The Washington herald., 1914-02-24
Statesmen, Real and Near.
By BRED G KELLY.

ffoDi SUPERFICIAL eize-up, one eeems
to be Justified in saying that q wicked
trust could expect little sympathy
from Representative william C. Adam
son. of Georgia.
Adamson Is the chairman Of the
House Committee on Interstate Com
merce which will have a great deal to
do with bringing trusts to bay under
the present program OF the adminis-
tration. And he looks the part OF a
man who would swat a trust with much
glee.
Take any trust magnate you ever saw
In the picture books and he is almost
certain to be the direct opposite of
Charlie Adamson. Your typical wicked
trust chief is sleek. fat, well dressed,
Snug and complacent. Adamson isn't
any of those things. And he is either
ignorant or intolerant OF the extrav-
agances. frivolities and monkey-busi-
ness OF current civilization. All he
thinks about Is plugging away. at his
job and he has not had any fun for
years and years. He hates baseball
and automobiles and hasn't attended a
theater since he came 10 Congress.
back in the late SOS.
One day. a few weeks ago, Adamson
had occasion 10 go by a golf links
where nat:ily garbed young men were
irritating small gutta percha spheres
with stout clubs.
What are they doing yonder?' in
quired Adsmson.
playing golf" replied his companion.
What did you think they were doing
laying brickT
Huh. So that's golf. eh?" mur-
INJURED Adsmson. I've often heard 1t
spoken Of"
No games or amusements, indoor or
outdoor. ever tempt AdamsOn from the
strait and narrow path Of constant
toll. The only sport he gets out Of life is
the meagre enjoyment afforded by reading
ancient history and mythology. When he
reads history he doesn't bother with per-
sons who wrote within the last few hum
dred years. but goes clear back to Hero
dotus himself. who was dashing on an
cient history back in the days when the
stun was still being made. All the old
Greek and Roman deities and their far1i-
ly connections he knows intimately and
could call the entire roll without consult
ing his notes. He has a sense of humor.
too, and would read Mark Twain or Bill
Nye by the hour II he felt like taking
the time.
At the time he was elected to Con-
gress. Adamson was a lawyer with gre
garious inclinations who liked to psrtici-
pate with his friends in outcroppings OF
the social instinct in mankind. When he
set out for Washington his friends agreed
that whether Charlie" did any work or
not. he would at least make himself
agreeable and have a lot Of fun out OF the
thing.
- a
versal of form. He not only gave up all
thought OF everything save toll on his
arrival here. but even quit smoking.
In his dress. too, Adamson leads the
simple life He gives the impression Of
having slept in the clothes he has on,
and his necktie is one Of those tied-in-
devices, besides being worn
always under one ear. 1t is a good sport
ing proposition whether Adamson's tie
will be found under his right ear or tie
eft ear. but IL is certain not to be within
forty-five degrees of his front collar but
ton
One Of the predominating traits Of
Adamson is his impatience. He can't sit
md whatever he has TO do he earnestly
le Is chairman of one OF the trust
committees. he will be almost
beside himself IL a trust shows any in
,lination to hem or haw or procrsstinate
about taking its place on the blue box
1t the crack of the whip.
When the House is in session, Adamson
goes in and sits in his place briefly,
md then happens to think Of a piece
,f paper, a pencil or an eraser he wants
rom his Office. whereupon he walks up
stairs to the committee room. but he is
lot there long before he becomes uneasy
est something is taking place on the
ioor. Once back on the floor he is certain
here must be some mail to look over
It the once. 1t is not exaggeration to
say that he tramps back and forth from
he House floor to his committee room
IN an average OF fifty times a day.
Adamson has an unmitigated horror of
citing a bunch OF mail go unanswered
or half an hour. II a mail arrives at
o o'clock and another at II o'clock he
would not think OF waiting until IL and
loing up the whole bunch at once. He
answers the 10 o'clock mail. goes away,
md comes back right on the dot at II
,'clock for the next mess.
The first distribution Of Congressional
nail Is ready shortly after o'clock in
he morning. Adamson has this sent TO
lis house and has stenOgrapher there
Ill night to be ready TO fly at the job |
Il answering il about $50 The next mail |
,omes about o'clock and he disposes |
Il that before he eats breakfast. So II |
.oes throughout the day-every day in |
he year, Sundays. Christmas, Arbor Day |
md all.
Chairman AdamsOn has a knack at
,etting things done. too-sometimes by |
Methods of his own. In this connection |
ne may cite the time he was assigned /
o weed the potato patch. That was
many years ago when Adamson was /
mall boy. but IL is typical.
His father said: Charlie, remove all
hat grass and weeds from those pota-
oes"
Young Adamson looked the patch over |
nd saw that he was in on a lovely job. !
Nearby was a large piece Of ground all |
are from having had the sod removed. |
Tot a weed had yet sprung up. He /,
rished the potatoes were there. And that
I'd him to ask himself:
why not?' Why not remove the po-
atoes from the weeds instead of the
reeds from the potatoes. as his father
ad suggested. He plowed up the bare
round. dug up the potatoes and planted
hem anew, leaving the weeds behind
D do their worst.
Copyright. 1914. by Fred q. Kelly. All rights re-
servedD
Worth Knowing.
Out of every 800 received by the rail-
Dads. $3.50 Is paid to the employees
hereof: out of every S1OO paid for ex-