Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-20
Capital Sidelights
ny WILL r. KENNEDY.

In the original Greek, who mas ar
uncanny faculty of always being
right. who can spot a mistake clear
across the room, and whose particular
forte Is verbal surgery which put,
into smooth-fiowing English, hastily
formed statements that every one car
understand as they are spoken but
which must be recast into the orderly
arrangements OF a printed page.
shuey has never missed a day from
the Senate on account Of illness. He
studies the personality and psychol'
ogy of the men whom he reports
He knows their Views on the subjects
they discuss. He has lucid, trans
parent style Of composition. He car
hear q mumbled colloQuy between two
Senators forty feet away from MIN
and put II down correctly He is
tower Of strength TO the Senate corp;
and to his profession.
" X v
IT am sorry to have kept you wait
ing, but I am a. fastidious dresser
smilingiy explained Senator James E
Watson Of Indiana, this other night In
Pittsburgh, when he caused a recep-
ton committee to wait almost an
hour.
The dinner the Hoosier senator was
to address called for formal dress
The Senator put on a boiled shirt and
a dress suit, but at the last moment
discovered that the only shoes he had
with him were the tan ones he was
wearing. The senator sent out an
s. o. S. for q pair of black shoes. but
size IL was not to be found in the
hotel.
IT know a secondhand store that
Is still OPEN" volunteered a bellhop
Under senatorial instructions the
bellhop hurried away and returned
with q pair of secondhand black
shoes. size 10.
II bought 'em cheap. They cost
only $2.25," said the bellhop triumph
antly. as he delivered them to the
Senator.
A few minutes later Senator Wat
son was ready to present himself to
the rather impatient reception COM
mittee.
From a sod house on western
Nebraska homestead, sixty miles from
a railroad, to the Congress of the
United States is a thirty-two year
trip that has been accomplished by
hard work at many odd jobs by Rep
resentative Robert G. Simmons OF
SCOTS Blur. Neb. He started to
school in a sod shack which was con-
Quoted for a few weeks each winter
When he was six years of age his
parents moved TO Gering, an inland
country town, where his father ran
q small country store and his mother
taught school to exc out the family
living.
During vacations he did farming or
any kind of work to earn little
money. He did janitor work in
churches and Offices to earn money
during school months. His last year
In high school he was janttor OF
three school buildings, for which he
received $50 per month.
Young Simmons was messenger boy
for the Western Union one summer
In the same town where he now re-
sides and which picked the forme r
messenger to be their spoke sman in
the national Congress. He also han
died freight and was billing clerk for
railroad at two different times while
earning money to go to school.
While attending college at Hast
ings, Eeb.. he earned his board and
lodging by moving lawns, tending
furnaces, waiting on table. etc. While
he earned his board by washing dishes
in boarding house for two years,
and far from losing social caste
thereby-he won as hts bride an
honor graduate and belle of the uni
versity who graduated, the same year
phone lineman for one year while
out of school.
Representative and Mrs. Simmons
with their small son and daughter
live in a humble cottage. They keer
their own Holstein mich COW, which
family conveyance is a "fivver".
All Of which gives an interesting
sidelight on why Representative Sim
mons Is preparing to take an inter
est In Legislation on matters about
which he has personal. horny-handed.
son of-tou knowledge developing
forestation of Nebraska sandhills. ir.
rigation, diversified farming of the
dry lands. building up the dairy and
poultry industry, problems of mar.
keting the farmers produce and re.
vising the railroad legislation so az
TO secure lower rates on farm
products.
Who would not sing for Lycidas;
He knew himself to sing and build
the lofty rhyme
Under the suggestive caption
Truth and Other Things Repre-.
sentative Edgar Howard. an editor
coming to Congress, has for some
twenty years been INDUCING in para
graph literature and dainty word pic
lures. He writes as mood inspires
at the moment Of inspiration. Some
Of his, sentiments which have at.
tracted widespread attention are: "A
Nahro ck dnAirofod RI fha
Nebraska Historical Society; "A Trib.
ute to My Dog" which has been trans
lated and published in many lands
"A Valentine" addressed to a little
girl now beyond the stars; and Tt
the Cherry in the Glass" a plea FOL
the avoidance OF fntemperance in al
things.
Only once has Mr.. Howard beer
persuaded to accept money rewart
for his writings. That was severa
years ago when one of his stories
The Smoke Sign on the Sky" was
i It was an indian love, story Of i.aot
words. Introducing Pawnee-Sioux leg
ends relating to the origin Of Indiar
summer. Promptly check for $500 was
sent by the publisher, representing re.
turns from manuscript which had
been prepared IN less than three hours
Representative Howard writes 70,
the love of writing, rather than fol
the hope of great reward, and hit
own country newspaper Is the only
medium through which he seeks ex.
preston. For long ne has been one
of the best known and most widely
quoted country newspaper writer's OF
America
X X X
Senator Earl B. Mayfield Of Texas
likes to hunt, and has INDUCED him.
heif since early boyhood when with
his gang he used to go 'possum hunt
ing and coon hunting. They had ths
host coon hunting dogs In that 'regfor
by q process of elimination. Wher
they got g. dog that wouldn't run q
coon they'd tie q can to his tail. Put