South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-03-16
STATESMEN
REAL AND NEAR
BY FRED c. KELLY.

W AoElNGION, MaTCn L .. - In
William S. West, the new senator
whom Georgia, we have a tall. angu-
lar man of 65, or Whereabouts, who
wants what he wants when he wants
it. And when William S. West wants
a thing he grabs hold and hangs on
with a tenacity that makes a bulldog
! seem irresolute, wishy -washy, vecil-
lating. insipid, and undetermined. He
is a positive quantity.
West wanted gently to become a
United States Sc. atcr. and he wants
people at all times to keep away from
his private tout pond on his estates
at Valdosta. ......
All excitement loving persons are
| hereby offered the suggestion that
they go To West and propose them
/ selves for guests on his fish pond.
Just say to him, pleasantly: Sen
ator | understand there's some
mighty good fishing on your place. l
must get out my rod and reel and
\ drop in on you some day"
Try it, l say, you who go iii for ex-
\ element 1t is said to furnish a
\ thrill that compares favOrably with
aviation. In fact, there would prob
/ West.
That trout pond on Vests country
\ place is there for West, and not for
any Tom, Dick, or Harry who mig.
/ desire to try his luck. The man is
not without southern hospitality, un-
| derstand; he would gladly take the
/ humblest stranger into his home and
/ feed him all the delicacieS of the sea
son, including nice big platter Of
/ speckled trout from the private pond.
I But as for letting him go and CATCH
the trOut!-that is distinctly some-
thing else again.
Once in a long while-once in a
very long while-West leads a per-
sOnally conducted excursion of one or
two intimate friends TO his trout pond
and permits them to make a few
casts But he is always right on hand
! taking note of the number of fish
yanked out and placed in the creel.
The man doesn't live whom West
would trust to go to his trout pond
alone. And only his most intimate
friends-an extremely, brief, hand
picked list-are ever taken TO the
sacred waters at ali. 1t is the holy of
holes, a place reserved to mark the
deepest depths of intimacy. West
j has a number of friends for whom he
/ might gladly submit to TRANSMISSION of
7 a
time before allowing them to venture
on his premises carrying a fly-hook
and traut rod.
When 1T cimes to trout ponds West
you see, is almost rabid on the sub
3. ject of property rights. 1t is his
trout pond. He had il built and
stocked and he did so because he likes
TO fish in waters where fish are to be
caught. He doesn't purpose to de-
vote forty to fifty acres to a pond
that has been "hshed out" whether
by friend or foe.
When he does take a friend to the
forbidden pool, West CAREFUL exam
ines his bait to see that there are no
minnOws of uncOuth variety that
might grow into large fish and multi
ply one of his greatest horrors in
life is that some day a catfish might
ind its way into his pond. He would
not have that happen for all the
money in Georgia-and that state
ment is less O. an eXaggeration than
il sounds.
Senator West is philanthropically
disposed and gives literally 10 all
worthy charitable projects in his 10
calty, but in business transaction
he insists on having what is coming
TO him. There is no record of him
no reason why a man should throw
OF the odd cents. If you owed him
$S,411.O1. and the debt fell due on
Christmas eve, let us say, he would
not of1er to settle for $S,411, He
would expect you To pay the one cent
also. But if he thought you needed
a few tons OF COAL the chances are
T that the next morning he would send
it TO you.
West walked up to hotel news
stand one day. according to a story.
to buy paper containing an article
that he was anxious 10 see. The pa
per was intended by the publishers TO
sell for two cents a copy, but the
hotel newsdealer was in the habit of
asking three cents. West threw
down a nickel, got only two cents in
change and demanded an explanation.
The newsdealer would not come down
TO the price plainly printed on the
ear of the paper. and West threw
the paper down and refused 10 do
? business. Then he went and nLred a
, boy 10 go out and buy him copy OF
the paper some place where IL sold
for two cents, as prescribed.
Some OF Vests closest friends say
= that their idea OF an entertainment
Z worth while would be 10 see him in
: q New lOIk RESTAURANT uedAlHs Win
the boys who check ones hat, cane,
coat. gloves etc, and perform sim
e ilarly useless service in expectation OF
tips.
= West started out 10 be a lawyer but
saw that he could make more money
in business enterprises and has found
fortune in the lumber business. He
I is commonly regarded as worth hall
5 "a million, which in his part OF the
country is sufficient for mans actua
needs. and 10 give him standing In
/, / the community.
" Copyright. 1914. by Fred c. Kelly
j. AL rights reserved).