The Washington herald., 1915-02-07
aJ1Mp MANEs EARLY CAREER.
An Amusing Debate When Congress-
: man Was Editor and Teacher.

Representative Mann, of Chicago, and
DR.. Zeller, OF this city, are old friends
Mann Is now being mentioned for the
Presidency and DR.. Zeller has just es-
capped being elected to Congress. The
Chenoa Times contains the following:
( Forty years ago James r. and Frank
!. Mann graduated from the University
OF Illinois. The former now represents
the First Congressional district OF Illi-
nois in the House at Washington. and is
leader OF the Republicans in that body,
with some prospects of becoming the
candidate of his party for President in
1916. Frank Mann is a big farmer at Gil
man and enjoys a national reputation as
a lecturer on agricultural matters He
Is Democrat and as such was elected
circuit clerk OF Iroquois County.
Soon after leaving college the Mann
brothers. at the suggestion Of their uncle.
the late w. ]. Hester. purchased the
Chenoa Times, with its Washington hand
press and other materials to match, such
as were common in all the country print
ing offices Of that period. Everybody
was In debt in those days, and subscrip-
tiOns came in slowly, and save for an
occasional feast at the home OF E. c..
Silliman and at the home Of their uncle,
William, the Mann brothers Jared scan
tily like most country editors forty years
y
In December, 1876, there came to
them an opportunity to increase the
receipts of the firm. A vacancy had
occurred in the Brady School, two
miles east of Chenoa. The job of
schoolmaster was rendered to Jim
Mann, as everybody in town called
him, and he accepted 1t for the COM
mon good OF the brothers, teaching
the young idea how to shoot" until
spring time.
Every Friday afternoon. except one,
he delivered an grafton. Not an ordi-
nary grafton. but a finished production,
containing deep thought and abound
ing in wit and pathos and sarcasm,
and delivered as eloquently and with
gestures as graceful as II he had ad-
dressed a body of learned men instead
Of school Of boys and girls still in
their rudiments. Had he mapped out
his career? Was he looking forward?
Was he practicing for the future?
On the Friday when he omitted his
oration he. had been prevailed upon by
the pupils to permit a debate. Here
is where the pupils put one over on
the schoolmaster. They entered into
an agreement among themselves that
each speaker should initiate the ges-
lures of Mr.. Mann and the IntonatIons
of his voice without regard to argu-
mentS-
The question debated was, Re
solved, That the horse is more useful
than the cow" The first on the floor
was a nervy youth of sixteen years.
He sawed the air, pounded the table,
jumped forward and backward and
upward. sprang sideways. pulled his
hair and contorted his features, utter
ing wild shrieks and giving express
sion to words entirely irrelevant to
the subject. All the others, boys and
girls, took their cue from him and
followed suit
Mr.. Mann sat in a rear seat and
watched the performance. He did not
crack a smile. But one could plainly
perceive that it was with difficulty
that he kept his face straight.
The very next Friday the pupils pc
titioned him for another debate. This
time he smiled. Never again." he re-
piled. zone is enough" Jim Mann's
inning had come.-Peoria IlL) Star.