The Washington herald., 1914-07-19
rHE srdRY oF KoN1a.
whs nian's want 70 >. 4ons Of
ne Bunch.p

II
Sometimes there Il real inspiration to
be found IN the drowsy old Congressional
Record Sundays Record told 4 story
OF inspiration. the story OF George KnniS.
who didn't want TO be zone Of the
bunch" Konig, who was q Conereasman
from the city Of Baltimore, is dead now
and his colleagues were dslivsring his
eulogy.
Down on the Eastern shore Of Mary
country. formerly the home Of the brains
and bravery Of the young republic, has
stayed still while the rest OF the nation
Advanced. Today Il Is asleep, hopeless
dead. The spirit Of ambition seems to
have forsaken It. Here nliteraey main
tains high percentage among the popu-
lation. And young Konig was raised on
the general level with the rest Of the
populatIcn-when he was twenty-one
years Old he could neither read nor write
Have you ever listened to workmen
ealking the hull OF q wooden ship; II 50,
you VIII never forget the pleasant sound
Of II As the nailet descends upon the
iron caIIxing tool II makes a shriil ciink
that can be heard at a considerable dis
tanee. And when many calkers were at
work at once the blended sound is Ike thar
Of q pond on Q calm spring evening when
the toads are shrilling their love songs
George KONG drifted TO Baltimore. do
ing runaoout work on the docks Then
he learned the trade Of calker And one
warm day many calkers were at work
on the hull Of vessel In q Baltimore
drydock, at distance sounding like a
toad pQpd. Most of the calkers at work
on that boat had thoughts as trivial and
shallow as the elinks they made with
their mallets. But the young man had
come to a crisis In his life and for the
nrst time he was thinking real thoughts.
He said to himself; George Konig.
which are you going to be, leader or a
follower? Why can't you be one Of those
substantial men at the head OF things
instead OF one OF the bunchr'
He answered this question by buying a
primer and an arithmetic and by apply
ing himself to them In his leisure hours.
Years later. after he had served his city
In good stead and had been elected to
Congress- he told q Baltimore reporter
about this crisis in his life. and how he
bought the school books. even though he
did not know his letters.
II was a calker and a good one" said
Konig. II was one OF those careless fell
lows intent upon drawing my pay enve-
lope on Saturday night and Just seeing
how fast could spend my money. / was
always out for q good time Joined the
union and went to the meetings, and
finally came to the conclusion that the
PRESIDENT ana cIneT Objects VI INC union
were substantial men, who did not ca
rouse and drink and who were certain in
their work" Then KONG aiked himself
II he wanted to continue to be "one of
the bunch" and answered It by buying
school books.
when I~started for home that night
some OF my friends yelled at me. Hey.
George, come with us I am going home,
answered, and although they jeered at
me when they found out that / had
bought the books. I went home and start
ed plugging, first learning the letters and
plscing out the words slowly. Hard work?
II was the hardest job 1 ever tackled"
But he won He learned to read and
figure. He became head Of his union
Then head of a profitable business
Finally he was elected councilman. and
took a leading part in the rehabilitation
OF Baltimore after the great IRE. Then
he was elected to Congress. The New
York Sun, which usually ignores the first
speeches of new Congressmen, and ridi-
cules the speeches Of old Congressmen.
George Konig's first speech
And when he died recently university
men were proud to stand up In the House |
and eulogize Konig.-Johnstown Pa-) |
Democrat