running. Sometimes he reads a news
paper as he walks along the street. but
he goes just as rapidly even then. How
the man keeps from running into and
killing innocent persons is a bit Of a
mystery.
Representative Kenneth d. McKellar.
OF Tennessee, is endeavOring to find out
whether the hen or the cold storage
warehouse is responsible for the great
number Of unpalatable. though high
priced eggs on the market In gathering
Information in connection with his bill
to regulate the cold storage business.
Mckellar has made trips to several dif-
ferent states and has talked to every
body he could find who might shed light
on the egg puzzle. One cold storage
man said to him:
III bet you that except for the cold
storage warehouses your wife would pay
almost twice as much for eggs during
the season Of scarcity than eggs are
costing now"
IAN right, I'll bet you," proposed
McKellar.
But how are you going to prove it,"
asked the warehouse man.
Il can give you information that will
convince you absolutely that you're
wrong" declared Mcclellan.
Very WE'LL said the other man. 'ft
is understood then that you're to prove
to me that your wife would pay no more
for eggs now OF there were no cold
storage eggs
Il can prove you're wrong very
quickly" asserted McKelIar. after they
had laid a small wager. Il haven't any
wife,
The fact that McKellar is a bachelor
and not up against the problem of cb-
tanning costly fresh eggs for his fam
lily. really shows a great spirit OF mag
nanimity toward people. Here is another
story which. though eggless. indicates
that the man has human impulses
When Mckellar went to Memphis as a
young lawyer to break into the legal
profession in that town. he fell in with
a chap named Metcalf, who took a fancy
to him and helped him. He obtained his
first office connection through MetcaICs
assistance.
Well, the years rolled around. placing
McKellar in Congress and filling the man
Metcalf with a great desire to be post
master at Memphis. Naturally McKeIlaT
sent in his name for appointment. But
both of the Tennessee Senators, on the
ground of political eXpediency, were op-
posed to MetCalf and told MckeIlar he
must name some other friend, or else
they would pick a postmaster of their
own choosing.
But I can't do it, said McKellar,
this man was the first person IN the
town to befriend me, just at time when
I needed help most, and he wants the
job. I want him to have it, and can't
name anybody else, even II they never
get postmaster"
McKellar used to raise chickens and
eggs for the market when he was a
youngster. That was some twenty years
ago when fresh eyes were still within
the means of those who worked for
living. Not infrequently he sold eggs to
the dealers for as little as five cents
dozen That sticks in his head-the
prices he used to get as compared with
the prices that prevail now.
However, there are advantages in be-
ing known as the man after the egg
trust The other day McKellsr went into
a Washington restaurant and ordered
frugal breakfast. including two soft
boiled eggs. The head waiter recognized
him and NcKellar heard him whisper
to one of his assistants:
THAT fellow there's McKellar. Give
him those two fresh eggs l was sav.
ing"
Copyright. 1915. by Fred G. Kelly. All rights re-
seryed