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

way said John. don't know what
| will finally do-probably be a lawyer,
but just now | am going to stick to the
school,
"The next time / saw him was when
he came home the time the Laclede
postofficc was robbed-his father was
postmaster then-and John came
home to see if he could be of any help.
1t was just then that Congressman
Burrows of the old Tenth district an
nounced the first competitive cxami-
nation for the appointment of a ca
Diet to West Point Military Academy.
John heard of it and proposed that we
both go to Trenton and try for the
appointment. He even offered to pay
my expenses if I'd go with him and
make try at it. Although I wouldn't
go with him, John went anyway-and
won the appointment fairly and
squarely by the sheer merits of his
work.
"Soon after that John went away,
and from that time saw comparative
~ little of him. When he had been in
West Point two years he was given a
furlough and came home for a visit.
We took my team one Sunday and
drove out to the river where we used
to go fishing and swimming and again
we talked things over,
"'Well, John, l said, how do you
like it, anyway
No Thought of War.
"'The training is good thing ae
answered, but as for following it DIS
PROFESSIONALLY, I don't suppose
therell be another gun fired in hun
dred years. I'm going on and finish,
though, just to get the education
"And that was his main idea-to
get an education. There was no fool
ishness, in his makeup. You know at,
that time hazing was at its worst in
West Point. 1t had gone so far that
widespread condemnation of the prac-
tice was heard throughout the country
and there was talk of congressional
investigation, and all that. The hazers
had inflicted serious physical injury
on several of their victims. They even
had taken a negro boy appointed to
the school from some Southern State
and had cut off both his cars. But
they didn't haze John Pershing. That
much he confided to me during our
quiet visit that day in the woods. l
have never told it, either-until to-
day." added Mr.. Sturgeon.
Naturally John was on the alert
in this matter of hazing for he knew
that he would be expected to undergo
that sort of initiation sooner or later.
One night three men entered his room.
One glance convinced him that they
came on no honest purpose and right
there he proved his generalship. Be
fore they had time to make move or
say word he simply knocked the
stuffin' out of all three of them. That
was the only attempt the West Point
ers ever made to haze John Pcrshing."
Since he never had been guilty of
rowdyism himself it was natural that
this sturdy Missouri boy should refuse
To be victim of some other fellows
rowdyism.
~ knew him simply as quiet, stud
ious, determined young man," says
Mr.. E. B. Allen of Laclede, son of the
famous Missouri pioneer Methodist
circuit rider, the Rev. Calvin Allen.
al never heard of any petty tricks
done by John Pershing. The impress
sion he made here was that John Per-
shing would make his mark as pro-
fessional or business man. His moth
err and father were strict church peo-
ple--he grow up a Methodist. And l
have had opportunity to convince my
self" continued the Mayor, opening
big drawer in his big desk, Shat he
never has forgotten his home training.
Read this"
He handed me black-bordered note
from the General, dated at Fort Bliss,
Texas, October 20, 1915--a brief re-
ply to letters of sympathy sent him
by his Laclede friends at the time
Mrs. Pcrshing and the three little
girls were burned to death at the
Preside at San Francisco. 1t ran
simply:
Dear Ed:
1t was fine Of you and other
Laclede friends to remember
me at time when it takes more
than mortal courage to continue.
I want to bring my little boy down