Evening star., 1926-11-12

tnat my hearI was Rlad with the last
faint beats"
Mr.. Cannon spent the latter years Of
his life leisurely at his home. at Dan
vile, ILL.,, where he was familiar fig
ure upon the streets. He made daily
visits to the Second National Bank
which became known az ''the Cannon
! Bank" and also attended the weekly
dinners of the kiwanis Club. And al
most to the end he smoked his big
black cigars.
While returning to his home after
retiring from Congress the story was
sent throughout the country that
Uncle Joe" had quit smoking. When
he reached Chicago a friend offered
him a cigar and it was declined. See
ing that the man felt hurt and some
what embarrassed, Mr.. Cannon quick
ly explained that he had quit smok-
ing.
Wary Of Trick Cigars.
The real reason for declining the
proffered cigar was made known later
! when the newspapers of the country
featured the news that the former
Speaker had quit smoking. Mr.. Can
! non then explained that once he was
given A trick cigar which injured his
face. and since that time he had been
wary OF proffered smokes
Mr.. Cannon came to accept the af
fectionate designation Uncle Joe" az
his very own. but when asked about
1ts origin said he did not know how
1t came about.
II was quite we'll known from
coast to coast as Uncle Joe, and also
In Europe" he said. 'b,A it remained
for little girl in my own home town
to tell me was no uncle Of hers"
The denial of relationship was
made hy a telephone operator. Mr.
Cannon had put i'm a call for Wash
inston from the home of his son-in.
law. Ernest lie Seure. but told the
operator to charge it to Uncle Joe. y
Il can't help 1t II you are Uncle
Joe Mr.. Cannon said the operator
replied. "you are no uncle of mine
and you'll have to get Mr.. lie Seure 4
O. x. to this call before 1t goes
through"
Injury Preceded Decline.
Mr.. Cannon's decline in vigor and
health began with an accident shortly
after his retirement from Congress
While in the basement Of his home
he fell on a coal pile and suffered A
fracture Of the right arm. The break
mended, but he always guarded the
member with cars. and when greeting
friends offered his right elbow or left
hand.
In his retirement the radio aided
Mr.. Cannon to span the distance be
tween his home and Washington, the
scene of so much Of his life's activity
He often discussed in his gossip with
friends men and events Of 80 and 40
years and even half century before
but when recent world and national
events were spoken of he either was
silent or turned the converse ton to
a. parallel case OF years gone by.
An ivy-colored Methodist Church
opposite his home was source of
consolation to Uncle Joe during his
declining years. He often reca He'd
the time, more than 25 years before
when his wife, who died several years
ago. planted the ivy.
Votes of-Four Generations.
Uncle Joe entered politics as can
didate for States attorney when he
lived at Tuscola, a little town in Yer
million County, and before his long
term in Congress ended 1t was ga id
that four generations of voters of
many families in the county had cast
their ballots for him.
One OF the first acts OF Cannon,
after he quit the arena of public life
and went home to Danville to live his
waning years as a private citizen, was
to join this Methodist Church. Never
a church member during his congress
sional career, Cannon became a reg
ular attendant and substantial con-
tributor.
Soon after his ninetieth birthday he
turned over the first spade Of earth
for a new church, erected on the site
Of his late brothers home. and ex-
pressed confidence that he would live
to attend services in the edif1ce.
The business district of Danville
crept around his home. which once
had been In the outskirts of the city,
hut it remained his fortress and he
resisted it's abandonment in favor OF
a new home farther out.
In his study. lined with cartoons OF
the former Speaker and with auto
graphed photographs of famous
friends. he sat daily to peruse his per
sonal mail and to dictate to his stenog-
rapher As his strength ebbed he
found increasing pleasure in listening
to the radio and every day he read
from his Bible.
He smoked less in his later years
but insisted that he never had smoked
az much as the public intimated from
his cartoons. He always smoked mild
cigars. he said.
In the latter months of his life he
remarked that he could not speak or
think commercially for very long, and
recalled that he never was a con-
sistent speaker. hut that his oratory
was made mp rather Of frebrands. He
seldom attempted after his retirement
to grant interviews. or to make a pub
lie appea rance Of anV sort