Evening star., 1921-07-24

ii uOnt care so muCn "nO
~ your great great grand
father was. or whether or
not you are worth a few millions
of dollars. but they do care to know
If you are on the level and if you
do not pass that acid test you might
just as we'll pull up stakes and hike
to a region of the country where
the requisites of manhood are taken
more lightly. Some of our younger
and less thickly populated states are.
by reason of these facts. more like a
great. big family than the densely
settled commonwealths of the east.
When President Harding selected
Senator Fall to be secretary or the
| Interior it left a vacancy, ana II rest
ed upon Gov Mechem 70 appoint q
man to serve in MIR. Falls place as
one of the senators from New Mexico.
The task imposed upon the governor
was not an easy one, as there are
numerous high-grade men in the
state. but, weighing them one ana
all as to this or that qualification,
he appointed Holm o. Bursum OF
Socorro. 1t was a fitting appoint
ment, because Bursum had not only
been a resident of New Mexico for
many years. but also because he had
ever been on the alert TO assist IN
bringing the state to the fore.
The senator was not born with a
! gold spoon in his mouth. nor was
/ he reared in the lap OF luxury py
| doting parents. Neither did he nave
the advantages of Tying start
given to him by wealthy We Isrindn,eeni PaTen,s
parents. he had. at tender age. TO
begin the battle of life alone and
unaided. His school was. that of ad-
versity and hard knocks, but ne
brought to the surface the latenl
spirit of his sturdy, rugged ana non
est forefatherS.
X X +
cENATOR BURSUM is a typically
~ western character. virile and un-
afraid. He was born at Fort Dodge,
Iowa, IN the early part of 1857, and
after receiving a little education,
! was compelled by the death of his
parents to go to work. He migrated
| to Colorado and became bus boy IN
! a restaurant, called the Engiisn
Kitchen" in Denver. Col. He also
; at times washed dishes and was a
General handy boy about the place;
In addition to his board and keep
meaning room, board and laundry.
the lad received the large wage OF
$3.50 per month. At spare times ne
read with the idea of later improV-
ing his station in life. Another po-
sition he occupied in the state was
switchboard tender, for which he re-
ceived $50 per month. out OF whlch
he paid for his room and board.
Quitting this job he became walking
boss Of a railroad gang, arising at
3. a. m. and continuing labor uhtil
Jobs kept him in Colorado until the
spring Of 1881. when he hit the trail
for New Mexico. His railroad ex-
perience had given him an insight to
the fact that money could be made py
engaging in the contracting business.
The definition of mule skinner in
the dictionary of the west is "a man
who drives mules" These highly in
telligent animals are guided by
means of a Jerk, line" and it re-
uuires no end of skill. to say nothing
cessfully guide the destinies of these
/, long cared but highly intelligent
animals. 1t is extremely doubtful
f.any of the ultra fashionable gen.
tlemen who tool. the four-in- hand
coaching teams at Saratoga in this
could successfully pilot eight mules.
each with a separate and distinct
Frugality and thrift soon enabled
the young man to add some eight
horse teams to his. collection of equlnes
and he speedily learned that the horses
In eight horse teams were as a rule OF
a balky nature.
The senator, as a young man. had
! made up his mind to study life from
every angle and 1t is doubtful II
there is In the Senate today man
who is a more successful psycholoG-
ist than the junior senator from New
Mexico. He had noticed after the
first or second trip that when he
halted his horse teams in the sand
to give them a breathing spell that
when he gave the word to get them
to 60 they responded quickly, but
that If he waited until they had stop
ped of their own volition it was not
an easy matter to get them started
again.
it would be unfair in recounting
Senator Bursum's experience If one
did not mention a remarkable Incl
dent that occurred to him during his
early career. He was punching"
western term for driving-a team of
oxen when the latter suddenly de-
termined to run away. This SEEM
ingly impossible happening is ex-
planned by the fact that the oxen In
running away ran down hill.
Finding that that contracting busi-
ness was declining he traded the
mules and horses off for band OF
1900 sheep. The man who got the