Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-18
I|I|D OLD RETAINER
OF BEA TEN DAVE LANE
LAUDS HIS EMPLOYER
flames Shields. Family Coach
man for % Years, Now PEN
stoned, Estimates Poll
tician's Worth
REsENTs PUBLICATIONS

Dave Lane may emerge from an cleo
fIon fight 80 votes shy Of a majority ir
favor OF his transit stockholdngs as was
The case in Tuesdays primary. but he Is
Interested In other stock, In which he has 9
loyal champion, whose vote and voice
make unanimous any opinion held upon
tho subject within the goth Ward where
for three decades and more. the chairman
Of the Republican City Committee has held
sway
This champion is no other than James
Shields, for % years employed as coach
man by the Lanes, and now passing life's
remaining years In the sole duty Of looking
after the comfort and bodily welfare of
Jack. an old horse, with which he shares
the bounty of the nestor of the Republican
Organization in Philadelphia.
Jack the pet stock Of his master.
uunched his fodder contentedly aud whisked
flies while Shields talked TO visitor today.
Shields voice thrilled as, with the soft burr
20 be found only among natives of the couu-
try north OF the Tweed. he discussed his
master.
'Yes sir" he said mfr. Lane is a fine
man. Twenty years we have worked for
him Eve three) and never in all that time
has he called me else but my name. Mr.
Lane, / say to him, we are old now and
are only an expense to you; we aren't any
use to YOU Well says he. YOU were
once and old friends are true friends
That's Mr.. Lane all over. He's a great
man and IL fairly makes me mad to read
what the papers say Of him. They don't
know him, that's the trouble A gentleman
he Is, sir and that's the truth, not like
these here Germans who are fighting King
George. They say it's the Russians they're
after, but IL that's true. why did they in
wade Belgium? It makes my heart bleed to
hear of all these men dying just because
that there Kaiser wants to be another Ma
poleon.
I'm Scotch sir, and TIM proud of t. for
were proving to the world what Scotland
can do for her king. 1t makes me think
Of Bobble Burns poem, Scots wha ha
wi Wallace bled." There's the stuff for
you. Don't tell me that we have no poets
Me and the wife read Burns by the hour
aye, and the Scots Observer too man.
but she reads well, does the wife. There's
statue in the park which maybe you
know sir. It's Tam O. Shanter. Often
and often I've driven the Lanes past it.
Man, but it's the grand work.
Mr.. Lane likes 1t too, and he knows a
thing or two, / tell We. Sent me home to
Edinburgh once he did and / went to my
village and was quite the gentleman Mrs
she comes down here she does, and it's
James, says She are you quite comfort
able? It would be hard man that would
MT be happy working for such family.
ME and the horses are aging, sir as
Bobbie Burns says The hair once like the
ravens wing is now with silver blen { but
we've got a good master and a good home,
and what more could n man want. unless
he is one of these Socialists. who amt
satisfied with nothing. It's them that gets
people worked up about great men like
Mr.. Lane. and people shouldn't listen to
'em. If they want to know the truth
Of the master, send 'em to me. I've known
him for over quarter of n century, and 1
ought to know the truth, that's what l
say"
The old coachman stood up, Jack swished
his tail and neighed. Dave Lanes friends
indicated the end of the interview