Omaha daily bee., 1916-06-25
Charles Evans Hughes, as Seen Against
the Trying Backgrounds of His Boyhood

long time that once you had been
called "the man nobody ever slapped
on the back" an austere person, "the
iceberg" "a reformer," self-contained
self-disciplined, self-reliant, conscien-
tious, hard working, turning brain
and body into machine" joining no
clubs except fraternity and partisan
ones, taking up no sport, in every
school prize scholar, wasting no
time, even in wanton youth, on any
thing useless, not even Counting" We,
neat, handsome, reticent, dignified
cordial in manner, upright, church
going, without guile or vindictiveness
SO respecting your retainer as law
yer in causes for people as to be-
come renowned-and supposing you
had been nominated president and
had to please some 100000 voters
to reach the American height OF
power and place, would popularity
not be easy? If nearly all the copy
man nature, had been followed, STU
diously, sincerely, habitually, why
should there be any need for any
thing else in the way of recommends
ton, especially after high public serv-
ice? Yet the first worry of the
friends Of Hughes, republican candi-
date for president, is that it may not
be believed that he is what is called
human"
Almost all his visitors appear to
find it incumbent to say after meet
ing him, why, he's not icy; his grip
is hearty, his smile is gay.'
| Night before last, when all the po-
litical handshakes had departed, and
only his volunteer helpers remained,
Hughes, known as the man whom
nobody ever slapped on the back"
turned toward the window looking
straight up to the Great White Way
above Times square, where the signs
were flashing, pointed to an emblaz-
onry which showed settler siphon
fixing into glass OF distilled rye
and remarked. "I've looked so often
at that sign tonight that it's made
me wuzzy." As one got the anecdote
next morning it somehow didn't seem
complete. So one inquired of the re-
lator-"Well, didn't you offer to
buy! The answer was, you know
he has given up those bedtime high
balls! Oh, sometime ago. Decided
they were not hygenic, and now lin
its himself to light wine at dinner"
That did not seem to bring the ance-
dote to point either. Last night,
bordering whether ones sense of
point in anecdote was DULY growing
too pro-English, one glanced out the
same window at the selfsame scene.
Suddenly the flash came against the
sky: "Wilson-That's ALL"
Hughes particularly has a sense of
humor. His lifelong Delta Upsilon
friend, Major Crossett, who guards
him at the Hotel Aston, tells this as
illustrative of the man Hughes even
on official errands:
HE had to visit Syracuse, as gov
ernor, for formal ceremony, and
was. led afoot by Mr.. Perrin over
a piece of dirt road newly oiled for
him, but on which a sudden rain had
lifted the oil in blobs. Poor pickle
we've got you into" apologized Mr..
Perrin. Hughes answered good
naturedly, "Oh, don't know-looks
like PERKINS, sauce"
Anyone who heard Mr.. Hughes
make a speech in our college and
camping days." says Major Crosset,
was pretty well prepared for
Hughes success later. We recognized
this talent early. Even as a boy he
was the readiest story-teller and i'm
promptu speaker l have known. His
fund of stories was inhaustible, and
he has one applicable for every &C.
casion: Scores Of times before the
campfire, or in rooms at college, |
have watched him waiting his chance
to come forward with some yarn.
The least vindictive man in the world.
his stories never have a sting. One
OF the greatest charms of his humor-
and we considered him a considerable
humorits-was certain gentle rail-
lery which is characteristic of the
man today as it was of the youth.
we who knew him from the eariy
days have always resented his being
called man who has never been
slapped on the back. To US he was
'Huggis' Hughes.
At college Hughes was active in
the frats. He liked the camp life with
which the boys filled up their vaca-
tons. 1t was the custom for the
local chapter Of the Delta Epsilon to
camp. on the shores Of Lake George.
In hunting, canoeing mountain
climbing and all that goes to make a
successful camper, Hughes readily
joined. Even, then, however, he car
ried on his studies at an astonishing
rate. His tent was supplied with
serious books and by the end of vaca-
ton he had usually gained several
months on his fellow students. He
was reckless burner OF the mid
night oil. The time he spent PLAYING
cards with us on a blanket in camp
was thoroughly reclaimed later.
There is an interesting photo
graph of Hughes, the beardless, prim
youth, playing cards around the
campfire continued Major Crossett;
at Brown before Hughes was 20, he
was made editor of the Browne
MAN, the college paper. I assure YOU
he was as good an editor as he was
mathematician or lawyer. Journal |
ism lost a force when Hughes turned
away from it. In the same year we
elected him class prophet. Later he
was elected class orator and | recall
he was the youngest class orator in
the history of the college. And when
it came to selecting the most popular
man in the class, Hughes won prac-
tieally by reclamation. The last in
cident Of his college life was charac-
teristic. When Hughes quit tutoring
at Columbia the dean of the Iaw