The Washington times., 1915-01-20
Big Chair, Lurid Vest, and
Greek Best Seller, That's
AdQn1sOn'S Idea of Ease
Head Of House Committee on
Interstate Commerce Has
Eschewed Theaters and
Sports for Years.
By KENDR1CK SCOFIELD.

| Theaters and automobiles and golf
mean absolutely nothing in his life;
/ and II he were condemned to spend an
! afternoon at the baseball park, his
whole summer would be spoiled, for
/ the great American game IL just as
popular with him a. 10 the annual boil
, weevil visitation to the plantations OF
Georgia, his home State.
10 occupy comfortable lounging
chair. just at this time Of the year. in
| front Of blazing open fire laid" by
an old-time servant. SO that the draft
IL not too great. and the wood does
. not pop too f1ercely, peruse the an
cient chronicles of Plutarch and Vir-
! gil. or from other Of the dead-and-dust-
| best-sellers Of the Roman and Greek
eras, and acquaint himself with the
idiosyncrasies Of every character in all
mythology, Is his idea of outdoor sport
Striking Figure In the House.
And these characteristics, together
| with half hundred or so more. in
| cluding a steadfast fidelity to lurld
| neckwear and resplendent 'weskits. -
which In these shifting. tickle times is
| beautiful to see. will produce a pretty
accurate thumb-na!l sketch Of one OF
the most strikingly individual men in
the House Of Judge
william Charlie" Adamson, chairman
Of the Committee on Interstate Com
merce.
In addition to the strictly local in
terest Chairman Adamson holds for
washington because Of the fact that a
bill providing a new Aqueduct bridge
hts committee is called upon to con.
slider such nationally important matters
as changes In the commodities clause
the regulation of the interstate ship
| ment OF cold storage products. Panama
canal tolls. and crusades against fake
bargain sales in the chain stores of this
country.
Washington Works Change.
There was time--on tho reliable au-
thority Of folk who knew hin,-when he
was lawyer In Georgia, before the
votes Of his constituents sent him to
Congress In the nearly nineties, when
Judge Adamson was As keen in the pur-
SUIT OF recreation as any convivial heart
could desire.
But the alchemy Of Congressional life
worked wondrous change in him.
First Of all. the theater was renowned.
1t has now been nearly twenty years
since he set his foot inside OF a play
house.
Then. one by one. his sregarious
| habits he showed behind him. with all
the ardor Of an anchorite to he rid of
worldly distractions. and as soon ~
that was accomplished to his satisfac-
tion--a consummation which uas not
reached until he had even fores,yorn
the comforter Of his youth, my Lady
Nicotine. he "holed in" for a long ses
sion Of hard work. which has continued
| ever since.
Sart0rial Peculiarities.
Judge Adamson stands out from the
crowd because of his sartorial pcculiari-
ties just as much as by reason Of his
well-known antipathy to anything which
even smacks, ever so slightly. OF mo.
nopoly.
| lis is as tall -and rugged as one OF
| the pine trees of his home country
where he was born at Bowden in 1854
| And as thoroughly as he cleanscd his
life of all pleasure. In the same degree
| has he banishcd all thought Of style
modern cut. up-to-date fashion Or pa
tern a la mode from his habiliments.
| He drapes his spare frame in coat ant
| trousers of the most sOmber hue anc
conservative cut. and is best pleased
with them when they arrive at thai
stage Of wrinkled comfort. which give.
them the appearance of having beer
slept in. Undoubtedly. he would hav.
enjoyed being a drab-dressed Quaker
save that it would have robbed him o.
the only two spots OF sartorial colol