The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1917-01-12
A Farmers
Son
His Father and Mother
Stood by Him With
Parental Affection
Bu GREGORY MOORE


other class Of men, but question II
the endless panorama Of Incidents
typifying the different phases Of hu-
man life Is Witnessed by any class that
every day passes before bankerA
Sometimes whole stories arc enacted
before rs spread over term Of yeera.
I am the repository Of one such story
that I watched from It's beginning TO
It's climax.
One afternoon weather beaten Old
farmer with silky white hair scattered
over his head came to my desk and,
pulling out wallet, asked for draft
on Denver for 5000 In favor Of Thomas
Williams. He counted out the money,
and then, having nothing to do while
the draft was being prepared, began
TO tell me the beginning OF this story.
-Fm sendin' the money" he said,
ITO my boy out In Colorado, He went
out there year ago, taktn' some
money with him that l give him, but
he hasn't had much luck, and it's all
gone. First he got sick; then when he
got well he went prospectin' and
struck somepin that looked good but
some other fellers jumped his claim,
whatever that means, and took It all
away from him.
Then Tom got sick ag'in and went
TO horsepittle and stayed there three
months. Now he's got out OF the
horsepittle and lookin' about for some
pin I'm sendin' this money to give
him chanel Toms his mothers pet,
and she lays awake nights worryin'
about him I'm mighty fond Of the
boy myself somehow
When he got old enough to work ]
wanted him to help me on the farm.
He tried It for awhile. but see purity
quick he didn't take to l. He was
too smart to be contented to follow q
pillow same b his father, VINO didn't
never get no eddicatton So ! suys
to him one day: Tommy. reckon you'd
better go to the city and work that
a-wny. This don't suft yul' He was
( mighty wei pleased az that It al
most broke mas heart TO part with
him, but she knowed II was better for
him and Let him go.
Tom didn't like n IN town 50 well
Us he thought be would. Leastavays
be didn't stay long IN the place be
went into They must "A thought q
heap Of him, though, for they raised
his salary twice, 80 be wrote me. But
be got into fight with one Of the head
clerks and got himself discharged. He
said the head clerk accused him OF
stealth some money.
Tom was allus On ambitious little
chap, and after leay1n his place be
concluded he'd 90 west and try and
do somepin big. for ma and me agin
we got too old to work. So we scraped
up 5000 and give Il to him, and he
! At this moment clerk laid the
fArmer,s draft on my desk, and the
first chapter Of his story was finished
for he began to count over his soiled
and torn bills, now and again wetting
his thumb on his lip ae he turned them
mp. Then, leaving them to me and
carefully folding his draft, he put 1t in
his wallet, crammed the wallet down
into the bottom OF his pocket and with
a "Goodby, Mr.. Cashier" left the bank
The second chapter OF the story Is
very short. There Is hardly enough In
1t to make chapter. but there is a
good deal beneath the few words re-
Quired to tell It A girl OF eighteen
came to the bank, laid down S24, near
ly all in silver coin, and asked for a
draft to cover the amount
ITO whom win you have 1t made
myable" asked
"Tom Williams" IN soft voice, al
most whisper.
l ordered the draft made out, and
the girl stood waiting. Unlike the
farmer, she didn't tell all would have
liked to know, so asked:
4 is Tom Williams your brotherT
NO" she replied, looking down on
the floor.
/ had not liked the indications as to
Toms character as they appeared in
his fathers account of him, and now
that money was going 10 him from his
sweetheart began to despise him
handed the girl the draft and had q
good opportunity to study her, for she
never once looked up at me. She went
out with it hugged up against her
heart, as though she loved it because
she had saved it for Tom
My next visitor In behalf OF Tom
was his mother She stood by my
desk emptylng on It from carpetbag
a lot of bills and silver and copper
4 coins. Not knowing who she was, l
asked what should do with the mon.
ey, and she said, "Send it 10 Tom .
BY this time was not likely 10 forget
Tom and asked If she wished draft
for Thomas Williams. She said she
did turned her funds over to q
clerk to count, and he reported that
they amounted to $64347. ordered
the draft to be made out, placed q
chair before the old lady and said,
with view to my enlightenment:
mir. Williams pretty busy nova
dnysY'
! ''No. pa amt busy. He's sick. wish
! we had our boy here TO help us. He's
out in Colorado perspectin He says
,..f..< :. ....f.,s