South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-06

/ fore the examining board and, al
though improperly prepared, re-
ceived the highest mark among the
contestants and soon afterward was
notified of his appointment. Up TO
| this time his action had been a Sc
| cret between his sister and himself
and il remained so until he was
ready TO start for West Point On
his way to the military academy he
stopped off at the home of his pa
rents and for the first time told
them they were to have a soldier in
the family.
AS a boy. Gen. Pershing, his sis
! tiers says, was of a quiet serious
temperament, assuming, as the old
est of six children, many of the re-
sponsibilities of the family. He was
wont, during his early years which
were spent in Laclede. Mo, his
birthplace, to manage one Of the
several farms operated by his father,
John r. Pershing. a merchant and
farmer Of Laclede.
John" Mrs. Butler said, al
though of a quiet disposition, liked
good time and enjoyed fun as
much as anyone. Yet when he
started anything he wanted to get
the result and he generally attained
that object before he gave ii up"
While at the normal school at
Kirksville, he was always in the
center of student activities and
never was content to be merely one
80 a Irft mo- nj cd n no
of the movement. His personal
magnetism and generally hkeable
character quickly 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
Gen. Miles in a campaign in New
Mexico against the Indian Chief
Geronimo. Pershing was stationed as
military instructor at the University /
Of Nebraska. His friends there re-
membered him as a fun-loving young |
man who enjoyed music and dane
ing, parties and other social activi- !
ties and who appreciated a good !
joke.
"Old Jack Best" the veteran |
trainer at the university, remem- /
bers Pershing intimately. He was /
the finest man that 1 ever worked /
with" said Best Its true he was |
mighty strict with his work but the /
results he got were so good that ev- /
erybody he worked with loved him /
for it. When he was here we had !
a regiment the university could be /
proud OF. / just worshipped that man 1
and everybody around the university |
felt the same about him. If any of /
you newspaper men get a chance 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 all alone.
Usually he was mighty dignifed /
in his work but he had a way of I
getting next 20 new men," continued +!
Best. The first time l ever saw .
him he walked right up to me. slap /
ped me on the shoulder and said: |
We'll. Jack, they tell me you got /
along mighty we'll with my pre- !
decessOr. If you did, 1 am darned |
sure Wen get along just as Well
THE boys at the university got a |
surprise the first day Pershing drill /
ed them, said Best. 1T had been /
their habit before that time to come /
10 drill with shoes blackened or not, /
Just as they pleased. When Per |
shing took hold, the first thing he /
looked at was 10 see that all shoes I
we're we'll blackened and that the /
heels looked as good as the toes. He /
was lust that thorough going in ev-
erything all the time. He was Al /
in every way and you can ask any /
one who knew him if that isn't the |
Gospel truth"
odd as il may seem in a fighting |
man. Gen. Pershing's one fad, &C
cording 10 his sisters, is gardening. (
His father was an expert gardner
and the taste descended to the mill
tarv man. Whenever he was on
leave. he Immediately would don
work-day clothes, go into his faith
sr's garden, seemingly enjoying the
work over the vegetables as much as
ne enjoyed social activities
The first time that Gen. Pershing
appeared in Chicago and was seen
by neighbors, he was clad in over |
alls and was hard at work in a vege- |
table garden in the yard behind his |
fathers house in the south side of |
the city. There was some surprise /
among the neighbors that a man /
who then was entitled 10 wear the /
uniform and brass buttons OF a cap |
tain should be willing TO PVT them /
aside and hoe the garden but the in /
cident is illuminative Of the charac- |
ter OF the man upon whom the /
country relies 10 lead the American |
forces to victory against the Ger |
mans I'm Europe