White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1930-09-12
Observation-Disclosures,
MY
FAVORITE
STORIES

Not Exactly Lost, but

| Tie CHARACTER VI Odul6l bOOue. IL
seemed to me that of all our native
Indian fighters and explorers he, per-
maps, was the most gallant and the
most admirable, and certainly the
most typical.
A few months ago a collector of
early Kentucky lore told me a story
of the great pathfinder. leaped up
on it with cries of joy. l said to my
self that If 1t were not true, 1t never.
theless deserved to be true. So far
as my informant knew, 1t had never
been printed, but instead he thought
had been handed down by word of
mouth from one generation to an
other. So was making ready to leap
into the arena with brand new con-
tribution TO pioneer Americana when l
sustained severe shock.
This shock was the discovery that
the same anecdote, In substantially
the same form in which | heard II
told by my Kentucky friend, already
had appeared in print Indeed 1t was
published a trifing matter of 102
years ago. Even so, | offer It here
again for the reason that believe It
has touch of unconscious humor en-
titling IT to revival and perpetuation
1t appears that In 1919 Chester
Harding, an artist, being prompted by
patriotic impulse, made the long
journey from his home ON the eastern
seaboard to Missouri which then was
in the Far West, for the purpose of
meeting the aged Boone and painting
arrival Boone had left his home and
gone on one of his periodical outings
into the wilderness. The visitor fol
lowed along an obscure trail until he
came to tumble-down log shanty.
To quote Harding's words: 81 found
him engaged in cooking his dinner
He was lying in his bunk near the
fire and had long strip of venison
wound around his ramrod, and was
busy turning it before brisk blaze
and using pepper and salt to season
his meat.
81 at once told him the object OF
my visit. found that he hardly
knew what | meant. | explained the
matter to him and he agreed to sit.
He was nearly ninety years old and
rather inlirm; his memory of passing
events was much impaired yet he
would amuse me every day by his
anecdotes of his earlier life. asked
him one day, just after his description
of one of his long hunts If he never
got lost. having no compass NO,
said he, / can't say as ever was
lost, but | was bewildered once for
three days.
A Personal Interpretation
WEARS ago, when was reporter
for New York evening paper and
covered trials at the criminal courts
building, there was an elderly and very
devOut freshman, called MAC" for
short. who had job in part two OF
general sessions. 1t was his duty to
keep order and to act as doorkeeper,
on occasion, and sometimes TO serve as
sort of usher. But he particularly
shone on those occasions when he was
called upon to aid in taking the so
called pedigree of a newly-convicted
defendant ~''=e.,.e4 ~ ~,
In this matter certain routine in.
variabIy was followed The prisoner
would be arraigned at the bar. Mac
would station himself alongside and
in an undertone put to him certain
questions, and then call out the an
swers to the clerk. sitting fifteen feet
away, who duly would record them on
the back OF the indictment This cere
mony was more or less automatic
since from long experience the old
man knew exactly what facts regard
ing the prisoners past life he must
ascertain AS the convicted man usu
ally made his responses In low tone.
only the functionary's booming voice
would be heard as he chanted his own
version of the disclosures lust made
to him.
One day youth OF most forbiddine
appearance, who had been found
guilty of attempted highway robbery
was brought up. Mac ranged up to
him and In friendly confidential
haif Whisper aSKed MIN Tor MS right
name.
Henry Smith," returned the youth
In surly grumhle out of one corner
of his mouth.
"He says Henry Smith MIR Clerk.
called out Mac. lie turned again to
the malefact0r:
"Born In the United States"
"Sure- Brooklyn"
"Native- born MIR Clerk"
"Any religions instruction In your
youth. young man?'
"NO" shortly
"Protestant Mr. Clerk"
to nv the Mcknight Syndicate tnc.)
Cocoa and Chocolate
Coono is the ground rOcoa hoon