The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-08-09

his Doyn0O0 ITlcnuS III Llln Coull
ty, Mo-, will tell you that it was nei
Their pull nor politics that made JOIN
Pershing commander of the American
armies in France. They agree alsc
that he was not a genius and thai
neither luck nor favoritism had any
part in the building of his splendid
career.
Advantages he had, but they were
the same that thousands of Missouri
country boys today enjoy-outdool
life, farm work, plain living, good pa
rcntage and Christian home. Ever
yet the refined and dignifed commun'
ity of Laclede carries more of thu
flavor of the open country than Of the
town. Laclcdc is scarcely larger to-
day-and no less wholes0mc-than il
was forty years ago when its three
large nurseries and its superior rail
way facilities made it the most i'm
portant town in Linn county.
The Generals father, John F. Per
shing, came from Westmoreland coun-
ty, Penn, where his family have been
honored members of the community
since 1749 when John and Frederick
Pershing came as colonists from
France to take their places among the
foremost of Americas carly patriots.
The ambitious young Pennsylvania
of the fourth generation of this CO.
lonial family came to Missouri in
1856 and took sub-contract in the
building of the old Missouri Northern
Railroad between St Louis and Ma
con. At the end of four years he had
little of material value to show for
his work, but at Montgomery City he
had won a bride-a fair-haired Mis-
souri, girl with brave, sweet mouth,
honest blue eyes and a heart of gold.
Coming westward from Macon at
the conclusion of his railroad building
experience and accepting the first Of
fer of honest work the young con-
tractor started his home fires BURN
ing in a little shanty half way be-
tween Laclede and Mcadsville and be-
gan work as boss of the West-of- Le-
clede section on the Hannibal & St.
Joseph Railroad. II was there that
the first baby-thc future commander
of Democracy's victory forces-was
born September 10, 1860.
at was just after the outbreak Of
the Civil War in 1861" relates Hen
ny C. Lomax, Laclede's pioneer bank
err, "that the Pershing family came to
town to live, and John F. Pershing
opened a general store here. Their
family and ours lived together for
several months as my father had
gone to war and the Pershings were
unable to find an empty house. Later
they moved into the little house in
the north part of town. The one pop
ularly spoken of as the Generals
birthplace. A baby was born there
soon after the Pershings moved into
the house-but it was Jim-the Sec
ond little boy.
"When the Pershing dry goods and
grocery store was opened l was old
enough to accept employment in it
and for years | worked as clerk for
the Generals father. AS l remember
the Johnny Pershing of those days re
was a quiet, well-behavcd little boy
There is evidence that Johnny Per-
shing's reputation as persistent and
accomplishing worker was not gain
cd without preliminary training that
rested no easier on him than on many
other Missouri lads. Mayor Allen of
Laclede enjoys telling of an instance
in point. 1t was Saturday, and john
ny's usual afternoon stint of wood
splitting was doubled by the neces-
sity for an over-Sunday supply. To
make matters worse the old negro