The Washington herald., 1914-05-10
Statesmen, Real and Near.
By FRED C. KELLY.


summer. Champ Clark had occasion tt
take a train at a small town In Indiana
for another point in that State.
The Speaker Of the House looked at-hii
time table, but, time table-like, II gave
little Information about the stops.
Il suppose I can get OF this train al
(, Red Key" or whatever town it was
suggested Clark, interrogatively. as he
came up to the station agents window to
get ticket
The station agent didn't know the tall.
able-bodied stranger. and he was piqued
] at the insult to the town. Just because
+, the train stopped there was no sign II
stopped at every little station along the
line. was IL?
: Yes" he replied, you can get OF
mind right now IL you're going to try il,
and let me know SOS / can tell an UNDER
taker where to meet you"
Senator Ashurst, of Arizona, was at
| tackled on the floor of the Senate one
day in regard to the expense he had
placed the government to for the num-
bsr Of kilograms he had sent to his
State In connection with something or
other then under consideration.
Ashurst strolied into the cloakroom a
little later and remarked that 1t was the
second time In his life that his motives
had been questioned.
And can't proceed" laughed As
hurst. ''as i did on the other occasion"
II seemed that when he was district
attorney In his county in Arizona there
was a law against having a saloon with
in a certain distance Of a church.
One saIoonkeeper got the idea into his
head that by slipping Ashurst a piece
of money he might be able to evade the
law. Also he arranged to have a wit
ness concealed in Ashurst's Office.
When the man came In with the so.
Ashurst wondered IL there might not be
a witness tucked away somewhere with
in hearing distance. The only available
spot was back of the coal box.
by the way he remarked pleasantly
to the saloonkeeper. here's something
that will interest you" And he picked
up a six-shooter from his desk
You know" he went on. I take con-
siderable pride in being something OF a
shot with this thing. For instance. I'll
bet you ! can shoot a circle of six holes
in that coal box yonder. Now watch
me-"
And instantly an alarmed man scram-
bled up from behind the coal box.
That ended the bribing industry.
Louis W. Strayer. one of the most
capable political correspondents in
Washington, is n notoriousiy calm man.
When he was a city editor back in Pitts
burgh. he was about the best city editor
in the business because of that same
quality of calm. No matter what hap
pcned Strayer quietly refused to get
fused or excited
Once in mis- earlier days. Strayer was
sent as reporter to cover the goinCs on
at the big Homestead strike. Practically
all the reports sent out were first CEN
sorcd by strike leaders. who were large.
able-bodied men with fists the size OF
the ordinary sugar-cured nam of modern
commerce II was annoying to have such
men as that take a piece of copy and
scratch out everything they didn't want
TO be printed. out there was no other
way. One ambitious young correspond
ent tried to thwsrt their plans and he
was found in the gutter a little later.
half unconscious witt big dent in his
head.
One evening the correspondents got SO
tired Of being watched by the strike
leaders and the strike leaders Of watch
ing the correspondents that they got UP
big free-fOr-all poker game. Louis
Strayer. being a calm, thoughtful. con-
sentative young man. did right well at
the game. and to help things along he
had a phenomenal run of luck. Once
when one Of his newspaper associates
was dealing. Louis drew four tens and
with them took in a right sizeable Jack
pot Just a couple of hands later. when
Louis himself was dealing he happened
to get four queens. Most of the others
seemed to have got hands that pleased
them. too. for everybody stayed and
Louis was in a fair way to make a kill
Ing. But as he locked at his four queens
and thought VI the four tens he had
just had. he glanced over the top of his
killed man or two in his time. The
next man around the table looked like
person who would delight in strangling
little children. Strayer continued this
inventory and then glanced back at his
hand.
He threw the cards on the table, face
downward. remarking:
Il can't stay with one little pair"
A young man next to him who had
already put down his hand. had been
looking over Strayers shoulder.
Did play that right" inquired
Strayer.
Exactly right" replied the young man
In the front hallway of the Washing
ton home of the Secretary of State is A
me large bust of William Jennings
Bryan.
COpg night. 1915 by Fred c. Kelly All nights re-
suyedJ