Omaha daily bee., 1919-09-11

deployed his gang" one boy to 9
tree and himself to the largest tree
of all. Everything was going nice
ly, just as the young leader of the
raiding party had planned, when
Farmer Margrave suddenly appeared
on thet scene. Retreat was inevi-
table and it came, wild and hasty, be-
fore the advance of the irate farm
er. 1t was successful retreat.
FARMER Margrave could not catch
one of the raiders, could not even
get near enough to them to recog-
nize them. The whole town learned
of the raid a few hours later and
suspicion pointed to John.
Forgive Stealing; Not Lying.
Mr.. Pershing, he was superintend-
ent of the Sunday school of the
Methodist church at the time-heard
of it and called John before him.
Whether John had ever read of
George Washington and the cherry
tree is not known. But anyway,
John, like George, confessed his
guilt and told the whole story, abb
solving the other boys. No blame
should attach to them. he told his
father, as he was the first to think
of raiding the orchard and directed
the raid.
Got any of the peaches, John?"
his father asked.
mo, sir the boy replied. 1--WE
had to leave too quickly"
We'll" said Mr.. Pershing, after
few moments of reflection, IF
Mr.. Margrave should ever ask you
about the affair look him in the eye
and tell him the truth. guess the
Lord understands what a tempta
ton an orchard or a watermelon
patch is to boy, but He will not
stand for lying"
Hanged the Goat
1t was about this time in the gen
erals life, the time of the peach
orchard raid, that an incident hap
pened which Laclede recalls today
old Laclede. Ask anyone of those
old Laclede folks about Captain
Loves goat.
1--WE had just planted the park
then" Mr.. Lomax said. Zone
night Captain Loves goat broke
loose and went to the park for
banquet. He ate several of the
trees. Those he didn't eat he
stripped of bark. John and I and
some of the other boys decided that
Mr.. Goat had eaten his last tree.
Next night, led by John, we caught
Mr.. Goat. We hanged him. Yes
sir, we hanged him-to the band
stand in the park. Of course Cap
tain Loves wrath was terrible. He
offered a reward of SIS for the ap-
prehension of anyone who took part
in the hanging. The reward is still
unpaid"
His First Chew.
The generals brother, "Jim'
Pershing, has many interesting
tales to recount of those childhood
days. There is one in particular,
the story of the first time he and
John ever chewed tobacco.
John was IA and I was about
H." Mr.. Pershing said. Il think
perhaps we had tried to smoke be-
fore. But we never tried to chew.
One of the boys, Hawkins, offered
US a bite out of his plug of navy.
We accepted it and we bit into the
plug generously. We did not want
Hawkins to think we were molly
coddles. Since that day I always
smile when people talk of being
seasick. They really do not know
what misery is. =
"And you know" Mr.. Pershing
concludes this anecdote, somehow
John and I never had the same ven
Grafton for Hawkins after that
day."
The Family Record.
Meantime the Pershing family
had increased. Brothers and sisters
arrived.
First came James F., jr., always
called Jim. He was born February
Is. 1862.
Next came Mary Elizabeth, al
ways called Bessie. She was born
June 10, 1864.
Three years later, on June so,
1867, Ann May, always known as
May, was born.
They are alive today. 49,
Other children OF the Pershings