Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-02
Father CIings to Son De-
spite All Pleas Seeing Ef-
fort to Take His Only Pos
session

TIPTONVILLE, Tenn, July 81
The whole world, it semes, has turn
ed against Bert Noles.
Everybody is trying to take his
boy away from him.
Millions of dollars, churches, even
the courts-are aligned against the
poor, uneducated farm hand in his
fight to keep his eight-year-o son,
Jimmy.
Jimmy Noles, whose home Is a 10
foot shack; whose bed is a pile of
rags,
The whole world, 1t seems, has turn
footed and hobbled along on the out
side of his ankles, but who now
thanks to the Sunday school folks
and kindly doctors-romps around
like other kids!
Jimmy Noles, whom the nurses in
Chicago fought to wait upon, and
who for weeks kept a big city laugh
ing and crying at things he said and
did.
Jimmy Noles, bright as a shiny
new dollar, though he never has
spent a day in school!
Jimmy Noles, whose smile poverty
and pain haven't been able to erase,
A score of wealthy families are
asking for the chance TO lay their
love and riches at his feet
How 1t All Started
Tt was one Sunday morning more
than a year ago. The Young Peo-
pies association of the Methodist
church here discovered it would be
idle for awhile unless something,
or someone, turned up on which it
could center its philanthropic activi-
ties
One Of its 50-odd members told of
running across a little clubfooted
boy whose parents were destitute.
The class investigated. Hugh F.
Whitford, vice president, thus de-
scribes Jimmy, as he found him:
He was a ragged. dirty young
ster, surrounded by poverty of the
meanest sort, yet cheerful in spite
Of his handicap.
He was waiting on his sick step
mother when we arrived at the
shack. She told US he could pick rs
pounds of cotton any day"
Much persuasion finally gained
Bert Noles' permission for the class
to send Jimmy to Chicago to have
his deformed feet Strengthened.
The Bible students raised the
money for his fare and $40 more.
bathed him, cut his shaggy hair and
decked him out from head to foot.
DIR. r. w. Griffin, of Tiptonville.
got into communication with DR..
Ryerson, a surgeon at St. I.uke's
hospital Chicago. The latter offered
to treat Jimmy free.
And the boy was tagged and ac
tually addressed to the hospital and
sent ON his way alone. in care of
Pullman conductor This was in
May, 1928.
The hospital staff fell head over
heels in love with Jimmy. The
newspa pers played him and his
smile.
Men and women of wealth came
to see him. Several families. right
from the start, wanted to adopt him.
For weeks and weeks Jimmy sat
with his legs in a plaster cast.
one day nurse was adjusting
the cast-a painful operation Jimmy
was bearing without a whimper. He
noticed the nurse was crying.
why are you crying" asked
Jimmy, when it is my feet that are
hurting?"
Last January his feet were pro.
| nounced cured. For the first time
in his life, Jimmy walked like other
| boys.
There was going out" party for
| him when he left. Nurses. doctors
his wealthy callers loaded him down
with toys. A limousine drove him
/ TO the depot
Back TO Pallet of Rags
! Jimmy and ibis father had dropned
/ out of sight, But inquiries revealed
! they were back in their shack near
Hickman, Fulton county, Kentucky.
! just across the line.
Judge Charles D. Nugent and a
community nurse Went out to see
| them.
The stepmother was in the last
stages of tuberculosis. Jimmy was
| sleeping on his pallet OF rags in an
| other corner of the room
The family was sent to the poor
: house. \ few days later Judge
Nugent went out there with the
intention Of sending Jimmy to an