The Washington herald., 1921-10-04
Urban J. Ledoux, the Man.
:-<er.-
the Editor. The Washing ton HersId:

To the Editor, The Washington Herald:
Have you seen the man. Urban J.
Ledoux? Have you heard him speak?
To some he is sort OF mystery
man. They do not understand him.
He is, and has, more than most of
US.
1t is of such a man as Ledoux.
that Longfellow sang, in praising
the spirit OF Robert Burns:
"All thoughts that move the Age
Begin deep down in the common
heart,
And from the many slowly upward
rise.
Till one great soul grasps the
whole
And gives 1t voice in verse and
song"
The most striking impression one
gets of Ledoux is that he is simply
himself. No affectation, no assump-
ton. no pretense. He wastes no
time on FORM" that Is ceremony.
He Is direct as the light: as frank
and free as the fash of lightning.
He is just as natural. simple. plain.
true; and by these he outwits the
wise and prudent"
When l read In the press reports
of the sale of slaves" OF unem-
ployment in Boston recently, l said.
Mr.. Zero" is a big man: no small
soul could grasp and put into action
such a history making event as the
selling Of unemployed hungry men
on the Boston Common.
When he came to Washington /
was introduced to him by a mutual
friend. He gave me audience for
an hour, much longer than / re-
quested. Not in many a year have
l had an hour so crammed with
things worth while.
He asked me few searching
questions, to get his bearing; then
he answered mine freely. in brief.
an outline of his work, and why he
is in 1t.
He is the friend of the unem-
ployed, All, yes, and the poor fetl-
lows, down and out and hungry and
homeless, know that his charity is
not cold. but warm with love. He
gives himself; lives with those he
is seeking to help; sleeps with them
on the park benches. suffers with
them. though it is Joy for him to
do so.
In his own words: Those fellows
are human: they have kind hearts;
they suffer. for they are too proud
to beg, and yet, hungry. they do
not steal. So many of them say
little, but you can read in their
faces what they are thinking. Oh.
yes, they are human; / love them,
yes. love them; SO my work is full!
of joy"
studied the full manly face, high
forehead. and kindly eyes of this
real man. It is not unlike. in gem
eral features. TO the face of Edison.
and the face of Elbert Hubbard. In
speaking he does not orate. he just
talks; but you listen; he is capti-
waiting: what he offers grips your
sympathy, and how he says it rs
fascinating. His smile. always
playing like sunlight to the music
of his words, is more than pleasing.
1t is impressive.
Who is he? He says, TT does
not matter" What he does, he says,
is the question. Judge of the works,
the results. This is the spirit of
the Galileean: that his work testify
as to it's value and power.
The pubic wishes to know more
vi hC publlC "
more of him. He is a man of the
hour. A voice like his; and work
like his, are most timely.
He Is of French Canadian ances-
try. He speaks French fiuentlyi
also German, well. And he is very
impressive. though not so fluent. in
English. He was a consul in Ger
many during President Roosevelt's
administration. He looks ten years
younger than he really is
But his power lies in his faith ir
the eternal principles that are the
basis and the soul of all. All tha'
is is good. is holy, is worth while
1t is how %e- think. how we act
how we work with the eternal al
soul 'that' counts in the end. Thai
is his creed.
He u familiar with. philosophy
religion. and religious. Quotes free
ly from Hindoo. Chinese, Jewish
and Christian scriptures, claimint
the spirit In each is the same.
The poets. also. are his pasture.
green: he goes to them, not onl,
for recreation and relaxation, bu'
Tor food and thought. upon prob