Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-09-12

Brookfleld, said Mr.. Love, had
a gang of boys whose chief de-
light was to come to Laclede, win
ter or summer, and lick our boys.
One winter they came and we am
pushed them. John planned the
ambush. We gave those Brook
field boys the soundest trouncing
they ever had. 1t ended them.
They never stormed US in Laclede
again, though we sometimes went
to Brookfield and attacked them.
Mr.. Love turned from the past to
the present.
Il have son in France" he said,
Wesley 0. Love, member of the
outfit from Missouri. l want to
tell you an incident concerning him
which reveals a characteristic of
John--his never-ending loyalty to
his friends.
"Are You Lee Loves SOM"
well, recently my son wrote to
me telling me that his company had
marched in review before John.
John knew the company was made
up of Missouri boys and he spoke
with the captain, Captain Elliott,
since killed in action. John asked
the captain to have all the Laclede
boys step out of ranks. The boys
did and John shook hands with each
of them, inquiring their names.
When he reached Wesley he
asked him:
"'Are you Lee Loves son?'"
wesley said he was, and John
the general-told him to be sure,
when he wrote to me, to be sure to
remember him to me-"
/ talked next with Mr.. Adams,
Frank Adams, the Laclede folks
called him.
Strong as an Indian.
John" Mr.. Adams told me, was
the first boy l met when | went to
school. We were together for many
years-all our early school days. l
was his seatmate and from 9 o'clock
each school day until in the aft
ernoon we were together. He was
a goodly boy to look upon, as re-
call him now, slender and straight
as an Indian, strong as an Indian,
too. l never remember him being
sick.
"And study! He was the most
earnest boy about his lessons | ever
remember. He took them seriously
at all times. He was especially in
terested in mathematics and easily
led the class in that subject. But
then he led in everything"
Not an Unusual Boy.
Mr.. Bigger-Clay Bigger-has
known John Pershing as long as
Mr.. Adams. The friendship has
continued through all the years.
But to save my SOUL" Mr.. Big
ger declared, II can't recall anything
about John when he was a
schoolboy. You know the career of
a great man is built slowly. John
was not precocious boy. He was
just an ordinary boy who, studied
hard. His improvement was so
gradual we did not notice it. There
were classmates who at times might
spell him down or answer prob
lem more quickly. But John was al
ways ready for the step ahead. That
is the secret of his rise to greatness.
He always had definite goal and
he always seized every opportunity
that offered for a chance of ad-
"Aunt Susan" Tells Story.
A rare, sweet old woman is Aunt
Susan Hewitt. She came to La
clede from the south in 1864 with
her husband, Captain Jacob Hewitt.
War had swept away their home in
the Potomac valley, their home and
all Their earthly possessions, and
they came to Laclede to start life
anew. They opened hotel-the old
Missouri House. The schools John
still stand. One is used to-
day as a barn, the other is used as
dwelling by negro family. But the
old Missouri House is gone.
Tell you of General Pershing"
Aunt Susan exclaimed, when made
known to her the purpose of my
mission. Indeed l will. l am never
so happy as when telling of John.
Oh, but I did love him. And he
did love his Aunt Susan-does to-
day.
Il have known John since he was
E years old. He strayed into the
hotel one day with little negro boy,
the son of a colored woman en-
ployed by me. l was in the kitchen
cooking, making apple tarts. gave
John a tart and a bond was sealed
between US that moment that never
will be broken. He adopted me. I
guess I adopted him, too. Oh, what
a pretty, lovable child he was with
his tow head and clear blue eyes.
Came After Pies.
Every day for years after that
even after he grew to be young
mamie would come and visit me.
He had regular formula for that
visit. He would step into the htch-
en- where I would be cooking. l can
shut my eyes" and Mrs. Hewitt did,
land see him now-the prettiest boy
in the world.
"'How do you do, Mrs. HEWITT