Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-05-04

university was expanding and TAX
ing on new ideas. Some of them
seemed wildly extravagant to the
legislators who had to appropriate
the states money. But little by lit
tie, new departments were added,
new equipment was put in.
One of these new ideas came from
the editor of the paper in the town
where the university was located
Walter Williams. He talked it over
with the president of the university,
but the idea was so new, so utterly
unheard of, they realized they would
never get it past the farmers-for-
the-most-part legislators unless they
proceeded with great circumspec-
ton. The two of them took the idea
to George S. Johns, editor of the St.
Louis Post-Dispatch who not only
had a son Orrick Johns in school,
but was also a far-seeing man. But
l know nothing of all this ma
chlnery of preparation-this father
ing of a new idea-until one day I
saw an announcement on the bulle-
tin board that set my heart jump
ing. 1t asked all those who were
interested in newspaper work to
leave their names with the secretary
to the president. Interested in news
paper work! Why, that was what I
lived for. tore in as fast as I
could.
A week or so later, 1 got letter
from the secretary asking me to
come to his office on a certain eve
ming at a certain time. I shook
little, boys being boys, then I con-
nected it with the mysterious notice
on the bulletin board. Nine of us
filed in, when the time arrived,
much mystified. In few moments
Walter Williams walked in! How
plainly can see him-that great
Midwestern Journalistic small man
with a thin, quavering voice, a
homely face and down-hanging I'M
derlip.
The upshot of it was that the St.
Louis Post-Dispatch had made an
offer to take us to St. Louis and keep
US, with all expenses paid, and let
US get out one number of that paper.
St. Louis! All expenses paid!
We're we interested? If so, please
sign. I could hardly whip out my
fountain pen fast enough. When it
was all over, I was elected head of
the group and thus became (al-
though didn't know it at the time)
the first student in the first school
of iOlIrn a liSrp in tho u,or1d
l don't remember how many of
the boys had been in St. Louis, but
l hadn't, and 1 think 1 was a cross
sample. We got off at Union Sta
ton, bewildered, in spite of our
selves, at its hustle and hustle. But
this lasted only few moments, for
Carlos Hurd, representing the paper,
sWooped down on us, very urbane
man of the world.
1t wasn't long before I found my
self in the biggest and most fashion,
able hotel I had ever seen in my
life-the Planters. Immediately
had return of inferiority and felt
i'll at ease and out of place. And
the other boys were looking to me
for leadership!
He took us to a magnificent ESQ it
seemed) dining room, and colored
walters, wearing what thought of
as evening clothes, put bills-of-fare
into our hands. didn't know how
to order, and l don't believe the
others did, either. I find myself
nrrocSnI
and I only set it down in order to
give as clear picture as 1 can of
what the young man in the Midwest
in my day was like. How small his
world was, how simple and naive
he was in comparison to the dashing
college lad of today.
My eyes fastened on something
could understand and I half whis-
pered to my waiter that I wanted
| jerked beef and ice cream. Carlos
Hurd saw the embarrassment we
we're laboring under, and put in an
order for us, all the same thing.
We breathed with relief and sat stiff
and upright, a contrast to the laugh
ing, joking, confident group we had
been on the train. After dinner we
felt trifle more at ease; but it was
still bewildering world.
The next morning someone told us
to lock our rooms. l locked mine
and started to put the key in my
pocket, but ran into an unexpected
problem. Attached to my key was
a strap of iron about the size of a
six-inch ruler. put it in my pocket,
but it was most uncomfortable, as
went down the elevator. 1 was
not going to let that defeat me, so
promptly went upstairs to my room
and managed to pry the strap of iron
off. I left it there and put the key
in my pocket where it would be
safe. That evening when I came in
and saw people having their keys
handed to them from set of boxes,
hurried upstairs and pried the strap
of iron on again. l did not mention
it to anyone, let alone Carlos Hurd
who, I knew, was having his own
private thoughts.