Evening star., 1938-07-31

pOSSi0utty in 1940)
BY PAUL FISHER.
TINE little man in the frayed panama
had the manner of commissioned
delegate. The early afternoon sun
was bright and hot now: his society
Of loafers had drifted with the shade to the
maple trees on the east slope of the Boone
County, Mo, Courthouse lawn.
The discovery of men at work had shat
tered the drone of their slow gossip They
had watched, with sharp, immobile curl
osity, the bundles of shingles and the heavy
planks pile up on the sun-drenched grass
at the southwest corner of the laWn-their
morning headquarters. After a time the
little man in the panama left them and
shuf1ed over sucking on his pipe.
How many bundles, Joe?" he asked one
of the sweating workmen.
Two hunnerd," Joe said.
The little man put his hands in his over
all pockets. He looked at you steadily
moment.
"Howdy." he said at last.
He studied the workers carefully again.
oAieASdl Spcdhul llSiS lUIlRHl, lie eA.
planned. Senator Clark, he's goin' to talk
Them's the seats"
His information was superf1uous. The
town of Columbia was papered with the
announcement Bennett Champ Clark
would speak on the courthouse lawn at 8
O'Clock that night in his campaign for re-
election.
Verbal Information BOoms
The Senator's advance man. Frank G.
Kaufman. rolled through the streets
throughout the morning, his voice shooting
from the three horns on top of his black
truck. telling the citizens of the speech.
Occasionally he gave them music from a
phonograph wired to his mobile public ad-
dress system
wherever I see anybody working or
walking along" Mr.. Kaufman said w.
P. AS. road gangs. farmers or housewives,
why, I give 'em blast"
As the afternoon progressed, bleachers
grew on the courthouse lawn Construc-
ton was simple enough; the workers set
out the bundles in rows and laid planks.
by 10, across them. truck came up and
huge galvanized tank was rolled under
maple tree. Eight new tin cups were
wired to the big water container. A man
staggered across the lawn and lifted a lee
tern from his shoulder, standing it against
the courthouse The driver pulled the
empty lumber truck before the seats: an
artist equipped with red, white and blue
tiSSlp clad its bpJv in, ha
colors of patriotism. And then Edwin c.
Orr, Boone County prosecutor and chair
man of the Boone County Clark-for-
Senator Club, dashed down from his Office
to inspect the scene.
DID Mr.. Orr rent the bundles Of shingles
and the planks from the lumber company?
Donation to Democrats.
NO no. Mr.. Orr said. as though the
possibility was unthinkable. They're
donated. This Is Democratic meeting.
In Boone County suppose the Repub-
llcans would have to rent them, but they
wouldn't need this many no, by no means"
The early twilight came, but it brought
no breeze. On the lawn now they said
the Senator had arrived: he was at the
Daniel Boone Tavern. With him was his
son, Champ Clark they heard the boy was
going to sit on the speakers platform
Only handful of the loafers had de-
serted the columns at the east end of the
lawn. Those who came took seats on the
front row; they weighed the merits of the
public address system in careful conversa-
ton. Mr.. Kaufman. the sound man, had
supervised the wiring Of lights above the
lectern. He was taking his ease in an
armchair, reading the comics in the after
noon editions
A moment later he was jerked upright
In his chair. Down on the plot of grass
below the speakers place N. NJ. Boyd's
Town Band had gathered and had set off
on raucous march. Mr. Kaufman blinked
his eyes and returned to his paper. The
band drew a nice hand
The traffic had been steady along Wal
nut street. Presently every foot of the
curb was taken by motor cars. whose oc-
cupants flung open the doors and leaned
back, listening to the band, awaiting the
Senator.
1t was dusk now. A roar of bugles and
drums echoed of the wall of the courthouse
and marching swiftly down Eighth street,
turning briskly onto the lawn, came the
Herbert Williams Junior American Legion
Posts musicians. Mr.. Boyd stopped his
musicians. who were tn the middle of a
number when the competition arose. The
Herbert Williams drummers and buelers
were gaudy in red; white and blue They
wheeled up, halted crisply, set of a con-
cluding blast, and, while Mr.. Boyd's crew
looked on in astonishment, they dissolved.
Mr.. Boyd shook his head, raped on his
music rack and his band ripped into an
other number. The bleachers were filled.
At S:o3 o'clock Senator Clark, smiling
and nodding, climbed up the shinele bundle
steps of the truck behind DR.. Carl Agee,
dean of the Missouri Bible College and
Mrs. B. c. Hunt. chairman of the Wom-
ems Division Of the Boone County Clark
for-senator Club. Young Champ was not
present. There was . wave Of applause q