The Petal paper. [volume] (Petal, Miss.) 1953-19??, 1956-11-15


heart Miles B. Porter, my wife's father
Now he's dead his heart having failed him. but
never his fellowman. Ask anyone who knew him
His truly big heart.
My acquaintance with NIB. began some five years
ago. l told him wanted to marry his daughter For
long while he just stood there looking without say
ing word All the while he twirling his watch chain
with Knights Tempar forb it around his forefnger
got little nervous say the least and swallowed sew
eral times quite unnecessarily.
"How old are YOU Mr.. East?' he asked, finally
I'm thirty, Sir" said.
He twirled the watch chain some more while I swal-
lowed several times
After good thirty minutes Seemed like it. anyway
ne said: We'll, if you're not old enough to know
what you're doing doubt you ever will be- NV blessings
and sincere sympathy to both you and my daughter"
1t figured he just plain didn't like me. And that
was understandable, and pointed out to him the fact
that no father thought any good enough his only
daughter sort of expected him to agree, but he didn't
he just said HA And with that one syllable word he
turned and walked from the room.
Admittedly, it was quite some time before learned
the vast difference in his talking and his actions For
example Billie and found house some few months af
ter we married We wanted it the worst way but
usual was nearly thousand dollars short of the
down payment We visited B. and Tressie one Sunday
afternoon and it came conversation B asked
no questions; he went into his and returned with
check for the down payment His instructions and
ment: Pay 1t back whenever you can" And this
thought from who doesn't like mel Well
AS said is measured by the size of his heart
and M.B.s of large size.
| remember last year when NIB. ran for County
Judge of Jones County. He defeated but as recall
he carried every single box outside the city limits of
Laurel Anyway, close friend of his was kidding him a.
bout his enthusiasm saying that Miles got SO worked up
the election that soliciting votes in Smith
County. M.Bs reply: Yeah and I damn near carried
Smith County, too But with reference to that election
I've anyone relieved at being defeated in
election He went into it without any experience and
soon found out that there were friends" who had
friends and to honest impartial office would
be trial of some magnitude He relieved as said
In numerous ways NIB remarkable fellow
Having attended college, he still passed the Bar
examination in 1881 At twenty he was railroad ele
grapher, and that he learned without the benefit of
schooling He would sit around the railroad office and
listen, an by golly, he learned it.
In 1852 he retired from civil service and practiced
law more or less at his leisure. But knows the
number of pensions he got for widows and children of
war veterans wadng through miles of red tape and
often without any charge And in the matter of settling
claims know for fact that every client he ever had
got their share just promised He was believe it
not an honest attorney. ZOO E&
There is question of the size of M B's heart His
generosity was unquestionable often fault In going
through some OF his papers last week. Billie and Tressie
found many hundreds of dollars worth of bank notes
which had been paid off by NIB. for his friends and
of his friends notes he paid than once He
let people impose him. including me-
And with reference to people imposing, frankly it
never occurred to that he just might like 60 fish
ing instead of filing tax returns for doing out legal
advice to that could stay out of jail little while
longer.
Of course, it his fault, because he could and
did, give the impression that he'd been sitting his office
all day just waiting for them to by and see him. to
get him to do any of thousand and one things
for free, of course.
l do not wish to leave the impression that NIB was
saint He far from it, having all the human faults
known in these parts He was perhaps the hardest liv
ing man knew Almost with the regularity of the sum-
NIB would every two or three months, throw Wiling
ding drunk He of those persons who just couldn't
help it. no matter how hard they try. But this say:
In spite of that fault he always provided most generously
for his family and his occasional benders kept
him from his work obligations to Others AS
once said les has beat his wife, anyone else
And that true.
He was not church going man, and some considered
that be fault didn't For since his death, I've noted
cancelled checks month after month"; for contributions
TO thoc oh