The Era-leader., 1917-11-08
John PARKER, R., TO WEAR
KHAKI AS live STOCK BOSS

The second annual National Farm
md Live Stock Show at New Orleans,
Nov. 1919, will have the only ia'r
superintendent in khaki.
1t required pretty near all the power
that could be gotten together in these
United States, but General Manager
I,B. Renuyson had his way, and John
NJ. Parker, Jr., will again be at une
head OF the live stock department.
Parker is a stockman il ever there
was one. even If he still is a young
ster. Everybody in the United States
knows the senior Parker as one Oh
the most patriotic and independent.
citizens. He was Roosevelt's most
trusted leader in the south as long as
he thought Roosevelt was right. "Aen
Roosevelt. because Of his opposition
to Wilson, tried to take the progress
sjyes to Hughes, Parker tnouSnt
Roosevelt was wrong and turned
around and helped elect Wilson. Johh'
Jr.. Oldest son and still a boy, did not
bother much about politics, but he IN.
hertted his fathers independence ana
love for the open air. He preferred
doing things to going to college, ana
asked to be given chance on one OF
the Parker plantations. Then hlliy
estate In West Feliciana, near Bayou
Sara, was turned over to him and a
comrade to convert into cattle para
disc.
The boys were not given a blank
check to fill in, for that Is no way TO
learn practical and profitable farming
They had just about enough capital
for q small farmers foundation, and
the rest of the programme was theirs
ID work out. They did 1t. They built
I'D with the material they found
around them; they did not waste an!
time on scrubs, and they went altel
crops In keeping with the high.gradf
stock they raised. They constructed
their barns and hog houses out OF th'
waste wood, they erected their owl
concrete silos out of the sand the
hauled from the creeks. In only
couple Of years they had alfalfa, cor
and other fields; Hereford and Angu
grade steers, horses, mules and SAe'
land ponies, Duroc hogs, Southdow
and other sheep, goats and poultr!
and were declaring dividends. Jus
at the top of his triumph young ParI
or was asked to 60 to the city an
give a hand to some Of his father
large affairs, dividing his time b.
| tween the plantations and the cotto
office. AS live citizen, appreciatin
the value Of fairs, he readily consen
ed to give hand to the National Far
4 and Live Stock Show, too.
4 Young Parker entered herd In tn
i swine show last year and went out
D the fair grounds to look after Its a
rival He found some congestion an
confusion incident to the rush OF
first attempt, and he straightene
things out. He found the cattle
}. need Of looking after and took chars
there. He found a dozen and OF
!. things that had TO be attended to, a.
10 attended to them. He was buyer al
:, seller, he was maste, Of transport
le ton and boss of the barns; he was
:, Judge and clerk; he was all thin
in all the avenues Of helpfulness, al
}, ne did not even stop working VIII
IF night came. He worked without
~ pointment, without publicity and VII
: out pay, and his reward was that
= tha stock exhibitors said that he ma
is the road easy for them and that tn
n had not a complaint to voice. MI
aQer R,nnyson regarded the youngs
70 A. almost the entire live stock sta
g. and was sure that with such coope
" t,op the National would become Int
" national and the greatest fair in
e' country. So he appointed young T
ne ker live stock leader for life.
When this years show was plan1
and the premium list prepared
IS, name and picture Of John NJ, Jr., W
~, high above all others. The trouble
,oa that Parker himself was not arou
The war had come on, and the br
7p' boys were following the flag to
nd front The nation realized early {
mo food was as vital as munitions
=, had ordered the producers to rem
ie' ct the plow. With meat and 81
bat