The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-12-05
ArkanSaW F;
He Was a Gentleman
of the Southwest.
By F. A. Mitchell
By F. A. Mitchell

When boys summer camps were first
established in the United States, at one
Of them, located in northern New Eng
land, were two boys who were chums.
They were the very antipodes Of each
other. Both were of the older boys at
the camp, being between seventeen and
eighteen. Frank Vinton hailed from
Connecticut. He was intellectual and
spiritual. Those who knew him best
predicted for him a marked career In
some intellectual pursuit, probably the
church. Edward Davis was from Ar
kansas and typical southerner. He
was long Of limb, large boned and mus
cular. He was two years behind his
chum in fitting for college.
Each was in his way leader of
other boys. Frank Vinton was usually
| intrusted with the management of the
| entertainments got up at the camp and
| was recorder His camp journal was
| beautifully written. Davis, who was
| universally called Arkansaw, led the
hikes, the canoeing, the swimming-in
| fact, all the sports. Naturally the
boys, who placed strength and daring
above intellect, admired him more than
| Vinton. But Arkansaw ranked him
self far below his chum. What we
| possess we do not value; what we lack
| We covet Arkansaw saw no merit in
his diving from platform elevated
| forty feet above the surface Of the wa
ter or being able to throw any boy In
the camp. He would have given his
| strength and daring for the ability to
learn Latin grammar, which was be-
yond his intellectual endowment. For
this reason, perhaps. he was pleased
at his intimacy with the intellectual
Vinton.
| When the season was ended and the
campers went home the chums regret
ted that they could not enter college
in the same class. Vinton had passed
his entrance examination, but Davis
had still long period Of study before
him. When Vinton became Junior
Davis became freshman. OF course
he entered the same college as Vinton.
Notwithstanding that they were two
years apart in the college curriculum
they were still chums. Naturally their
associates wondered what was the tic
that bound the brawny southwesterner
and the polished New Englander. The
truth Is, persons don't usually make
friends with their counterparts. They
generally seek what they are not them
selves.
Vinton graduated with high honors,
and while his chum was struggling
through the last two years in college
he was studying for the ministry. The
Arkansan was wanted Oh the varsity
crew, on the varsity football and base
ball teams, but he could not be IN
duced to train with any Of them. He
had as profound a contempt for mus
cular as he had reverence for intel
lectual strength.
Davis pulled through college, being
graduated among the "dregs" as he
called them, Of his class. Vinton
studied theology at his alma mater,
so that their intimacy was not inter
rupted. When Davis finished his aca-
demical course Vinton was admitted
to orders, having taken a three years
course in two. They said goodby to
each other, Davis with more regret
than his friend, who by this time was
beginning to feel the difference be-
tween them. for the clergyman be-
longed to an. aristocratic family and
was engaged to society belle. She
had met Davis and wondered what
her lover could see I'm him to admire.
Perhaps this is the main reason why
Vinton parted with his chum without
the regret that was to have been ex-
pected
Davis inherited an estate that rem
dered him independent of work, but it
weuld have been impossible for him to
be idle. An Office In the gift of the
people Of his state becoming vacant
and it being desirable that man not
stained with political iniquity should
be elected, Davis was waited on by q
committee from both parties who ask
ed him to run for the office, promising
him sure election. He was too dunn
founded for awhile to reply, then said
that better man than he was needed
for the duties involved. But the COM
mittee would not accept his refusal
and left him assuring him that he
would be elected whether he ran or
not
This was the beginning of a political
career that was thrust upon Davis, but
1t lasted only short time, for he be-
came Disguised with politics, and when
his friends proposed to nominate him
for an important state Office he fatty
! refused.
II One summer FIVE or six years after
he had parted with vinton he resolved
to go north for visit, taking I'm his
old chum by the way. The truth Is he
had learned to love the north in sum
mer while at the boys camp and long
ed to get back into the northeastern
territory where he could enjoy the
cool woods and waters.
One Saturday evening a lanky man
with a strong southern accent register.