Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-09-17

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the judge moved shis finger down the
sheet, "as I have drawn the second
one--T the subject. love the predicate,
to run an infinitive phrase qualifying
the verb.
John won.
THE committee decided So"
And the old judge, a rare smile
lighting his face, such a smile as
meant much more than words, leaned
back and looked at me. Then, sure I
had understood what he had explained
and said to me, he added:
John always did win
Thus it was, by the clever analysis
of sentence, John Pershing secured
his appointment as a cadet to the
United States Military Academy at
West Point. All honor to him!
The day in Trenton was perhaps
the most momentous in the life of
General John Joseph Pershing
Almost 80 years afterward, briga-
dier-general in the United States army,
commander of the Department of Min
dinao and governor of Moro province
in the Philippine Islands, as president
of his class at West Point-to which
much envied position he was elected
his first year in the academy and
which he has held continuously ever
since-the class of 'S6. wrote a letter
of greeting from his headquarters at
Zamboanga, P. l., to be read at the
25th reunion of the class at West Point.
He recalled that day in Trenton, de-
claring that, above all others. it stood
out as one of the "proudest" of his
life.
He wrote:
1.-The proudest days of my life, with
one exception, have come to me in con-
nection with West Point-days that
stand out clear and distinct from all
others. The first of these was the
day I won my appointment at Tren-
ton. Missouri, in a competitive exami-
nation with II competitors. An old
| friend of the family happened to be in
Trenton that day and, passing on the
| opposite side of the street, called to
me and said:
John, I hear you passed with fly
ing colors.'
In all seriousness. feeling the great
importance of my success, I naively
replied in a loud voice:
Eyes, did feeling assured no one
had ever quite passed such a fine ex-
animation as I had"
Much more there Is to the letter,
really a classic, much more of reminis-
cence that thrills and grips one. But
that is another story. The letter Is
almost a chapter in itself.
LAFAYETTE, WE ARE HERE"
For now, back to old Judge Libby's
office.
"A happier boy than John. when
he returned home to Laclede from
Trenton after that examination, would
have been impossible to find" the old
Judge said to me. And all of us La
clede folks were happy with him. lie
was a noble boy and we all loved him.
Let me tell you a story of him.
II recall one day. standing on the
street here while Johns father and
Pete Felt were nearby, talking. They
were speaking Of John. and I overheard
Pete Felt say to Mr.. Pershing: He
hasn't the gift of expression
Think" exclaimed the old Judge.
Not the gift of expression! John!
John, who stood before Lafayette's
tomb and said: Lafayette. we are
here"
Not for many minutes could the
old Judge speak again, SO moved was
he. When he did resume. 1t was to
tell me stories I had heard before and
of which / have written. But it was
pleasant to hear them again from the
old judge, for the recital of them gave
him much happiness the day I called
upon him. The next day, alas, he was
to experience one Of life's tragedies.
His oldest son, about whom the old
judges whole life was conferred, died
in Kansas City.
John Pershing. home once more,
happy in his success. did not long re-
main idle. He realized he had but
taken the first step. taken his first
trench, as 1t were. The real battle
still remained to be fought. There
would come another examination be-
fore he was really a cadet, then four
years OF work so hard as to make
fearful boy even as courageous as he
He knew that though West Point calls
maryland that many the pick of the
whole nation, the best the nation can
give. her strongest. her most virile-
not all of that many win West Points
coveted prize-a commission in the
United States army. But John Perish
ing was going to win. He knew 1t
He had never lost yet. He never
would.
To Be Continued Tomorrow.
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