Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-12-28

now Mrs. Butler were attending the
Missouri State Normal at Kirlsville.
Mo-. that his attention was one day
called to . newspaper announcement
that examinations were to be held for
appointment to the West Point Military
Academy. Young Pershing asked his
sisters advice a. to whether he should
try for the appointment and she advis-
ed him to do SO. Then followed a short
season Of intensive study in prepare
ton.
In few days he was called before
the examining board and. altho I'M
properly prepared, received the high
est mark among the contestants and
soon afterward was notified Of his APP
pointment. UP to this time his action
had been secret between his sister
and himself and It remained 80 until
he was ready to start for West Point.
On his way to the military academy
he stopped of at the home OF his par
ents and for the first time told them
they were to have a soldier in the
family.
As a boy, General Pershing. his sis
ters says, was Of quiet, serious tenn
permanent assuming. as the oldest OF
six children, many Of the responsible
ties Of the family. He was wont, dur
ing his early years which were spent In
Laclede, Mo-. his birthplace, to man
age one OF the several farms operated
by his father, John F. Pershing, a
merchant and farmer OF Laclede.
John" Mrs. Butler said, "altho OF
a quiet disposition, liked a good time
and enjoyed fun as much as anyone.
Yet; when he started anything he
wanted to get the result and he gener-
ally attained that object before he gave
1t up"
While at the normal school at Kinks
vile, he was always in the center OF
student activities and never was con-
tent merely to be merely one OF the
crowd but wanted to be head OF the
movement. His personal magnetism
and generally llkable character quick
ly won him friends and supporters and
soon he became one Of the 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
onino, Pershing was stationed as mill
tary instructor at the University OF
Nebraska. His friends there remember
him as fun-loving young man who
enjoyed music and dancing. parties
and other social activities and VINO
appreciated q good joke.
"Otd Jack Best" the veteran train
er at the university remembers Per-
shing intimately. He was the finest
man that I ever worked with" said
Best. TITS true he was mighty strict
with his work but the results ne got
were so good that everybody he work
ed with loved him for It. When he
was here we had q regiment the uni
versity could be proud Of Just
worshipped that man and everybody
around the university felt the same
about him. II any Of you newspaper
men get chance to tell 1t 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 all
alone.
Usually he was mighty dignified
In his work but he had way Of get
ting nextFto new men," continued Best.
"The first time I ever saw him he
walked right up to me, slapped me on
the shoulder and said. We'll, Jack, they
tell mo you got along mighty well with
my predecessor. If you did. am
darned sure we'll get along Just as
WE'LL
D. THE boys at, the university got a
surprise the firstEdAy Pershing drilled
Them" said Best. 1T had been their
habit before that time to come to
drill with shoes blackened or not, Just
as they pleased. When Pershing took
hold, the first thing he looked at was
to see that all shoes were well black
ed and that the heels looked as good
as the toes. He was Just that thoro-
going in everything all the time. He
was Al in every way and you can ask
anyone who knew him If that isn't
the gospel uuth?"
Odd as i may seem in q lighting