Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-07-20
(By Leland E. Davis)

Especial Dispatch) Back in the days
when we ate dinner at noon instead
Of at 100 p m. a man who now seeks
the Republican nomination as United
States Senator from West Virginia,
left $50 month job with furn-
tupe house in Huntington and started
a mattress factory In that city. He
had one delivery wagon, and it made
one regular trip daily from the fact
DRY to the railroad stations, about
two miles downtown. The mattress
delivery schedule was identical with
the writer's daily trips ITO town." to
pass papers.
| usually hoped ride on that de-
livery wagon. But one day there was
a new driver, and he chased me off,
with dire threats, should ever again
hop aboard his wagon. Tough luck,
for needed that ride down-town.
went straight to the factory.
SIS Mr.. Edwards here?n asked
the girl in the office.
A.es, but Mr.. Edwards is too busy
to be bothered with little boys, You
better run on away and play" she
said, not unkindly.
I'm wait; ! want to see him about
something Important / came back to
her. She smiled, and / waited.
It wasn't very long before Mr..
Edwards 1.-THE sac G. f. Edwards we'-
We been reading so much about re-
Gently the present owner and per-
sonal manager of string Of fourteen
mattress factories, and the leading
candidate for nomination as West
Virginia's next Senator) came out Of
his private Office. walked up to him
aid asked for a few minutes with him
All right son, I'm awfully busy,
boy, but / CESS can hear you. What
do you WANT" he smiled. / stumbl-
ed through recital Of my recent
misfortune. expect / took up about
ten minutes of perfectly valuable
time with my narrative of outraged
dignity, all because of the preversity
of q new driver.
When ! got through, Mr.. Edwards
was laughing, but with an air Of
mock seriousness he sent for the
driver, who appeared forthwith.
"Jim, my young friend here says
you put him off of the wagon today"
"Why certainly I did, Mr.. Edwards,
that's my orders, sir, from the fore
man, not to let any kids hop on, for
they're liable to get hurt"
"Well, now Jim, this youngster
isn't going to hurt anything, or get
hurt, if you don't drive too fast. Sup
pose we modify that order "a little,
and let the whole gang ride with you
if you've got room. ! used to hop
wagons myself if | had long walk
ahead, and believe in treating the
boys just as we wanted to be treated
when we were growing up" Mr.. Ed I
wards advised jim. rs that all (
right" he said, turning to me.
It goes without saying that I
some hearty thanks, and
rode with that driver
whenever he went downtown"
And every boy in that neighborhood
would fight quicker for "Mr. Fred
IS we got to calling him, than for the
lonor of the gang, which, as every
Joy knows, is something to be pro-
,ected at all costs.
Why all this recital Of minor oc-
Simply because it isn't
minor at all, and serves to illustrate
o every man who has been boy,
md to every woman wo has son
,r a brother, that the man who would
ay aside business worries long
enough to help kid out Of fancied
is the sort of man who
AN best be depended upon to safe
yuard the interests of all little boys,
when they're little, and all men, when
hey're grown up boys.
Nobody asked me to write this;
fred Edwards probably has forgot
en- the incident long ago rarely
Zee him, now that l have "grown up"
md he's really big, and everlasting
Y busy, business man. But, the in
ident does throw a sidelight on the
haracter Of the leading candidate
or the Senatorial nomination We
an read the ads and find out what
J. F. Edwards stands for; what he's
ne in the business world; how he
xpects to cope with the Legislative
'roblems an all that sort Of thing,
'ut there is no measure Of greatness
n all the world more exact, more ac-
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