The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-09-19

quarrel about Pershing,' SAID the
town doubter. almost fight some
times. They say the same old things
every night"
Laclede is thoroughly, admirably
typically American small town. One
does not tip in Laclede. The lunch
room boss hailed me amiably as
"Chief' and declared his days work
was almost over when / came in for
an s o'clock breakfast. People nod
and say s'howdy" to strangers. They
belong to church and go to church as
a matter of course. They are proud
of General Pershing. For 80 years
he has been the towns one big man
the one man who made real sue
cess out in the world. The local
newspaper has religiously kept track
Of him all that time. Yet, Laclede
is not hysterical about him.
'''He must have been wonderful
boy." breathed magazine poetess to
an old settler.
"Well, he WANT" said the old set
tier.
Laclede plans to give General
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 electric light globe over it
there were two globes, but one was
broken-is to have Pershing's picture
painted on it again. All through the
war. the picture was there as re-
minder to Laclede's youth. The town
has contracted 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 81, 900, but, Of course, the town
will erect the poles. And there will
be fireworks display and lot OF
extra electric light and music by a
regimental band and perhaps by a
band of girls, and the governor will
speak and some congressman and
many extra trains will be run in that
day
cit won't be like New York." said
Editor Haywood, ''but we will do
i, what we can
The thing that Laclede is most
proud of, down in it's democratic
heart, is that General Pershing's IA
ther was section boss when he was
bern. The lily handed writers 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 we'll to do storekeeper,
and gloss over his section bossing
with the statement that che was in
charge of a crew of men,"
''He was section boss," said Judge
Oscar Libby, who knows more about
the Pershing history than any other
man in town, unless it be H. G. Lo-
max, the principal banker. ellis
brother, Jim, bossed the hands that
unloaded the rails for the old Hanni-
bal & st. Joe railroad, and John-the
generals father-went ahead to boss
the surfacing. Later on he took
charge of the section and lived in a
little house alongside the track. At
terward it was used to keep tools in.
It was just little one room house.
Mrs. Worthington Morehead, re-
calls the morning when her mother
Mrs. Judge Bolts hur-
ried message from the section house
she recalls that her mother ran into
the house and came out pretty soon
with a bundle. Then she climbed on
a horse and went galloping down the
road. In those days Missouri wo-
men rode horses if they did not want
to do all their travelling in:ox wagons.
She was absent all that night. Mrs.
'Worthington Morehead remembers
this, because she was worried about
her mothers absence.
"In the morning." said Mrs. More
head to Judge Libby, mother came
back, looking very tired. I began to
storm at her, but she laughed.
''There is 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 contin-
ue long as section boss. He was a
born adventurer. For a time he
worked for "Old Man Lomax," who
had general store. Then he dipped
in and out of various occupations.