Epistles from Pap: Letters from the man known as 'The Will Rogers of Indiana'

and Congressional representatives on behalf of some lucrative new clients-the railroads. The improved income situation also allowed him to devote more time to his growi

en were flying the nest, going on to highe

ncluding the purchase of Hereford bulls. The livestock provided grist for his pen on more than one occasion, including a memorable account of some thoro

tution against onerous government "reform" regulations during the Depression; to promote his old alma mater

s grandfather's attempt to create a new county with Russellville as its seat of government. That effort may hav

OVER SORO

er Pap wrote to his

sometime

mphed overwhelmingl

ave the hold they have and should wield the power they do . . . and the heartbreaks they cause or bring about. . . This letter is to be read by you and by no one else. And then it is to be

em Kappa Alpha Theta. Kappa Alpha Theta was founded at DePauw probably 50 years ago. It was among the first of all sororities. I had a cousin, now long since dead, who was one of the founders. In fact, I think she was probably the most active of

ly for what happened afterwards, because I am inclined to think if I had said nothing that she would have joined another. . . And I did not know what heartbreaks were in store for her. The Thetas invited her to their "rushee" party, and things looked well. Then something happened. I do not know what it was, but she was dropped and never bidden

e to her and asked if she would consider a proposition. By that time, she had her back up, and she declined universally. But many is the night during these two years when she was studying in the dining room that she would say that this one and that sorority or fraternity were having a bi

er to join. And she did. And that night came home with the colors on. She is a happy, happy girl. Things have changed overnight. The leading college man,

them or break them at the whim of this or that fraternity or sorority is an outrage. But it is a fact nevertheless. And so I am glad for her eventual triumph. But at the same time, I am humiliated to think that such things exist in a free country. And

you will not g

TROY IT AT

E

dr

ORNED LIKE U

astle,

17,

look like the advertisements you see for perfumes and things of that sort in the Ladies Home Journal. She was so highly colored by reason of the excitement she didn't need any artificial color. Her necklace I think was Joan's, maybe one that Grandma Sawyer gave Joan- looks something like an old fashioned hammock in shape, made of brilliants or imitation diamonds set in black, and she walked out looking like Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish's favorite daughter. An

out a minute after the door closed I heard the shoes flying here and there. I heard both of them say

HAOS AND AM

astle,

26,

: two big crocks of oysters, about 150 biscuits, a 24- pound turkey, and so on-you know how Au

e first sent the frame part with the glass imbedded in it-it was one she had in one of the houses and one fine morning decided that Aura should have a tea wagon. That came through in enough crating to make kindling for two or three months. In about two weeks, here came another crate with the greater part of the balance of said tea wagon. But on careful investigation and splicing, we found one wheel gone and also one handle. She had retained the one wheel to get it fixed, so in due time, it came. Later the missing handle was located and sent. And all the time, th

ut to a picture show or something. Frank was a little nervous. Finally he went upstairs and came back after a long absence and said that Joan had put soap chips all through his bed. He had cleaned it out, and had filled Joan's bed full of nut shells. Then she came home looking suspiciously, eased upstairs evidently to learn if Frank had found out what had happened to his bed. She found he

HANGE

astle,

13,

005 White Bldg. S

home town northwest of here- the town where all the good folks come from, and a town I have consistently and persistently advertised in the local legislature for the past 15 y

m islands what he's b

'll have to change th

hing els

e

NG C

astle,

14,

W. Bu

dsville

Stock Market is undergoing a terrific upheaval and people are taking chances who otherwise and under other conditions, wouldn't think of such a thing, but for you to take a chance on me appearing satisfactorily befor

ock, he dismissed the whole subject with: "The stock is no good, neither is my note. Therefore the whole transaction is now even"-I there

OF THE

h 11

rtland

of Co

ngton

eneficent and just Providence has seen fit to inflict me with not one, but two, Congressmen-you and Red Purnell-thus causing me to bear a double cross. Please

sessions of the Indiana Legislature-now also of hallowed memory. I have seen railroads kicked and cuffed by legislative bodies, and I have seen their securities descend from the highest point in the way of safe, sound investments to about the lowest. . . Railroads are in a hell of a fix. And it is not the fault of the r

unts in part for their present condition. Did you know the B&O couldn't run an excursion from Chrisman to the Russellville Horse Show without the per

mental in getting the contract for a contractor friend. No sooner had the contract been let than an independent hauler living in Chicago approached this contractor and offered to deliver the stone from the Bloomington and Bedford districts on the job as it was needed, for exactly the Interstate Commerce Commission's fixed railroad

oncrete State Road No. 41 they would have probably come. Turning east on No. 36 at Rockville, they would have intercepted a barred rock hen and 11 chickens in front of Ab Shalley's at Bellmore to the utter annihilation of the interceptees. In an unguarded moment some driver would have removed Zephus Burkett's mail box and distributed it and its contents consisting of a Kitselman Brothers Fence Catalog, the Farm and Fireside, and a pamphlet telling how to make he

than a good half of the highway. Loaded up, they would have made the return over Indiana paid-for concrete

ess there had been a breakdown too serious for roadside repairs, or a truck had accidentally run out of oil or gas, or some driver had seen fit to buy

ipment of all kinds and character, and pays taxes on same-regularly. It stands there ready and anxious to receive all business it can get, not only for today but for tomorrow, next month and next year. It can't crank up, call the dog and leave jurisdiction and unpaid debts at 3:01 a.m. on any given day. It does not ask a monopoly. It only asks fair treatment, and that bus and truck competitors be put o

efore you on this subject, and tell me wherein you favor or disfavor them-and why? Perhaps I am wrong in the attitude I take. If

RY OR

astle,

l 11

mes G.

o, I

n Congress. . . I do not know that he is particularly dry. I do not know that he is particularly wet. . . He may be a trifle moist, and he may not be. He has never been known as a radical on anything,

llen made on the Prohibition question. . . Now, if that is the case, she might be characterized as a radical "wet", obsessed on that one question, and forgetful and

hat they did or did not do. . . If everybody had all the information, and had given a question the sa

s are, where your seat is, and when the Legislature assembles take your seat and keep still. There will be times when you will think that you have the exact solution for whatever is being debated. When you feel this coming on you, get up and get your hat and walk around the State House, then come back and sit down and ke

ice, I think absolu

if he were pleased with the way I had conducted myself. He was not. He said: "I thought if we sent a mouthy young lawyer to the Legislature,

ter either the 1925 or 1927 Session, I met this man on the streets here in Greencastle. He came up to me beaming, and said: "I'll tak

imes they jump wrong unless they know

GED BU

rred after a prize bull on the Durham farm ne

31,

rew E.

astle,

way by your pet bull. Fortunately, however, the incident does not-at least so I assume-extinguish your "line". Naturally, the distinguished bull was a thor

ret, however, that under the laws of the great State of Indiana, your own mental pain and anguish is not an element of damage and, so far as I know, th

Y OF "TH

3,

e Frank

Gen. S

Ohio Railr

nnati

.I was supreme on the Durham farm, and lord

ad emitted black smoke and a terrific noise with its rattling body trailing back, slender and long like a snake. At night it had an enormously bright eye in the center of its mam

on, or over, it to where the grass looked greener. And then I went on and up to where there was less grass and m

ividual bull, any where, any time? Look at that head. Imagine what it looked like before he got hit. . . I wouldn't have taken a thousand dollars for him before he was hurt. No. I wouldn't have taken two thousand dollars, nor there isn't a man among you who would have

same time be fair, of course, to the railroads. Naturally we all know that railroads are not fair, and are big rich corporations, paying great high salaries to presidents and lawyers, especially lawyers, for sitti

o be absolutely fair wit

len to double, my sight in one eye may be gone. I still bleed at the nose. . .My mental anguish is unbearable. I know that which I had in abundance and have ample living proof of is gone from m

ize for your hasty re

ish, you may

ectf

e

UT SMAL

3,

e Virgin

of Co

ngton

ear

your sending me a co

-written by the Sena

hing out of this bil

ted a bill of their

h some am

ness at least for the one reason that it requires a capital of not less than $50,000. Small country banks cannot stand a capitalization of $50,000

, Putnam County, Indiana, since childhood. I was sort of raised in that bank. I own the majority stock in it. I worked in it

onsidered-to say the least. There are not so many of us left, and those

pinion that I, in the slightest degree, desire to block sound, reasonable, safe and sane banking legislation. Absolutely the contrary. But . . . I insist that a small community is entitled to a small bank for its small business in the same arithmetical ratio that a large or populous community

y fixed minimum capitalization of $50,000 for small banks. . . To me

ntion, then the bil

sp

Respe

F THE O

8,

Lee

dwyn-Maye

od, Cal

lling about yourself. I saw the name "Western Military Academy" in print and that galvanized me. I read the article from start to finish. I was tremendously pleased a

mitting the "old folks" to reside in our home. The local high school eventually grant

nce, "Western" and its welfare is probably mine. There was where I first learned a

needs. Only more of it. Last evening and today I learn you are one of the best known men of your profession. You evidently have thousands of admirers. Some time, some where, some how, some of them will have

nature anyway. But without any expense of course to you, if you would drop the hint to the Metro folks that you have an idea a newsreel of an up-to-the-minute Military school, at say, Commencement time, would have an appe

16 years. We have Legislative "cranks" here, just like you have movie "fans" there-only not so much so. Now I'm a railroad lobby

re you I'll dismiss the help, unbait the trap, lock the door, call a frightened and bewildered family, and hie us away to Indianapolis, or wherever it may be showing, there to carefully explain to di

show this letter to Mr. Tracy. I've never bothered him

RABLE D

ry 22

ate of Cha

aac Kan

ce Tax Ad

tate

polis,

f direction concerning the abo

he federal estate tax return as we filed it, or whether you desire

onsiderable

man-but terrifically profane-worked on the section under Bill. The crew was laying rails down west of town near Brumfield's trestle. Milt was driving spi

ed employee? Age? Years of service? How did the accident happen? When? Where? Who saw the accident?" etc. etc. And

ully and laboriously. At last he came to the "Remarks". He was puzz

about them 'remarks'. Do you mean Milt's, or do you mea

PLACE TO G

8,

L. Little

our B

polis,

flights of steps, a sort of sunken garden, some four or five tennis courts, a wide blocked-off street, and a football field the short way. And between were the graduates and visitors, in camp chairs and on bleachers as thick as they could be packed. They had loud speakers, but not enough of them for me to hear from the seat I occupied. It took over an hour for the graduates and faculty to march in from four entrances

AX-A BULL STO

20,

B.C.

awa,

he two little girls up into Maine to a girls camp, so unless I succ

bought a McCray-bred Fairfax Hereford bull from a Mr. Dillman at Waveland, and also traded an old Woodford Hereford b

y got his big start in Herefords after he acquired Perfection Fairfax, a Hereford bull that afterwards won the Internat

x-Governor in a petulant frame of mind. He called me "Senator" very formally, was easily irritated and gave this and that as an excuse for t

Hereford to some young fellow from the north part of the state-I hope Lake County, becaus

" said Warren T. "How

n Tom B- ever got

other. I just sort of imagine that when a herd book gets slightly mixed up, or time has elapsed and a given bull's heredity

ll story about as he

s is Warren

ax, and he had a pedigree that read like the Lees of Virginia. . . The only way his owner would part with him would be to sell his whole herd of 37 cows too-for $17,000 cash. I brought him home to Kentland. He won the International Cha

1918. Old Perfection made breeders millions of dollars. Look up there on the wall to my right. See that oil painting? That is Perfection Fairfax. I had a famous artist paint that. See that long picture over the

e, Governor, that you eve

rice I ever go

"Isn't that the highest

ut again and buy the best young Hereford bull on Earth. As I traveled and asked, I kept hearing about a Richard Fairfax, one of old Perfection's calves-a calf I had raised, and

up there in Dakota. If he wasn't for sale at any price I'd soon know it. So I wrote a short letter to his owner. I wrote, 'I know there is no use sending bird shot after big game. If

e that my offer did not interest his owner in the le

s a young breeder who had great faith in me and my judgment of Herefords, and had bought quite a bit of my stuff. Johnny was to stay all night and go ho

m the weather to politics. Finally I looked at my watch and said: 'Johnny, I'm gett

d Fairfax. I know all about your offer. I know the whole story. But I'm about to pay $50,000

hrow cold water on the Hereford business, but now that you've asked me, all I can say is that I quit at $25,000. That's a terrible risk. Why, the

s, so I'd be pretty well fixed for a June sale of sons and daughters of a $50,000 bull. I figure that the advertising a $50,000 buy would give is a big thing. The more I think, the bigger it gets: the highest price the world has ever known for a bull. No other price has even approached that figure. Every big newspaper from New York on west will carry it on the front page, and a picture of Richard and me along with

rmous possibilities. Still,

average $500 apiece. If I pay $50,000 for their sire and get the advertising I think I'll get, the 80-odd head really ought to double that amount-I'm trying to be conservative-But I can't go to my bankers and say, 'Gentlemen, I'm paying $50,000 cash for a bull, I have

I'll let you have an ans

ok Richard over. Examine him as you never examined a bull before. Find all about him-whether he has been exposed to any diseases; have three vets go over him piece by piece-Then go off and think for 24 hours. If y

x sale to the limit. The free advertising the sale got was far beyond his wildest thoughts. Virtually all the big papers carried it both here and abroad. Miss Busch, h

,000 and a half-brother for $7,500. He figured the brother and half-brother didn't stand him out over $500, so if Johnny never was

d ex-Gover

f $1,000, they averaged $1,750. Next day I c

at for a

luck

l" D

IN WOOD

ess delivered at an ann

vered Old Settle

lter. From these caves he would sally forth . . . Eventually, men began to congregate and to band together, first as a family, then a tribe or clan and later as a nation, and in so doing they

vel resistance, generally along watercourses-by way of Eel River, up Big Walnut and Deer Creeks-and thus throughout the County. Once located, and having few and distant neighbors, and

s; railroads were built; newspapers and postal service became more numerous and easier; the telegraph and later the telephone annihilated distance; churches and school houses sprung up; the regular preacher took the place of

have had the extreme good fortune of living within the period of the last 75 years or more, when greater progress along scientific lines ha

or comparatively only a day. And yet, if I were required to hazard my judgment, I should be compelled to admit I firmly

those early experiences that will forever be lost unless you impart them, that we, in turn, may hand them down to the generations yet to come. They will soon be most valued traditions. Books, paper, diaries and records have a most useful place, but some of the

nel in the back is a hand-painted bouquet of flowers in colors- all showing the hand of a careful, neat and skilled workman. Und

pace it took away from profitable calico! Think of the many, many times on that thousand-mile horseback ride that grandfather looked back and felt to see if it were coming along with the balance of the load. Think of the many times it slipped to one side or the other and had to be retied. Think of the many nights it had to be unloaded, and the many morni

y denying yourselves, have given your wives, sons and daughters saddle horses, pianos, automobiles and even farms-and at great sacrifice-and there are

e spring house and get a bucket of water to set under the gourd on the kitchen table. Let's stir up the fire in the fireplace, hang the pot on the crane or test the heat in the Dutch oven; carry the ashes out and put them in the hopper. Let's you and I and all of us go up and see how the dried apples are holding out, and then look the hams over to see if they have any worms in them. Let us hie back to the days when all debts fell due at Christmas time; when mortgages were useless and practically unknown, and when every man's word was his bond. Let's eat a dinner of bacon, corn bread, milk and honey, and other wholesome things of t

BOURBON C

rett A

new county, with Russellville as the county seat. According to family lore, Jacob intended to place the court house on a parcel of land he owned in the center of

, and located his new domicile equidistant from four surrounding

s town plat he care

uar

wn grew. He bought and cleared, and sold and rebought farm lands roundabout. He became a "Squire," and administered justice without fear, but probably with some favor. He journeyed on horseback to Cincinnati and Philadelphia to buy goods, transporting them overla

rl. . . He had the first carriage and the first piano in the county, eve

te. The trip took over two months, and she had to wait until the next summer to find weather and roads suitable to make the return home. Back in Kentucky, she advertised him

ession, he introduced a bill to substantially increase the Governor's salary. . . By a mere coincidence, it was referred to the Fees and Salary Committee, of which Grandpap was a member. It was u

imply carve a new county out of the four existing contiguous counties to Mahrug, make Mahrug the county seat thereof, and give the new county the name of "Bourbon", (a name most likely suggested by scenes from Grandpap's nativity). True, it did provide for the

elay and a little explaining, it passed the House by a very substantial majority and went to the Senate for its action thereon. . . The Senate's County and Township Business Committee in turn named a subcommittee to "examin

not lightly to be cast aside. The subcommittee, in their earnest desire that justice and fairness be done, sought first hand and unbiased information and facts, wherever t

y, the whole suspended from a liberally-adorned ceiling ornament by a gilt rod of considerable tensile strength. The walls were patriotically hung with pictures of former Chief Executives in immense velvet-lined gilt frames of a uniform character, arranged chronol

ary announced the Sen

, and discreetly reti

greeted the subcommittee with outstretched hands. Following the usual formalities, they got down t

t us see what your in

e you fo

o a good many, and so have these other gentlemen h

t geographically sound

ad an earthquake anywhere's

u find the country around there needing a court hous

om the nearest court house. And as luck would have it, there's a

The Governor turned to the other M

can't ford them in high water. And one or the other of them is nearly always high. They're all mud roads and hard enough to get over in d

was leaning forward in h

nd important facts. Those are what I want to hear if I am to be of any ass

his County Chairman was interested in getting passed. And if it got past the Senate and House he wanted the Governor's signature without any quibbling. Gove

l house down on Muskrat Creek causes considerable trouble. Most of it is only hand and club fighting amongst the boys and men there in the neighborhood, but t

y time they make a trade they've got to go to the county seat to get the deeds made. . . My investigation show

rnor. "And you Senator?" He swung around a trifle to face the Minority member. "Well," he began in a hesitating w

interrupted the Governor with a sligh

utting this new county out of are kicking like bay steers," (He noticed the Governor learn

urt. And the people in the counties it is being taken away from don't want it, just like the people of your other counties, from which this new court district would be carved

eeds to be developed, and those people want a court house of their own. They need it. That's why I made up my mind so strong when we first started out to help them get it. We're not up here for politics. The people don't send us her

the shadow of a doubt of the absolute merits of the bill. . . I glory in your decision to push, er, I mean pass, this bill. It must pass. You and I shall see to it. . . I am particularly pleased with the fearless and unwavering stand on the bill your

le glasses. Filling them generously, he handed one to each of the conferees, raised h

unk without the aid of water or o

ttee Report recommending passage soon followed, and was adopted by the

eading was in the offing. It was then that bills were open for amendments, which could, in one minute, absolutely undo alm

He thought and planned. He cogitated and mused. The Majority Whip was a promising young fellow, a good mixer, and the Minority Floo

ught him out and had words with him. . . The Senator, having laid his plans and fortified himself accordingly,

ous House Bills assigned to them during an

ly past the Minority Floor Leader's desk, and with a knowing wink, whispered to him, "Come

corridor to face the four gentlemen he had expected to see. The conference was merely to pledge a mutual presence at, and

plished, was perfect. When the two gamesters returned to the Senate Chamber, the Bourbon County Bill had pas

g of the Bourbon County Bill'

bborn opposition, and the Democrats a bare working majority. Speaking generally, the Senate had shown itself in a surly mood lately. Several sharp clashes among the Majority members had accentuated that mood. They were not functioning smoothly. A wild idea to license the sale of intoxicants had just been fought out -and strange to relate, passed-leaving some serious political sca

everal near-Administration measures had been killed summarily, and apparently f

Legislative atmosphere cleared. The Solons

with the separate court bill voted, "Aye." The rest of the Minority seemed to be voting "no" solidly. Senator Winker glanced at the Minority Floor Leader. He wore an i

e came. Others could not be found. They might be in hiding. A tally wa

use the absentee

the depths. Back of it all, he could not forget the fact, he had nine good Majority

met a similar fate-only more dire

rue that Uncle Ben turned to be a Republican during the Civil War. But that was to preserve the Union, and incidentally a considerable amount of U.S. Bonds he had acquired at most attractive discounts. Thereafter Pap and Uncle Ben studiousl

ITH THE

mber

ublishin

ndence

elphia

this week's Post-what reading the Sharkey,

as reasonably recovered from that phase of life, surely there must be hundreds o

come to the house in order to finish the "The Way I Beat Joe Louis" story-and I've never seen, or expe

d Mrs. Republican and Mrs. Democrat can stop, and political stuff generally, although the recent Allen (or White) story on Landon was a masterpiece of shrewd p

E WIL

1,

y H. Mil

Trust

ix, A

rattlesnake Pioneers and OVER-STUFFED lemonades. Said Public is not cognizant I have dined (and wined) at the Arizona Club with the flower of Phoenix Society, made a complete and minute survey of the entire northeast section of Phoenix and contended with a western sirloin at the Sip and Bite grand piano table, semisurrounded with nasal singers a

s, about 7, 9 and 11, go to Tahiti for deep sea fishing in June; the young Doc showed me his fishing outfit, with reels about the size of the reel on my John Deere corn planter-Thence to Portland. Then Seattle, where my old "frater" at Indiana 32 years ago, Adam Beeler, has just gone off the Supreme bench of Washington (thank

S GOOD L

5,

State Scholar

Betty B

at rare intervals each of us has an opportunity to make a recommendation whole-heartedly, and without the slightest mental reservation. Such is the subject of this letter, and I am happy t

she was in High School. This school year she had sufficient credits for graduation at, or about, Christmas. Much to he

-honesty, health, ambition, modesty, neatness, gentility, industry and a mind that absolutely qualifies her to take a College educ

er any father would be proud to say of her, "She is my dau

nd her most earnest

ider

ectf

N FOR D

astle,

t 27,

orge E

aperboar

dison

York

ear

ng you concerning the transfer of some Paperboard stock, and for whom you so k

ulations of a hill-billy clean out of his environment, t

ng-room. There she was, 6 by 12, three chairs, one settee, one high-up electric fan doing a noble job stirring up that hot 7th floor atmosphere, three Sawmill journals and a 2 x 2 peep-hole, like the ticket window of t

, and she started to explain, so we both explained. Finally, either due to the altitude or the heat, or something, I was supplementing the fan with the new $7.50 panama I had just bought at Macy's in order to get a New York label to show my admiring friends when I got home, and I begged her to just let me see some official of the Company. She relented, and a first class fellow came forth, not to the peep- hole, but right to where the grip and I were. I

e of that ticket window, because I knew the place had to be lousy with red leathe

sited at the peep-hole girl's desk. And that grip is an inoffensive grip. In fact, it was given me by the members of the Legislature one time when I was the alleg

comes to transferring stock, etcs., but there's reason in all things. You have been almost more than fair in your demands. You are not our conception of what a New Yorker is, and especially a New Yor

h the reservation that you furnish your own blister medicine and liniment. I'll furn

AL NEEDS A

experience at losing more money than he ha

t 10,

me out in my run-in with the Methodist Hospital over my hospital bill and some money I

w and knew, I just had to have two $1 bills and some other money in a bill or bills. Those facts helped write the enclosed letter to Benson. Then too, you know how a jury go

our famous 2% Club money, over on one side, and John Frenzel over in the corner feeding himself off of usurious interest money he had wrangled out of some unfortunate borrower. We'll cut out the Organized Labor-loving State Chairman and get to Frenzel, who is somebody-as a man and every other way including a whale of a good Banker with a whale of a good Bank. Now just suppose I had been escorting you into the dining room-you and your stately and dignified walk and manner, and Frenzel had looked up through a cigaret

ity I missed if I co

n, even if I have to

you get to go w

e

t 10,

nson, Supe

Episcopa

polis,

em fair to any disinterested person. You offered to reduce the bill by $24.35, and I insisted my

he gave me back two $1 bills, that I folded with the others and then put in my little watch, or ticket pocket, in the upper front part of my britches. Mr. George Cunningham, manager of the Claypool Hotel, saw that, and so did Doc White of Mooresville, I think. Then Mr. Cunningham and his wife and I got in his car, Mr. Cunningham in the front seat driving, and Mrs. Cunningham and I in back, and went direct to your place. Mr. Cunningham couldn't have robbed

time we've never killed any live stock that wasn't a thoroughbred. All railroad attorneys get used to that and expect it. So four or five years ago the Springfield, Ill., Division of the B & O that runs through my farm at Russellville (and whose trains on that particular division run more by the compass than on the rails) killed my registered Hereford bull with o

now in like manner I want to urgently request that you check up on everybody who handled my clothes from the time they took them from me in the X

in. . . Anybody who is anybody would want to furnish as much outside proof as he might be able to get. Now John, don't come back at me by saying you don't have to ask Mr. Cunningham and Doc White because you believe everythi

HELP WI

ber 25

ilbur

on, I

ther day and called you, but your g

hall, down at Central National Bank figure out the balance of principal and interest as of Sept. 21, 1939-$157.55 on that date. So please send me a check for all you possibly can, and if you can't pay all, then please date the blank note, make it payable in thirty days like the old o

er 30

ilbur

ter, I

Barret

eks ago, for the reason it does not seem to be drawn properly. The figures show the

ntil now. And anyway, it has been a month now and perhaps you can send me a check for something at the same time you execute the enclosed new not

amount, I will cancel the old one that is

NO

ber 1

zed family will be on the "Southwestern" en route New York City and Joan's wedding, which la

d passes-but what passes! Not good on Number this, and not good on No. that. In desperation I went to the General Superintendent, good old B.C. Byers, told him my troubles, and asked if he would make them good on the Knickerbocker. He looked at the passes, then at me, and said: "Why, you've only got walking passes." He thought a minute, then: "A woman with

ke Greencastle. He stood to one side and the patrons started climbing up the steps: Mother, nurse, kids, boxes, suit cases, bird cages, more

ly-and they're no pi

ur

T'S SPLASH I

ber 3

other "Betty Clarke." If I get the story right, some Betty Clarke wrote for the Associated Press on cosmetics, etc. Her successors have used that same name in turn. When Joan writes on foods,

he New York Herald-Tribune, I think it was; then on the Wall Street Journal, and now is Editor of the American Automobile Manufacturers Association Magazine, or some such name. Heretofore it has been edited in New York, but after January 1st next, they move him and the magazine, and Joan, etc., to Detroit, Mich., where the magazine will continue to be published. Therefore, if I u

t lives at Russellville). Well, when Aunt M. learned Joan was to be married, she wrote Joan a real homey letter about it, including therein a recital of what she did in preparation for her own wedding years and years ago; that she began preparations a year ahead, made towels, spreads, dish cloths, muslin garments (I don't know what s

view of the present day stress and strain and disregard of marriage vows, we think deserves a wider publicity. Here it is." Then he quoted the letter. The Greencastle paper got hold of the release and printed it. Aunt Margaret got hold of the Greencastle paper and almost swooned. When she got to New York for the wedding, she

ther of them, or both, had tended to shrink it tremendously. Whatever it was seemed to have centered the attack on the waist band of the pants. Then too, some "low comedian" here at the house said the lapels looked like those of an "end man" in a Russellville home talent minstrel, and another said the tails were too short and seemed blunt and worn off, like an old feather duster. Now tha

up for a try-on, while Bro. McMurray was chalk-marking here and there, I took a hurried look in the glass, and Holy Nellie! What I saw took me back instantly to "Old Prince" at Russellvill

Japanese take the country, and that

le on these wedding signals, or I'm going to find myself with a lot o

AS GOOD CREDIT

h 17

. C.

Oakwo

on,

tening to do a thing I've been threatenin

otel. Her parental father and his family retinue, large and small, married and unmarried, were hosteled on the 12th floor of the Waldorf. And you can imagine what

een present to give a prayer-Joan had graduated at De Pauw when he was President there-but old St. Bartholomew said: "No. No Methodist, or other cult, can pray at an Episcopa

rom Coca-Cola. The wedding reception was to be held in the New York Newspaper Women's Club in the Midston House (hotel near Rockefeller Center). It had a bar, and Joan somehow got the silly idea it was the duty of the bride's father, for this o

stepped into the Club rooms. Then anyone would know it, unle

d telling the guests his great grandpappy was half Indian. His good old wife stayed sober, and as a result sprained an ankle on the scuffed-up rug. The woman Editor of Vogue, or else one of its principal writers, kissed me because she s

. Then went out on their own, and in some unaccountable manner got into the bar of the Hotel, saw what they had done-and ordered

But we ha

r, or paperhanger, and tipping hundreds (it seemed), I thought I might run low in cash. So I slipped quietly around to a room labeled "Credit Manager," w

aster than they do back home on Thursdays at the main gate of our County Fair. I may ru

see the

50 draft, and sure enough there it was in b

the father of Joan Durham, the Feature Writer who was married

said proudly,

ion card, letter, driver's licens

sh somebody would collect, a membership card in the Putnam County Farm Bur

nd then at me and said: "We will cash the draft a

at won't run me, is ther

(which she never heard of), the wedding,

"We'll cash checks fo

rh

me, so I tried to catch up. "Miss", I said,

years", she

t Manager very much longer,

ow the witty bom

rom Russellville ever gave

ll people who wouldn't give bad checks, I left and went upstairs and bragged to Munn

U EVER HEA

h 19

blamed near been sick all the time since leaving there. Coming home I was a trifle dizzy for a day or so, but I attribute all that to those two singers who broadcasted from your music room that Sunday night. Good old Walter sized u

kitchen made the dining room hideous with its squawking. The Old Brakeman asked for grits, fish and sea food. He got boiled side-pork, boiled cabbage, bo

"Where is that terri

sion, she answered: "

, her face lighted an

eard a rad

d or an anim

n on and the music comes out. Ain't you ever seen o

in and brought company, would yo

" she said-and

he lesser highlights of o

nt is small. It's an up and downstairs affair. Little stairway from living room upstairs. The whol