The Washington herald., 1914-01-20
Statesmen, Real and Near.

Statesmen, Real and Near. |
By FRED C. KELLY.
Senator Thomas ]. walsh. Of Montana.
Ii q studious. preoccupied, Dropping
mustached man who has for years been
REGARDED among the home folks as a sort
OF human glacier.
He is likely to pass his best friend on
the street without so much as a nod or
wink-simply because he Is in the
habit Of becoming engrossed in his
thoughts and doesn't see ANYBODY
Walsh's friends know that he means no
harm. for In reality he is charitably in
clined. generous and considerate, but his
personality is not the kind that gathers
about him torchlight professions of en-
thusiastic and shouting followers
So. when he was fixing to run for
United States Senator. some Of walsh's
friends gave him a word Of advice.
what you want to do" suggested one
friend, lis cultivate the habit Of calling
people by their first names. Learn how
to be a good fellow. When you make
speech run in a few funny stories. Slap
somebody on the back occasionally"
IT would give anything IL I had the
knack," said Walsh. Even as he said
so he saw a big chap come along and
ask a group of friends to have a drink
Now I'd give anything to be able to
walk I'D to people like that fellow does.
added Walsh
You could IL you'd practice" urged the
friend.
Walsh shook his head dubiousiy, but
said he would try.
In a few moments another friend came
up.
"Hello Bill" was walsh's greeting.
And the friend nearly dropped in his
tracks, for It was the first time Walsh
had ever addressed him with sueh IA
millarity.
whats the matter with WaIsh?" he
asked with anxiety, after Walsh had
gone.
He's trying to learn to be good fel-
low" explained the friend solemniy, "and
it's no laughing matter. It's going to be
the most serious struggle of his life, poor
fellow, and we must all try TO help
him.
From that day on Walsh has been max
ing fair progress toward becoming a good
fellow. Since he came to Washington his
associates have found him reasonably
human. And he intends to keep right
on practicing-
Austin Cunningham. a young newspa-
per correspondent of Washington. who Is
now running for Congressman-at-large
from Texas, once worked on paper in
Mexico City. II was extremely hot down
there and Cunningham began to pine
for a place where he could sleep under
blankets One day he said:
I've got a good notion to go to Alaska
and see il ] can't get cooled of a bit"
His friends thought he was Just Joking
but he was not. He was so disgusted
with hot weather that Alaska was ex-
actly what he wanted and he up and
went there. He remained in FairSsnks
one whole winter. working on news
paper. and there was not night that
he didn't sleep under blankets
Postmaster General Burleson lives in
constant fear Of doing something waste
full He thinks a well-balanced man
should take a good middle course be-
tween being a tightwad and spend
thrift. His prejudice against waste
amounts almost to a superstition. He
has an idea that the man who spends 4
nickel needlessly may need that nickel
before he gets through with this little
curtain raiser to the hereafter.
For instance, Burleson would not for
anything own more clothes than he
| terial he can get and is a neat dresser.
but IL he had more than two business
suits at 4 time, IL would worry him so
keenly that he would get thin and then
none of his suits would fit him. One
suit on and one suit of is enough for
any man, he says. The same applies
to shoes. He keeps two pair of low
shoes and two pair Of high shoes And
they are OF extra good quality But
nothing could induce him to own an
ether pair.
A little while ago, Burleson was about
TO place his order for office stationery
A Cabinet officer can have pretty much
anything he wants in the way OF nifty
letter paper and Burleson's office asso-
ciates told him he ought to have some
handsomely embossed stationery that
would be in keeping with the high posi-
ton he holds.
No indeed" he declared: Il can re-
member when l did all my correspond
ence on yellow foolscrap and dime )
worth would last me nearly a year"
Finally he relented. however, and
agreed to put in an order for small
amount of embossed stationery, to be
used only for special occasions.
One day ne was signing his name TO
n letter done OH I sheet with blue en-
bossing at the top.
Boys" he said suddenly. bringing his
fist down with a thud, Il wouldn't doubt
| II this paper costs better than a cent a
| Sheet
CONGRESSMAN Edward W. Townsend. OF
New Jersey. author of "Chimmie Fad
den." has little time for literary en-
deayor any more. now that he is a states
man, and contents himself with dashins
or an occasional scenario for moving
| pictures.
Indiana has produced more first
class second-grade men than any State
In the Union" remarked Vice President
Marshall recently. ''and I'm one OF
them
| (Copyrisht, 1914, by Fred c. Kelly. An rights
| reserved
| PRAISE FOR PUBLIC PRINTER.