South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-12-24
TATESMEN
REAL AND NEAR
By FRED c. l.

AhyA5n Only IOTlE-lnree years old.
AsWell has white hair and il curls up
on the sides i'm colonial fashion. much
as George Washington's did. AswelIs
race IS not quite SO sad and preoccu-
pied as former Pres. Washington's.
but IL is built along such similar lines
that he looks as it he were at least
about TO take the part Of Washing
ton In a cantata.
The reason Aswell's hair is prema-
turely white and his face solemn is
because OF two important events back
in his %boyhood.
To start with, the first book he ever
read, aside from the Bible. was Pill
failed after the war and he was
Obliged TO work on the farm alongside
OF the NegrO laborers without ever
getting TO school until he was seven
teen years old. Those things. how
ever, would not nav turned his hair
white ahead of schedule. But one
day this happened:
There was a young colored boy on
the place named Nose, a trihe older
than Aswell, who looked on him as a
sort OF personal companion and ac-
compllce. Nose had a phenomenal
p"TedlspoSltiOn toward stealing and
telling lies and e~ndeavOred TO instil
these traits into young Aswell. Inas-
much as the latter was destined to
grow up to look like George Wash
lngton. and become one of the fore
most school teachers OF his state. ne
dld not readily take TO tying and steal
ing and never did either-unti one
night. Nose mentioned that there
was q watermelon patch up the road
belonging to a grabbed old man whom
they called Uncle Nathan. They had
an abundant watermelon patch on
their own place, but that was not the
point. The idea was that il would be
great snort IN steal a n0alnn nr furn
from Uncle Nathan just because he
was grOuchy and they had always
disliked him. So at dusk they went
up the o n hooked a couple of
melons apiece from Uncle Nathan.
The next morning AsweH saw Uncle
Nathan's buggy out in front of the
house n Uncle Nathan himself in
conference with AswelTs father. In
dubitably something was up. After
the grim visitor had gone. Aswell's
father called him in and said:
Il have arranged for you TO go over
today and help Uncle Nathan strip
fodder. | owe hin a little money and
that occurs to me as the cheapest way
for me to pay it.
Now what young Aswel wanted TO
know was this: Did his father really
owe Uncle Nathan money. and was
the close proximity of the watermelon
incident merely a stray circumstance
or did n event follow the other in
logical order?
He would have liked to know. but
his father said nothing and so he
asked no questions. but went sullenly
and worked all day for Uncle Ma
than, never saying a word TO him and
refusing to accept the mans dinner at
noon.
For years and years after that.
up to the time of his fathers death,
Aswell kept wondering if his father
really knew about the watermelon af-
fair, but he never found out. for the
subject was never mentioned again.
such a long stretch of wondering
about one thing helped to start his
hair turning n give his face the
thoughtful look that ii wears today.
The next great crisis in AswelPs life
came when he was about seventeen
years old and having his first glimpse
of school. He worked for a livery
stable proprietor mornings and even
ings and holidays, doing various
chores about the stable and helping
in the general store the liveryman also
conducted. His first customer in the
store was "A woman who wished to pur-
chase a corset. Aswell looked about
the shelves until he found one of a
size and style that he thought would
suit. and spread it gayly before her.
The customer was greatly pleased and
bought IL without looking further. She
placed a gold coin on the counter in
payment. AsWell had never seen a
gold coin before. but he had heard OF
80 gold pieces. and he gave the wom-
an "a in change, for the corset was
priced only 81, which was really a
bargain.
So when the proprietor returned
and found that Aswell had given out
81 and q corset for the 81 gold piece,
he explained that there would have
to be an evening up process. Aswell
have beer getting 10 cents an hour for
his services, but now he had to work
out that 81 deficit, besides paying
board the while at the rate of SO a
month. Even TO this day when he
counts up his money and chattels il
seems to Aswell that he is still 81
short.
Although ne never got to school
until he was seventeen, Aswell now
is an A. b, an A.. NJ, n Ii. D., and
one thing and another until If he
were to write all his college degrees
after his name it would look like a
printers pi Inc.
He is usually called DIR. Aswell. the
DR. referring to his II. ID. degree.
And this Doctor" is never corrupted
To Doe You take "A regular pill
doctor. a veterinary physician. a dem
tist. or even a preacher. and no mat
ter how good he is in his line of en-
deavOr. some one is likely to address
him as Doc. but when a man is
none OF these and he is called Doc
tOr'-all spelled out in full. you un-
deTStand-it is almost a sure sign that
the man is a thOrOugh-going high
brow.
Aswell has been the state superin-
tendent of schools. president of the
state normal school in Louisiana. and
was almost nominated for governor a
year or Sc ago.
Moreover, for all his George WASH
ington hair. the man is not actually
so solemn as he looks. Engage him
in conversation and his face relaXes
until his eyes beam like those Of
Santa claus.
Copyright. 1915. by Fred G. Kelly.
All rights reserved.)
is il out of order. or are YOU slipping
sunni ling over on one of them POOR