South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-20
Statesmen Real
and Near.
BY Fred c. Kelly

WASHINGTON. Jan. 2O.-Nine days
out of 10 Rep. William G. Adamson
Of Georgia, chairman of the commit
tee on interstate commerce. goes about
in a state of sartOrial dejection-al-
most a complete ruin as to garb. His
necktie instead of assOciating with his
Adams apple is under his left ear.
From mis- uncombed hair TO his UNI
shined shoes all is chaos. Now this,
say, is nine days out of 10. If one
were TO take note of AdamsOn during
that period, one would say that he has
been selected by committee of hab-
erdashers 10 serve as "a walking HOr-
rible Example. But on the 10th Gay
taking the thing on an aver
age-Adamson is likely to appear at
his committee room all prettied up.
He has on long. statesmanlike frock
coat. he is shaved and shorn. and his
shoes bear an unmistakable Grecian
lustre. Even then AdamsOn may lack
the little niceties that go to make the
fOp: but he shows that he has been
giving careful thought TO himself.
Scarcely day passes without
AdamsOn being twitte about his APP
pearance. He seems to be paying no
heed to all this rough comedy, but
the fact is that his bosom is stirred
- he determines to show his ira
, { ers that he is just as capable or
n. " apparel as anybody else. The
Consequence is his periodical out
bursts of fnery.
\ few days ago it suddenly oc-
Cured to AdamsOn, right out Of
clear sky. that he ought to have a
fancy vest. Did you ever feel a sud
den craving for some foolish little
thing that you desired to eat? Just
such a craving befell AdamsOn, only
! instead of lobster salad his notion
was for fancy vest. moment be-
fore that, of all things that were far
from his thoughts, fancy vests were
the farthest. When il struck him,
however that he needed a nice new
shrill vest. he wanted it at once
Immediately. So, laying down some
dry-lOOking documents in which he
had been alb orbed until the vest idea
took possession of him. he went to
the telephone and called up store
where they sell various articles OF
dress labelled "NObby."
Now, before proceeding any farther,
let me ask you. misguided reader, in
all seriousness, if there is anything
in the whole big wide world that you
would care less about selecting over
the phone than a fancy vest for your
own use? That the thing was "a bit
irregular never once occurred 10
William G. AdamsOn. He went right
ahead and picked out a fancy vest
by phone, just as offhandedly as If
he had been ordering a mess of string
| beans He did exactly that. And
moreover. he wanted the garment
rushed To him by special messenger,
50 that he could put il right on.
you pick it out" he told the hab-
erdasher. Just be sure its pretty
one"
In a little while the ves- was de-
livered. AdamsOn, looking extreme
| ly grave after an arduOus days COM
mittee work on antitrust and other
perplexing problems, opened the
| package and held the vest up to the
I light 1t was green plaid vest
with a twinkling row of fOX-eye but
/ tons.
"'Taint fancy enough. was Adam
sons comment. in disappointed
tone.
vest and insisted that it was fancy
as fancy as a fancy vest could be.
/ Adamson on their advice, decided to
/ keep il and put il on. 1t fitted him
/ or came as near fitting him as he
ever demands of a garment. Still he
was dissatisfied feeling that II was
/ less fancy than the vest he had pic
tured when the desire came upon
/ him.
The next dav he went To the colored
BARRIERS studio down in the basement
of the capitol.
"Mistah AdamsOn, viii you VIII me
that there vest? ." were the first words
of the colored barber.
The words showed unfeigned enthu-
siasIn From then on Adamson was
entirely pleased with his purchase.
Every lay now ne wears 1t. proudly,
vainglor.ously. and without shame.
Copyright. 1915, 10y Fred G. kelly)