Evening star., 1936-04-05
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

BY MARK SULLIVAN.
THE periodicals have flowered
lately with articles about Sen
ator Borah. have read them,
= and found them well done
Yet all have missed some incidents
which. were writing an article about
Senator Borah-or q biography Of
him, or an American history includ-
ing him-I should certainly have in
cluded. I have in mind not so much
incidents that necessarily throw light
on the Senator's personality as some
which evoke an America that now
seems long ago and far away, recite
the incidents here as heard them by
word of mouth, without the research
and verification that should attend
incorporation of them in a formal
history. Doubtless many folk of Sen
ator Borah's age or thereabouts can
recall the episodes and amend and
ampiify them.
Mr. Borah was born in Illinois, edu-
Gated In Illinois and Kansas. BY 1889
he had finished training in the law
and spent q very brief time in incip-
lent practice in the county seat town
of Lyons in Central Kansas Prospects
Of growth in that rural county seat
we're no brighter than the subsequent
years proved them to have been
Lyons is today still q small town.
Young Borah became infected with
q mood which at that time was very
common in America, an ambition
which expressed itself in the phrase
Go West" For many generations in
America Go West" was an injunc-
tion to ambition and adventure. In
that meaning the phrase has been
forgotten. During the great war the
two words we're a euphemism for death
in battle, and it is in that sense mainly
that modern America knows Go
West" In its earlier meaning prob
ably no other two words had so
much influence on the destinies of so
many Americans.
"Going West" in Old Days.
To half the territory of the United
States and more than half the popu-
lation it may seem odd that a young
man in Central Kansas should think
Of going West" But West" was
only partially a geographical term.
Mainly "the West" meant the frontier,
the place where new settlements were
being made, where new railroads were
extending long fingers Of. freshly
turned sod across the prairie.
Young Borah in his trek westward
and upward took Union Pacific train
at Omaha. The Pullman. the sleeping
car, in those days was only for the
financially comfortable. and not all OF
those would indulge in so patent a
luxury. Decidedly the sleeping car
was not for a young man setting out
to seek his fortune. Many OF the day
coaches at that time contained on
each side of the aisle two rows OF
individual chairs, side by side. BY Q
lever the seat could be made to recline.
as in some modern busses, and 1t was
in one of those the young emigrant
slept.
The first night out the man who
occupied the adjoining seat was a
salesman for the International Har-
vester Co. The salesman, friendly
soul, drew out the story of his young
neighbor's ambition, and interested
himself-that. too, was a character
istic Of that friendly time. He had a
Harvester Co. map Of the West, which
he unfolded to point out what he
thought would be the best path Of
ambition. At that time-how long
ago it seems-there was uncertainty
which Of two new young cities on the
Pacific Coast would ultimately achieve
the position. which, in the hopes Of
both, was described as "the queen city
Of the Pacific Coast" or "the metrop-
oils of the Northwest. Whether 1t
would be Tacoma or Seattle was
argued in those days as vehemently
as today people argue about the rela-
tive prospects of two base ball teams.
Between Tacoma and Seattle and
their respective boomers and partisans
was pulsing rivalry. Which was best
adapted to Pacific Coast shipping?
Which was likely to have the most
important ternini Of transcontinental
railroads. A few sage persons thought
the true city of promise was neither
of the new towns, but rather the
comparatively long settled Portland
Oreg. About all this the Harvester
salesman talked most Of the night. In
the morning he dropped OF the train
wishing the young emigrant good luck
Suggested Idaho.
The second night out the young
travellers neighbor was a citizen oi
what was then the very young State
Of Idaho. He was, as recall the story
q hotelkeeper in the then frontier
settlement of Pocatello. He. like the
Harvester salesman the night before
interested himself in the ambition oi
the young lawyer seeking a place tc
begin to practice. The Idahoan, con-
ceding the fine prospects Of the cities
on the Pacific Coast, nevertheless
urged the young lawyer to break his
journey long enough to take look al
q budding Idaho town called Boise
Parting, the Pocatello man gave young
Borah his name, told him if he should
locate at Boise to drop him a postal
card. II might be able to send you a
case some time"
Young Borah, dropping of the train
ut Boise, called at the offices Of all the
lawyers, but found no need for his
services. BY the time he had COM
pleted his unsuccessful quest for an
opening his funds, spent for carefully
economical meals, had fallen so low
that he had not enough left to pay
the railroad fare for the 400-mile trip
to the Pacific Coast. Perforce, ne
stayed In Boise. He sent q postal card
to his train acquaintance at Pocatellc
and the latter made good on his
friendly promise. Through him young
Borah got his first case. It was. as
recall the story, about Chinaman, a
cook in the hotel, who had become
irritated over Q midnight visit to the
kitchen by q hungry guest OF ths
hotel. In the ensuing encounter the
| Chinaman had lost his life. As