The Washington herald., 1914-03-26
Statesmen, Real and Near.
BY FRED c. KELLY.

souri,. fell into conversation with Champ
Clark in the Speakers outer office the
other morning and Champ told him with
some amusement about the case of the
young Congressman who wanted his help
In getting a place on the Ways and
Means Committee.
1T showed laudable ambition for him
TO aspire to one of the big committees" :"
admitted Champ: 81 couldn't help ad-
miring the fellows confidence in himself
but the thing was so ridiculous that"
Il well remember just such a case
when j was Speaker of the House in the
Missouri legislature" cut In Russell.
There was a young fellow who got il
into his head that he was Just the man
TO go on the committee on revision of the
laws-the most important committee in
the House at that time. tried to point
out the absurdity OF putting a green and
untried member on that committee, but
the young chap was so persistent and
made my life so miserable that / finally
had to appoint him to get rid of him.
must say. though, that he was smarter
than he looked and"
But Speaker Clark was walking away
with funny little look. without waiting
to hear more.
For he was the young man.
Representative Samuel VI. Taylor. of
Arkansas. went with a Congressional
committee to the Northern peninsula of
Michigan to investigate copper strike con-
ditions. They were there into March, but
the Northern Michigan winter showed no
sign Of letting up. and Taylor. who had
spent practically all his life in a South
ern cline. was completely disgusted.
When they got on the train for the
return journey to Washington. he said:
Well. l hope / never see any more
sleighs or snow so long as I live. What
yearn for right now is the sight of a
few blades Of grass and a vehicle on
wheels instead Of on runners. Why, I'd
give a dollar right now-give II gladly
for a glimpse at an Arkansaw negro"
Il got you dollah. Mistah Taylor
said voice from behind at that juno
ture.
IL was the porter. and when Taylor
had taken a second look at him he recog-
nized him as a man who had done many
odd jobs about his home down in Pine
BIuff. Ark
Gladly he handed the porter a dollar.
And the Congressional party received
every reasonable courtesy all the time
AhtS ntIe OlA AiAdl I
When Representative Walter A. Wat
son. of Virginia. was attending the law
school at the University of Virginia his
chief instructor was John B. Minor. a
famous law professor of his day
At the opening of the term, Minor told
his class that IL any of them struck a
snag In their work and came to him, he
would try TO assist them in any way he
could.
A few days after that. Watson struck
some pages in his textbook that seemed
to have their meaning hid away beyond
recall in a maze of phraseology. He read
the lesson over and over again for about
an hour and a half. and then it occurred
10 him that this must be what the pro-
fessor referred 10 when he spoke OF
striking a snag.
Watson went to Minors private Office
and told him what was disturbing him.
How long have you studied over these
pages?" asked the professor.
oh. all OF an hour and half" re-
piled Watson.
Let me tell you something" said the
professor in a confidential tone. For
the last forty years I have never failed
t. devote at least two or three hours
day to that book. just to refresh my
memory, and I wrote the book"
James Wickersham. the Alaskan Dele
gate to Congress. has an ambition to own
every book and pamphlet published on the
subject OF Alaska. And II looks as II he
would make good. for he has Alaskan
books now until one can hardly get into
his office The list runs all the way
from histories Of Alaska in Russian-in
Russian language, you understand. not
Russian leather binding-on down to the
complete works of Rex Beach.
Ed. Grillo, well-known sporting
writer. used to play poker, and when he
pioyed he became completely engrossed in
the game. One evening he was playing
on the top floor of a Washington club
when a fire broks out in the building.
Somebody in the card room saw the
hose-wagon backing up out in front and
remarked:
There seems to be a big fire here pretty
close"
Yes" murmured Grillo. its your
deal"
A few moments later the door opened
and an excited colored attendant said:
''Gempman, yah bettah git out! Tn
buildin's on fire.
Grillo turned upon the man rather saw
agely and commanded:
You shut that door, and keep the
smoke out o here. or I'll break your
neck
Copyright. 1914. by Fr-d G Kelly All rights
rrSsredl