The Washington herald., 1921-06-05
THE LADDER BOY CLIMBED TO SUCCESS

Gap. 9. D.. and from there drove seros the
Back Hills through Custer to Jennies
stocksde, built By an early scientific eI-
plorer In eastern Wyoming. For year and
half We prospected for coal, and finally
found II where the scientists said II did not
exist. Before got through with the coal
prospecting snd development got into the
oil game, and together they led to the e.
tablishment Of the town Of Newcastle.
In the laying out Of that town site was
transformed from q nomsd to q man with
nome. had had 50 much to do with its
establishment that / began to feel the surge
Of civic pride. II was probably the frst
stir within me for the public servant instinct
There was never Q western town that
more nearly filled the motion picture ideal
than did Newcastle in those days. Every
other door Of the main street was q saloon.
There were cowboys, rsilrosders and miners
splenty, and Indians enough to lend variety.
There was wide open gambling Of every
variety. There were piano playing pro
fessors' and dancing women. Money was
so easy that such crimes as robbery were
unnecessary. Wide open and breezy as the
town vas. we we're able to fairly well main
tain law and order.
oN6Y FIRST public once was that Of
4V1 mayor Of Newcastle. ] was elected
when the town was organized, and held the
position for q number Of years. II was not
until hard times set in that i came to grief
bec.us. of IL. Those satellites Of the saloons
who had iised By gambling and despoilins
tn. in.by;-.ed we're driven To such bolder
crimes as ishway robbery. So we made UP
n considerable list of men upon whom We
served notice to leave town. They had no
visible income. They were requested to
move on.
Their time limit expired at midnight.
Their last chance was to catch the late
train. That evening a. ] came down the
street one Of these mel sccosted me. He
wanted to know Of nae, as mayor, II that
order stood-n they had to 70. j told him
that they did. Thereupon he whipped out
his revolver and shot me. The bullet
entered ny body and trended downward. 1t
is still ilnbedded In my anatomy. He fired
agsin and the bullet went through my hat
and grazed my temple.
.,kbout this time, without ny knovledse
or consent, / was nominated for the STATE
Senate at q ccnventioa heh st Sundance
our county seat had no ambition 10 servs
in III. I-risl,ture and tried to get Oh the
ticket. ut finally reluctantly agreed to rur
and .sa. elected. Ny term included two ses
,;o.s Of Ii. Legislature. At the beginning
Of ti- second session l became president o
n. S.aut.. Then came the opportunity t.
steer nv course either for the sovernorsnii
ar for Congress. ] first became candidate
for rovernor. but finally chose Congress
and came to Washington twenty SIX year
.,o to the fifty fourth Congress. hsv
he,n in Congress ever since. except durlnl
- n. ffty Eth Congress, when the free coin
30. =, silver wa. the issue. ] served as as
dent commissioner Of the General Lam
obe. for nearly two years during this perio
and then went back home and wss eleete
sgaiL.
$50 I have back Of me twenty-tour year
:; -. H,uss an not Q lawyer. athoug
-. resi And studied . good deal OF ID
,;,.,.tr,, Of law. Most eongressmen Al
- hav. never been . school teache
,.rxps o.r msu, and these are the oth'
s,.d .l.sse. in congressional biogrsphie
--.xhoppers even denied me, for
-. m, right 10 claim that / was
,.-n.r. but I hs-s been interested more
-, "a farming and rsnehinr ever since.
,uosE rough ye.rs Of your early life
aid to Mr.. Mondeu, would not see
.s,etly an ideal training for lesisl
DIV. career"
..>S.E," said be, mere ground
II opinion in regard to that. &
dineren tho opinion that every eIperier
). ~ . mans life that throws h.m on ~. az o. o.
that REQUIRES ss,ps the p.asss 0s nns Ga
N denial; that conpels dlistnee a,o 'pPnI h.i
a a ,;on for successful sccomplisn%ent Is nel
~ tron for any work or respon