Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-23
PERSH|NG HON0RED
IN BOYHOOD HOME
LacIede, Mo-, Spontaneous
in Touching Greeting to
Great War Hero.

zen. JOnn IeTSHlllS leluihe " mo
boyhood home today. More touching
! even than his farewell to the men
with whom he served in France and
| for depth of feeling vying with the
acclaim accorded him in Congress
was the reception of his former TEL
low townsmen. Aside from the pres
ence of the governor. Frederick D.
Gardner, and a brass band at the
railway station, Gen. PershinSs
greeting was entirely spontaneous.
Laclede was in gala attire. flags
and tri-colored bunting formed a can
opy over the towns single street. ana
under that the general, WITH Gov.
Gardner. Miss May Pershing. his Sis
ter: Warren, his son; Mayor Allen and
a group of friends of boyhood days,
drove to the old Pershing home for
an old-time dinner.
Lad Sits where Dad Sat as n Boy.
Warren Pershing. ten years old. sat
down to dinner in the old dining room
where daddy used to eat his Christmas
nd THANKSGIVING turkey way back IN
the days when dad would he WarrenS
age and ordinary folks could afford
turkey. Along with Warren at the din
her was dad-Gen. John j. PerShins,
you know-and Aunt May Pershing,
and the Governor of Missouri, and
Mayor Allen of Laclede. on whose
grocery wagon dad used to hook rides,
were folks who knew the general when
he was Warren'S age, and when full
Justice had been done to the turkey and
Things and pie Gen. Pershing stepped
out on the porch of the old house
where he used to live and addressed
: few remarks to the Linn county
neighbors who gathered in the yard.
Saves Room for "Aunt's' Pie.
Everybody at the dinner except
Gen PHrSllnQ much he
gleased. hut the general saved room
for the fried dried apple pie that
Aunt Susan Hewitt, seventy-eight
years old, had baked for him. The
visit to Aunt Susan, who used to bake
pies for John j. Pershiug long before
anybody ever dreamed he would be a
seneral. was an important part of the
homecoming celebration of the COM
mander-in-chief of the American eX-
peditionlry forces.
Laclede planned a different sort of
day from any the general has spent
for many years. II was a day of shak-
ing hands with neighbors, and "Howdy,
John" and John. l had a boy over
yonder: you didn't happen to run
across him. did you?"
This is Lacltde historic day: for
years they will tell stories of Johnny"
'ershines homecoming. and what he
said at dinner and point out the place
right there's where he stood when the
governor pinned the gold medal on HIM
hat the state gave him
anted to Watch "Lohnnies'" Face
And then there was that visit to
Aunt Susan Hewitt. for Aunt Susan is
feeble now and could not come to the
celebration. She had announced that
he wanted It few minutes real visit
with johnny" and a chance to watch
his face when he saw that fried. dried
apple pie. He hadn't had one of Aunt
Susan's pies for years. and he used
to poster her to death for them when
Aunt Susan's husband used to run the
tavern 1t was hard to tell which
John Pershng liked best, Aunt Susan
says. those dried apple pies. or Capt
Jacob Hewitts stories of the civil war.
Laclede is sure those yarns had some
thing to do with Pershing's deciding to
becoming a soldier
While Gen. Pershing was being
steered by the welcoming committee. a
committee of Laclede women enter
tanned Miss May Pershing, the gener-
al sister and crowd of the commit
tees sons pumped Warren for little
inside information about France and
just how his father whipped the kaiser.
The visit to Laclede ends tonight.
The general and his family will 90 to
Lincoln, Neb., to spend Christmas.
Greets Friends of - Years Ago.
Formally had been laid aside as
far as was possible for a day of
nd-shaking and greeting of ac-
quaintances unseen since the general
left here thirty-eight years ago for
West Point. After dinner. however.
Gen. Pershing addressed Linn county
neighbors and thousands of other
persons who came from nearby
states. They assembled in the yard
and the commander of the American
expeditionary forces stood on the
front porch of the house where he
was born.
a silver loving cup, bought bv old
friends. was added to Gen. Pershinp's
collection of remembrances 1t was
embellished with the four gold stars
Of general.
a public reception at the city hall
Where Gen Pershing shook hands with
as many persons as could reach him
received gold medal from Gov. Gard.
ner on behalf of the state, and told the
crowds of some of his experiences as
leader of Americas greatest army
closed the formalities Surrounding TIE
generals visit.
st. Louis Gives Ovation.
81. LOUIS. Mo-. December 2s.-Gen.
John j. Pershing was given an en-
thusiasticm ovation by the people of
his native state yesterday.
Yesterday morning, accompanied
by his ten-year-old son. "Sergt War
ren," he reviewed troops at Jefferson
barracks; at noon he was guest at a
chamber Of commerce luncheon: in the
afternoon shook hands with $500 ex-
service men at the city hall, and last
night he addressed a mass meeting
at the Coliseum.
Preceding the meeting the general
was presented with a gold cask by
! the city and a large loving cup by
| the National Polish Commission of the
/ United States.
| At the chamber of commerce ban
| duet the general entered into the holi-
! day spirit and tossed confetti freely.
| He donned a paper cap and wore 1t
! at a rakish angle over his left eye.
! Sergt Michael B. Ellis, acclaimed
Missouri's greatest war hero, was dec
Grated with the congressional medal
of honor by the general.
Cen Pershjnu Is Scored