Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-15
LacIede Folk Are Proud of
LowIy Beginning Of Gen.
erals Father.
Stories Of Childish Franks
With His Brother Jim Are
Bitterly Denied.
BY HERBERT COREY.

is the first article of faith in Laclede-
pronounced Lay-clede, with stress
on the first syllable if you adhere to
the local convention
John J. Pershing was just an ordi-
nary boy. He was noways remarka-
BILE"
There are other articles in the La
clede confession of faith. The story OF
the melon patch and the shotgun
loaded with salt is bitterly denied.
The allegation that he had hight
with the father of a large and OBJ
streperous pupil at the Prairie Mound
School is sneered at. The yarn that
his brother Jim stole the future gen
erals pants in which to go counting
and that the future general caught
him counting and made him take OH
the purloined pants sends hush OF
rage to the Laclede countenance. The
charge that John and Jim did on oc-
casion sit up as late as 9 o'clock at
the village tavern is repealed fur1-
ously.
THE Pershings were not that sort
of people," is the Laclede position.
They were nice, honest. God fearing
folks"
4 The penury of the recollections or
inventions thus far produced about
Gen. John J. Pershing's life in this
hamlet, in which he was born, seems
to sustain the Laclede position. Ever
1 since Gen.. Pcrshing was sent to
France reporters and magazine writ
ers and serial authors and movie men
have locusted down on the village.
They have talked to every man and
1 woman who knew the Pershing fami-
ly. Rambling stories by negro farm
hands.
Has Vague Recollection of Fight.
cit seems to me-" said Mrs. Captain
Henley, "thats1 heard once that the
Pershing boys got into fight with
the Cream Ridge boys. and Mother
Pershing came out of the house and
stopped them. But don't know. 1t
was long time ago"
| 1t is the story of an average good
boy with good average ability and
1 plenty of determination that is re-
vealed. rather than that of a bur-
geoning hero. When Pershing was
born in Laclede, on September Ia,
1 1860, it was frontier town of 800
people. "A barefoot town." Judge
Clay Biggers calls it. 1t is still
one story town of PERHAPS 700 in
habitants. There are two banks. a
weekly newspaper, barber shop. two
combination drug soda and periodi-
| cal stores, grocery store in which
fresh meat is handled two other gen.
eral stores and an undertaken.
"Pershing' Is Nightly Topic.
Every night they sit out there and
quarrel about Pershing," said the town
doubter. Almost fight : sometimes.
They say the same old things ever
night"
Laclede is thoroughly, admirably.
| typically American small town. One
does not tip In Laclede. The lunch
room boss hailed me amiably as
CHER and declared his days work
was almost over when I came in for
an o'clock breakfast. People nod
and say howdy to strangers. They
belong to church and go to church as
q matter of course. They are proud of
Gen. Pershing. For thirty years he
has been the towns one big man
in the world. The local newspaper
has religiously kept track of him all
that time. Yet, Laclede is not hys-
terical about him.
| He must have been wonderful
boy" breathed magazine poetess to
| an old settler.
| We'll. he want" said the old settler.
| Laclede plans to give Gen. Pershing
! the very best reception in it's power
when he comes to revisit his old
home. The big notice board opposite
the barber shop-the one with an cleo
4
! two globes. but one was broken-is to
have Pershing's picture painted on it
J again. All through the war the pic
ture was there as reminder to
Laciede's youth The town has con-
tracted with st. Joe firm to hang
bunting all the way from the railroad
to the old Pershing home. This is
distance of fully two city blocks. The
st. Joe people are to be paid $1,000.
but. OF course. the town WIN erect the
poles. And there will be a fireworks
display and lot Of extra electric
and perhaps by band Of girls, and
the governor will speak and some
congressman and many extra trains
will be run in that day
Proud Of Generals Father.
1T won't be like New York." said
Editor Haywood. but we will do What
we can"
| The thing that Laclede is most proud
of. down in its democratic heart. is
that Gen. Pershing's father was a
section boss when he was born. The
lily handed writer's from the east have
SHE'D away from this title. It seems
like an epithet to them. They have
laid stress on the fact that later on in
life Pershing pere was a well-to-do
| storekeeper, and gloss over his section
bossing with the statement that "he
was in charge of crew Of men,"
He was q section boss" said Judge
Oscar Libby. who knows more about
the Pershing history than any other
man in town, unless it be H. c. Lo-
max. the principal banker His
brother, Jim, bossed the hands that
nibal and st. Joe railroad. and john
| the generals father-went ahead to
boss the surfacing. Later on he took
I charge Of the section and lived in
a little house alongside the track.
Afterward it was used to keep tools
in. It was just a little one-room
| house."
Mrs. worthington Morehead recalls
the morning when her mother-Mrs.
Judge Botts-received a hurried mes
her mother ran into the house and
came out pretty soon with bundle.
| Then she climbed on horse and went
galloping down the road. In those
days Missouri women rode horses If
they did not want to do all their
| absent all that night. Mrs. Worth
ington Morehead. remembers this be-
| cause she was worried about her
mothers absence.
Baby at Section Boss House.
TN the morning" said Mrs. More
head to Judge Libby. mother came
back, looking very tired: began to
| ""Theresis dear little baby down
at the section boss house. said she.
Some day I'll take you to see it,"
The elder Pershing did not con-
tinue long as section boss He was
worked for 'Old Man Lomax," who
had a general store. Then he dipped
in and out Of various occupations. He
kept the village tavern for q time