The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-11-12

which Mad hmpDuAcd him, had gained
much through. d law giving them the
right of Sending their publications ii
Tess than the letter rate.
Refused Second Place
p 1908. when In, the glory Of hts
rule as boss offtke house, Mr. Cam
non hooked toward the republican
nomination for the presidency. When
leaders proposed that he take second
plurc on the ticket, he refused EN-.
phaticaly.
The old warriors love Of children
was greater than his love for cigtrs.
He once told friend that
Of the multitude of cartoons,
friendly and vicious. the one
he liked best pictured hin.
as baby in swaddling clothes,
with the Lincoln-likc fringe on his
face, and the cigar in his mouth
pointing skyward. The original of
this cartoon, with many others pre-
scented to him by cartoonist friends,
hung on the wall Vt his study at Dan.
Vile.
t''Timc softcns an old mans heart
he said repeatedly. land when think
Of the house doing me such great
honors. not forgetting how it once
tried to tear me up and feed me to
| the wolves, ought to go TO my grave
with II serene cOuntcnaHcc, Knowing
that my heart was glad with the last
/, faint beats"
! Mr. Cannon spent the latter years
| OF his life lcisurely at his home ut
Danville, ILL.,, where he was familiar
figure upon the streets. lie made
daily visits to the Second National
| bank, which became known as "thc
Cannon bank" and also attended the
! weekly dinners Of the kiwanis club
big black cigars.
| Feared Trick Cigars
!! While returning to his home after
retiring from congress tho story was
sent throughout the country that
Uncle joe" had quit smoking. When
he reached Chicago a friend offered
| him cigar and 1t was declined. See
| ing that the man felt hurt and some.
what embarrassed, MIR. Cannon quick.
~ explained that he had quit smok-
ink. The real reason for declining
the proffcrcd cigar was made knowi
later when the newspapers of tht
country featured the news that ths
4
Mr.. Cannon then explained that once
he was given trick cigar which in.
j! jured his face and since that time hi
had been wary Of proffcrcd smokes.
Mr.. Cannon came to accept the af
fectionatc designation "Uncle Joe" 4.
his very own. but when asked abOu'
! its origin said he did not know how
it came about.
IL WAS quite we'll known from coas
to coast rs Uncle Joe, and also il
EUROPE" he said, "hut II remained fol
= littl" gil in NY own home town e
i tell me WAS no uncle of hers"
| The denial Of relationship wa.
made by 4 telephone operator. Mr.
Cannon had put in call for Wash
ington from the home Of his son-in
law, Ernest Lie Scurc, but told th'
i operator 'chargc il to Uncle joe"
II can't help II il you are Uncle
joe" MI. Cannon said the operator
i, replied, "you arc no uncle Of min,
and you'll have to get Mr.. lie Souer''
i o. X. to this call before it zoe.
through"
\ Mr.. Canno4's decline in viGor ~,
health began with All accident short
" after his retirement from congress
While in the basement Of his HON.
III. fell on coal pile and suffered :
fracture Of the right arm. The breaI
mcndcd, but Nc always guarded tn
member with care and when greeting
friends offered his right elbow on LET
hnnd.
Ia his retirement the radio aide
Mr.. Cannon to span the distance be
tween his home and Washington, tn
scene OF SO much Of hi, life's activity
I, .s.s%
. friends, men and events Of 30 and A
years and even half Il century before
but when rcccnt world aud nationa
events were spoken Of he either wa
silent or turned the conversation /,
]. Il parallel case Of years gone by.
An ivy-rovcrcd Methodist churcl
opposite his bone was source o.
consolation to Uncle Joe during hi
declining year. He often recalled til.
time. JnOrc than rs years before. whei
his wife who died several years ago
planted the ivy.
Once Kan For States Attorney
Uncle Joe entered politics as a can
didate for states attorney when u,
lived at Tuscola, Il little town in Yer
million county and before his lonl
term In congress ended it WAS sait
that four generations Of voters O
many families in the country had cas-
their ballots for him.
One of the first acts Of Cannon
after he quite the arena Of public lif'
and went home to Danvillc to live hi
waning years as = private citizen, wa.
to join the Methodist church near hi.
home, where his wife, Mary worshipet
for many years before her death
Never church. ms1nber during hi