Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-12
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

The legislative proposal made on Fri
day by Representative James NJ. Beck
of Pennsylvania that the 150th ami
versary of the formulation of the Con-
stitution Of the United States should
be f1ttingly celebrated in 1887 comes
most timely when the entire country
is Constitution minded through the
National Oratorical Contest efforts of
the youth of the land culn1inating In
the national finals here on Saturday,
May Is, sponsored by the leading news
papers of the country.
Representative Beck's measure pro-
vides for erection in the National
Capital and in Philadelphia of per-
manent memorial. of that great his
toric event, besides bringing the entire
population into close touch with the
fathers, their earnest work and lofty
aims as they gave us the Constitution
as the foundation stone of our self
government.
This proposal comes most appro-
priately from Representative Beck, who
is one of the outstanding authorities
on the Constitution and has identified
himself during "a years of legal prac-
tice with constitutional questions and
enforcement. He is perhaps best known
for his internationally known, autl1ori-
tative work, THE Constitution of the
United States" but he was solicitor
general of the United States, has
argued more than 100 constitutional
questions before the Supreme Court Of
the United States, and is a fellow of
the Royal Historical Society and an
honorary bencher of Gray's Inn, Eng
land, where he lectured on the Con-
stitution.
1t is men like Representative Beck
who keep the youth Of today and to-
morrow in reverent appreciation of the
debt we free Americans owe to the
Founding Fathers
n n
IN insurrection-worn Mexico, land Of
perpetual strife, it is encouraging to
find an evidence of good feeling and
international friendship developing
among the children, as reported by the
United States Childrens Bureau. AS
a gift from the school children of Mex
leo there will come next Fall to each
Of our States an interesting box of
curioS. Each box will contain samples
OF Mexican arts and crafts, a phono-
graph record in English and Spanish
OF a Mexican popular song, a collec-
ton Of typical photographs and speci-
mems Of the handiwork of the school
children. This graceful attention from
Mexican children Is in appreciation Of
the friendship school bags" sent to
them last year from the children of this
country through the Committee on
World Friendship Among Children.
The expense of the boxes is to be met
by contributions of a cent each from
Mexican city school children and
half-cent from children in more rural
localities.
Speaking about incidents in our
young lives, will never forget an ex-
perience suffered when was a small
boy between 10 and IL years Of age"
said Senator Fletcher of Florida to a
colleague.
my fathers plantation was about
miles from the railroad, z miles from
the county seat, 4 miles to the nearest
grist mill, and was the mill boy. Reg
ularly once every two weeks I had to
haul the corn and wheat to the mill
and bring back the meal, gritS and
-four. The mill was the old-time water
mill on a creek, which had to cross
with my outfit, which consisted of one
OK drawing a two-wfeel cart. My
father had pair of immense white
oxen. One of them, Brandy by name,
was gentle and fast. I would go to the
pasture, put a rope around his horns,
jump on his back and ride him home,
hitch him to the cart by means OF a
hickory bow around his neck, keyed to
yoke to which the shafts Of the cart
were attached, and was ready to have
the corn and wheat loaded. It was
days job. Sometimes I was delayed
by the miller-others having got there
first, and each customer had to wait
his turn for grinding.
lone hot. Summer day, failed 10
give Brandy water at the mill, so when
we started home he was very thirsty.
I had to cross the creek on which the
mill was situated, and there was quite
a long, rather steep hill we had to
descend to the fording place. There
was no bridge. The creek was $50 to
200 feet wide and from l to 3
were of feet high, but the
wagons, carts and teams had worn
cut at both ends of the road to the
waters level. There was turn in the
road as we approached this entrance
to the creek. sat on the front Of the
cart, holding the line which was fasten-
ed around Brandy's horns, the cart
loaded with -four, meal and grits. We
came down the hill leisurely until we
got within about 100 yards Of the creek,
when Brandy's thirst spurred him on,
water. OF course my entire weight on
that line in an effort to hold him had
not the slightest effect on his move
ments and neither did my command or
pleading He went pell-mell after that
water he had been wanting for hours,
and in doing so he made a short cut
across the entrance to the creek, throw
ing the right wheel upon the bank and
the left wheel or S feet lower
in the mud rut, just as we reached the
creek thus upsetting the cart and
throwing me and my load of -four, meal
and grits into the creek. The bow
around his neck was turned so he not
only couldn't drink, but he nearly
choked to death before I could get to
him and take out the key and release
the yoke. I landed on my feet in
water up to my waist, and about that
time some travellers fortunately came
along and helped me right the cart,
save some Of my days grinding, save
Brandy, who took his time getting his
water, and we drove peacefully home
He apologized for his haste and dis
obedience, and we were as good friends
as ever.
after that always gave him water
before leaving the mill and starting
for home" concluded the Florida Sena-
tor.
against them for while