The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-09-12

shing commander of the American
forces in France. They say also that
ha Ia not a genius and that luck has
not aided him.
Advantages he had-outdoor ire
farm work, plain living, good parents
and a Christian home. Even yet HIS
old home town carries the flavor Oh the
omen country. Laclede is scarcely
larger today and no less Wholesome
than it was forty years ago Wheh us
three nursuries made II at once 'he
most important and the most asrieui-
tural town in the county
Pennsylvania the Original Home.
TO this thriving town of the oos
came the generals father, John y.
pershing, from Westmoreland county
pa. where his family had been non
orable citizens since 1749, the year
chosen by John and Frederick FER
ahing for their pilgrimage from frahee
TO the new home of freedom III 'ne
new world. The ambitious youhs
PENNSYLVANIA of fourth sehera, ,i,
from these early patriots came 10 NILS
souri in 1855 to take sup-eoiiliao.
IN the building of the Ola missouri
Northern railroad from st. Louis 10
Macon. At the end of four years ie
had little of material value TO sl""
fo, his work; but at Montgomery
CIV he had won a bride-Ann Thomp-
son a fair haired Missouri girl with
brave, sweet mouth, honest biue eyes
and heart of gold
Gaming westward from Macon at
the conclusion Of the railroad polio-
ING the Young contractor stopped d.
I,aclede to accept the first honest WORK
that was offered, the foremanshlp o.
the west of Laclede section on the
Hannibal and st. Joseph railroad. Inc
parshings started housekeeping III
little shanty two miles west Oh La
clede. 1t was there that their ffs'
baby. John Joseph, was born Septem-
Der IS. 1860.
1T was just after the outbreak Oh
tho civil war in 1861" relates Henry
q Lomax, now Laclede's pioneer
banker. that the Pershing family
came to the town to live and John f.
Pershing opened a general store mere
"Their family and ours lived togeth-
err for several months, as my father
had gone to war and there was not an
empty house in town for the new
corners. Later they moved into the
little house in the north part OF toWli,
the one popularity spoken OF as the
generals birthplace. baby boy was
horn there soon after the Pershlnss
moved into the house; but 1t was JIM
the second little boy, that being IN
January 1862.
when the Pershing store was open
ed | was old enough to accept en-
ployment in it. and for years work
ed as a clerk for the generals father
AS / remember the Johnny Pershhe
OF those days he was quiet well-pe-
+ haved little boy
Raised Under Strict Discipline.
The elder Pershing was strict IN ms
discipline. AS the boys grew up ne
kept them steadily employed at use
full. wholesome work. BY the time
John had reached his teens the family
possessions included 160-acre farm
a mile from Laclede and there the III
ture soldier worked from spring
ploughing to corn huskins
''Every morning, if you were up
early enough, you could see John and
Jim with their teams going out to the
farm" says c. C. Bigger, boyhood
friend of General Pershing, now a
LAWYER at I.aclede '"rhey took their
dinner along and ate at the farm SO
the horses might rest during the noon
hour.
"John was a worker His father
though not unduly severe, was strict
in his requirements; yet / never heard
John complain. He always had gem
uine interest in carrying to success
full finish every piece of work that he
was directed to do.
John Pershing was not genius
continues his boyhood friend. HE
possessed clear, analytical mind, but
no better mind than thousands OF
other boys possess. He was clean IN
character, absolutely so, and a regu-
lar attendant at church and Sunday
school at the Methodist Episcopal
church, of which he was member
and in which his father and mother
were active workers. His parents were
intensely religious.
,sThe traits distinguishing him from
many other boys" concludes Mr.. Big
ger. "were those that characterized
him as tireless worker, indomitable
In his purpose to perform every task
set before him. And he never was
tough: he never considered it neces-
ssry to seek questionable companions
or places in order to have a good time.
In the wholesouled fashion of a heal
thy country boy he enjoyed our neigh
borhood parties, our taffy pullings,
our baseball, fishing and swimming,
but he never resorted to rowdyism."
Though never quarrelsome, Per-
shing was abundantly able to take
care of himself His old associates