St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-12-26
ERSHINC HAD
TEACHING aims
Newspaper Called Notice to
West Point Examinations
He Made Good

Lincoln, Neb, Dec 24.-It was a
newspaper story that diverted John
J. Pershing from his purpose to be-
come a school teacher and started
him upon the military career which
lead to his appointment as general in
the United States army and Com
:nander of the American Expedition
airy force in France The story is
told by General Pershirg's sisters
Mrs. Butler and Miss May Pershing
who are residents of Lincoln and who
have given to The Associated Press
intimate views of Pershing's charac-
ter in his youthful days.
1t was while Pershing and his sis
ter. now Mrs. Butler were attending
the Missouri State Normal School at
<irksville, Mo. that his attention was
one day called to newspaper an
nouncement that examinations We're
to be held appointment to the West
Point Military Academy. Young
Pershing asked his sisters advice as
10 whether he should try for the APP
pointment and she advised him to do
so. Then followed a short season of
, III.
In a few days he was called before
The examining board and, although
j improperly prepared, receiyed the
highest mark among the contestants
/ and soon afterward was notified of his
appoin tment. Up to this time his ac-
ton had been a secret between his
sister and himself and it remained so
Until he was ready to start for West
! point. On his wav r. the military
academy he stopped Off at the /
OF his parents ami for the first time
told them they were to have a soldier
in the family.
AS a boy, General Pershing, his sis
ter says, was o aquiet serious temp
erament, assuming, as the oldest of
'iN children, MANY of the responsible
tiles of the family. He was wont,
during his carly years which were
spent in. Laclede, Mo, his birthplace,
to manage one of the several farms
operated by his father. John f.
| Pcrshing, a merchant and farmer of
/ Laclede.
| John" Mrs. Butler said, although
| Of q quiet disposition, liked a good
/ time and enjoyed fun as much as any
one. Yet when he started anything
| lie wanted to get the result and he
rererally attained that object before
! nc gave it up"
/ While at the normal school nj
kville. he was always in the center
IF student activities and never was
| content to be merely one of the
crowd but wanted to be head of the
movement. His personal magnetism
and generally lkeable character
crs and soon he became one of tic
student leaders. ~
| After having been graduated from
West Point and having served with
General Miles in a campaign in New
| Mexico against the Indian chief Ger
onimO, Pershing was stationed a.
military instructor at the University
| of Nebraska. His friends there re-
member him as fun-loving young
! man who enjoyed music and dancing,
parties and other activities and who
appreciated a good joke.
..Old Jack Best" the veteran train
er at the University, remembers Per-
shing intimately HE was the finest
man that [ ever worked WITH said
Best Its true he was mighty strict
with his work but the results he got
we're so good that everybody he
worked with loved him for it. I just
worshipped that. man and everybody
/ around the University felt the same
/ about him. If any of you newspaper
men get achance to tell it to him, you
just say that old Jack wishes him the
| best luck in the world and that he
hopes he will beat the Germans al
alone.
Usually he was mighty dignified
in his work but he had a way of get
ting next to new men, continued
Best THE first time I ever saw him
lie walked right up to me, slapped me
on the shoulder and said, We'll
Jack, they tell me you got alons
mighty well with my predecessor. Il
YOU did, I am darned sure. We'll ge
along just as we'll.
The boys at the University got {
surprise the first day Pershing drilled
them" said Best. 1T had been thell
habit before that time to come to drill
with shoes blackened or not, just a.
they pleased. When Pershing tool
hold the first thing he looked at wa
to see that all shoes We're well black
! ed and that the heels looked as goot
as the toes. He was just tina
thorough going in everything all tn
time He was Al in every way yo'
can ask anyone who knew him !
: that isn't the gospel truth"
- Odd as it may seem in fghtins
, man, General Pershing's one fad. &C
; cording to his sisters, is gardening
His father was an expert gardene
and the taste descended to the mill
tary man. Whenever he was OF
leave, he Immediately would do
work day clothes, go into his father
r garden, seemingly enjoying the wor
, over the vegetables as much as n
enjoyed social activities.
LII The first time that General Perish
t ing. appeared in Chicago and wa
/ seen by neighbors, he was clad i
f ovpralls and was hard at work in
vegetable garden in the yard benin
t his fathers house in the southside @
:. the city. There was some surpris
: among the neighbors that a man VIII
S then was entitled to wear the luniforr
j and brass buttons of q captain shout
e be willing to put them aside and no
: the garden but the incident is u
4 luminative of the character of tn
. 1ft.xr ent