The Washington herald., 1914-04-10
Statesmen, Real and Near.
BY FRED C. KELLY.

BY FRED c. KELLY.
| II was a weird string of circumstances
that caused Thaddeus II. Caraway TO
dwell in the State Of Arkansas-part OF
which he now represents In Congress.
When Caraway was eighteen years old
he was a farm hand In Tennessee, with
about 81 in money and a desire to 60 to
| Utah. He was not quite certain why he
wished to set out for Utah, but he felt
that there was a great work to be done
there. Just what this work was he did
not know. He was sure. though. that Utah
needed him. Moreover, he believed that
1t would be a wise expenditure Of his life
| time savings to take the 81 and round out
his education in travel.
He interested two other young men
In his plan to go TO Utah, telling them
how much there was to be accomplished
there. And SO the trio started for Utah.
Their money did not give out until a
lew minutes after they had crossed the
Missouri line They decided to halt there
and engage briefly in labor to earn
money enough to carry them further
across the continent.
Whatsoever our hands find to do that
will We do declared Caraway. And
ere nightfall they were all employed
with stout spades as members OF a sec
ton gang 1t was hot weather and the
soil was sandy As rapidly as they re-
moved spadeful OF earth IL pulverized
and blew down the backs of their necks
CaraWay noticed one man digging in I
ditch and he could not resist the temp
tation to toss playfulIy a spadefuI of
the not sand on the mans head in order
10 ascertain how much, If any, would
remain In or about his ears. This caused
merry. rippling laughs from Caraway
ana his two companions, but it led to
their severing their connection with the
section gang and they proceeded on their
way with light hearts.
Their next employment was in a saw.
mill. After they had been working there
day and a half. Caraway took a piece
of paper and little stub Of pencil and
inquired out that il they practiced
economy it would require just seventy
four years for them to save enough out
Of their modest wages to take them to
Utah.
BY the way inquired one Of the
others, Just why are We going to
Utah."
Caraway had not thought Of It before
in that light. Frankly he did not know
why they were going to Utah. 1t was
agreed then that il would be mu"h
wiser to go to Tennessee-back among
their kinfoIk.
But the night before all were to
start for Tennessee a horrible thing
happened. Some one entered Cara
ways bedroom and took all his world
ly belongings including clothing-an
except one Unpretentious pair of trou-
sers and simple little robin-egg blue
undershirt. Even his shoes and socks
were gone.
Caraway had little heart for going
back TO Tennessee just then, and he
bade them go on without him while
he returned 10 the sawmill 10 wade
about barefooted among the splinters
and try TO recOup his fortune.
When he had saved enough money
to have shoes and other odds and ends
of clothing and was able to move
about among mankind by daylight
once again. Caraway fell in with a
chance acquaintance who suggested:
Why don't you go 20 Arkansas and
teach school,
And why should I go to Arkansas
to teach school, inquired Caraway.
Because" said the stranger. any
body can get a job teaching school in
Arkansas just now
So Caraway walked all the way TO
er. At night he studied law and in
.
Now. through all the vicissitudes of his
life since leaving Tennessee. Caraway
had kept up a correspondence with an at
tractive little girl back home. One day
il occurred to him to propose marriage
to her. for he felt that the time had come
when he should settle down and take
his proper place in society. He had no
but he had a rather honest face
and was able TO borrow SO With this
he got married and set out with his bride
to New Orleans to attend the MaTdi |
Gras. II was the first time either had |
had an opportunity 20 see the inside Of a |
Pullman car or a theater. and Cardway
determined that long as the $50 held |
out he would spare no expense to make |
the wedding trip triumph. Ten days |
later they returned to Arkansas with !
&26L
Caraway rented a house, bought some J
furniture on a dollar and-dollar-a !
month -ad-finitum basis and began the !
practice of law. He had no clients just !
Yet but as nc hopefully remarked to his !
wife. there was no telling how soon he !
might have one
1t was inevitable that a young man
with so optimistic an outlook on life |
would get along. Caraway practiced law
and dabbled in real estate and today he |
is wealthy. He owns 2O0J acres of cotton
land and various other things. including
A couple of extra suits of clothes. On
occasion he has gone to the banks and |
as much as 10000 at a time
largely on his frank, open facial layout.
Before he came to Congress Caraway