The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-01-17

feed to do SO. Clothes get first place,
and il there's any room left maybe
money will get it."
At this %juncture the car for which
the boy was waiting p~assed--he swung
it and a moment later was lost in the
crowd. | boarded a downtown car,
buried myself in the news columns of
my paper and later transferred to the
elevated line which goes to lesser
New York by way of the Brooklyn
bridge.
This New York incident was recalled
the other day when l crossed the
street at Third and Main in a city in
the eastern part of the state. Lost
in thought, not payingn especial at
tention to anybody or anything at the
time, was aroused when a voice called
out:
Hello, Mr.. Winfield Prof. Alden
told me o weDe here. Although l
have never met you personally, l read
lily recognize you at sight by what l
know of you through the papers,"
1 raised my head and looked into
the congenial face of a stranger with
proffered hand.
"Of course, you don't know he" he
continued, realizing my surprise,
which I suppose l showed, "and it
doesn't matter much, because I'm just
an everyday fellow"
The man who confronted me was a
Missourian and showed it in voice and
action. But otherwise he looked like
a working man of any state. On this
street his clothes seemed just as odd
and were in as much contrast to those
about him as were those of the ag-
ricultural king who stood at the inter
section of Broadway and Twenty
third.
After keeping me in suspense for a
while he made known his identity.
Paul Flipping was clad in a broad-brim
felt hat which had evidently several
years since seen better days-it had
been black once before the red set in
His other clothing consisted of a short
overcoat, worn into shreds at the ell.
bows. He wore a blue white striped
suit of overalls, and heavy, service.
able shoes completed his movable
wardrobe. His complexion was red
d~ish-brown; hair dark streaked with
gray; uncertain yes of brown; ;higE
nose, long sandy mustache which
curled up at the ends in true foreign
t style. His face was round with a few
| lines carved by care and toll. He wa.
of middle age; fully six feet, with {
good stride.
Mr.. Paul Flipping is a farmer own
+ ing $50 acres of fine farm land. Hi
city property is valued way up in tn,
,, thousands. Although he knows how
| he is not an active farmer himself
f His busiest thoughts are on contract
S ing and building where he does a com
petitive business.
For years." he informed me, 81 car
Tied thousands of dollars in my pocB
cts. They were my profits from deals
h l was then beginning and all tn
n whites looked upon me as a poor ma
a who worked hard, but apparently wen
back two degrees for every degree {
progress. l wore, and even now, shat
d by clothes except when away froI
Isl home"
AL This farmer-contractor could bull
IS a town of his own with at least a hui
e. dred houses. 1 found him unpretel
tious, simple but practical, and neve
% made a front that he could not bac
up. He was for a long time and is no
a leader of men. He witnessed onl
. eight years of school life, but hi
. knowledge would do credit to a un
versity man. His business transa'
lions are broad and far reaching, il
N volving many whites of position and il
fluence.. While his real financii
?" standing is known to but few, yet IL
tn secret Of his manipulations and i
a. creasing wealth has leaked out. b
he Paul clipping is now on his feet, usir
h, his term, and has his eyes open.
Of In the eyes and words of whites a,
found both admiration and envy, viii
or many of his own people are Meth
e. admirers nor envious of him tn
lg HATH who would l cad them to
as brighter day, from whom they shrin
Turk far in the dark and look throuI
eyes that see only evil, with min
ng that distrustingly measure others
their own dishonest practices.