THE BEE: OMAHA. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8," 1919.
Arabella Artlip (Now Mrs. Lomax) Sits on Dry Goods Counter
- BL BY. I m I m .
ana oigns; one ivngni nave
Second Installment of Great Life Story of Gen. Pershing
His Birth Confused With That of Brother Jim Boy
'hood Pranks Were Like Those of Mark Twain's "Tom
Sawyer' Natives Proud of Tejegram Sent to Old
Friends By Great Commander From the Battlefields
of France Ancient Villagers Sit Around Stove and
Gossip About "Johnny" Pershing Senior Was Sutler
m the Army. -
Become
Mrs. Gen. J. J. Pershing
Almost immediately after the gen
eral entered the world his parents
moved into the town of Laclede.
When diey came no houses were
vacant and they lived with the
father of Henry C. Lomax, who
was at one time employed as a
i clerk in a general store which Mr.
Pefshing opened, and who is now
Laclede's leading banker. Mr.
Lomax knew the Pershing family
intimately, and tells many an inter
esting story of them -and of John.
But his stories belong to another,
chapter.
This though, should be stated in
telling of the general's advent in
the world. Mr. and Mrs. Tershing
liyed in the Lomax house with their
first born only a few months. Then
they ymoved to a house in State
street, quite a distance from the
town's business section, if "business
section" that part of State street
where the banks and stores are,
may be so called, between Ausmus
and Prairie street. In that house,
kkjiown then as the Ballou house,
J,he Pershings lived, Mr. Lomax
told me, on February 15, 1862. And
on that day was born to the Persh
ings their second child, Jim James
K KVrthinir nt l.lucaeo.
Confuse Jim With John.
' "People confuse Jim's birth with
John's," Mr. Lomax explained.
"That is why people say John was
born here in the Ballou house. It
must have been Jim's birth which
Mrs.. Burnett witnessed."
The Ballou house still stands and
Mavor Allen will tell one today,
even as he told me. that the general
was born there. Never a stranger
comes to the town but the mayor
will lead him forthwith to the house.
-And if Mrs. Eli.Skully, who occu
pies the place Miw, chances to be
at home one may step inside and
, look through it. But Mrs. Skully
Cannot tell the visitor of the facts,
j Keeps-Picture on Porch,
V A young woman young and
charming is Mrs. Skully. She does
not peed to tell one she had not
seen Laclede when the general was
born. Mrs. Skully was then un
thought of, one knows. Call on, her
fijy? Vsrfp ff
Mrs. Louisa Burneet lives in Brookfield, five milea from Laclede,
She was present when the stork brought the now famous general.
and she will show you the house.
Nor is she too busy, when one de
sires to take a picture of the house,
to pose outside her door, her 4-year-old
son, Herbert, and his dog, be
side her, to lend color to the photograph.
"I don't know whether the gen
eral was born here," she told me.
"But I keep a picture of him there,
you see," she added pointing to a
porch window.
These were the circumstances at
tendant upon the birth of the Mis
souri boy destined to become world
famous.
The world stands in continued
wonder at General Pershing.
If the world stopped to trace his
life from the time of his birth there
would be no need to wonder.
In Times of Tom Sawyer.
His boyhood, it is true, was sim
ple. But it was the boyhood of the
American boy who became a leader,
first of boys, then of men, and who
makes history. fc It was boyhood such
as Lincoln led. At the same time it
was the boyhood Mark Twain had
Tom Sawyer live. It was the boy
hood of a virile, full-blooded, clean
American, born of verile, full-blooded,
clean American stock.
The first year and a half of his
life, until after the birth of his
brother, Jim, he' spent in the Ballou
house. He passed through the same
babyhood that other children, born
in the circumstances that were his
in those times passed through. From
the moment he entered the world he
was a healthy baby. He grew stur
dier and sturdier as the days and
months went by, watched over by a
mother, none more tender than
whom ever lived.
Pershing Senior a Sutler.
Soon after the Pershings moved
into Laclede, in '61, came' the civil
war. Mr. Pershing became sutler
for the 18th regiment of Missouri.
In '62 and '63 he was sutler for an
other regiment.
The union soldiers received $13 a
month and they were allowed to is
sue orders for tobacco, canned goods
and such things as they desired on
the sutler. Mr. Pershing followed
the regiments, while his wife re
mained at home, bringing up 'her
firstborn and the new baby, Jim,
born in February, 1862.
The Original Pershing Home.
Mr. Pershing came home in "1863
and opened a store. Then, with his
family, he moved Into a house at
State and Worlow streets. It was
one of the best houses in Laclede.
A ,
It stands today, little changed from
the days when the Pershing family
lived in it. In '63, and throughout
the Pershing occupancy of it, it was
panned wnue ana. mere were many
shade frees about it. A white picket
lence enclosed it.
Today many of the trees are gone,
The fence has been removed, and
tl'ie house is painted brown. A porch
hs been added. In the main,
though, it is the same, even as La
cleiie isabout the same today.
The house is a typical western
homestead, two full stories in height.
The door in the center, with large,
high-ceilinged rooms on either side
of it, and large high-ceilinged rooms
throu$liout.
And Laclede
Itwill not be digressing, perhaps,
to try and picture it as it was in
the old days and as it is today.
.Picture of Laclede.
Laclede is a junction town of the
Chicago, .Burlington & Quincy rail
road, just shout midway across Mis
souri 'on th,e railroad line that runs
from Quincy, 111., to St. Joseph and
Kansas City, Mo. Travelers used to
pass through it, even despite the
short stpp, quite complacently, not
even looking, perhaps, from their
windows to note its beautiful park.
It is different now. Everyone looks
from the train windows. And if
tone did not know tne reason tor
lie town's fame, a huge sign calls
attention to that reason:
"Laclede, Mo., the home of Gen.
John J. Pershing!
These words, on the sign bearing
the general's portrait painted ona
field of Starsxand Stripes and erect
ed on the park soon to be named
Pershing park at the corner of
State, street just across from the
railroad tracks in a place where it
cannot be overlooked, blazon forth
to a world why LacTede is justly
proud.
Telegram From Pershing.
And if one is lucky enough to
leave the train
I did. The first person I met
was L. F. Moore, the station agent.
"You. a newspaper man?" he
asked. I nodded acquiescence.
He drew me into the waiting
room and into his office.
"See that!" he exclaimed exultant
ly, thrusting into my hands a tele
gram. It was from General Pershing,
from his headquarters in France.
Addressed to Mayor Edmund B. Al
len, it had just been received. It
read:
"Express my warmest regards
and sincere thanks to all my old
Laclede friends for their message."
(Signed) PERSHING.
Message to the General. $
"Here's what it was in answer to,"
Mr. Moore broke in when I had fin
ished reading. He' thrust another
message into my hands. '
It was a birthday greeting to the
general from his "home town" and
his "home town's" boyhood friends.
It read:
"Laclede citizens extend birthday
Zff-
1 V n .dSfe ilfl
iSLfe . fff f I If 1 .
Railroad station at Laclede, Mo., the now famous eld birthplace of
General Pershing. At the left is H. F. Wheeler, writer of this story.
On the right is L. F. Moore, station agent, who sends and receives tele
grams from the great commander.
greeting. Confident you will lead
the American army to victory.
(Signed) . E. B. ALLEN.
Mayor.
"Think of it!" Mr. Moore ex
claimed. "I sent that message on
the general's birthday perhaps a
day or two before. His birthday
was September 13. Today is only
the 16th and we have just received
the answer.
Message Rushed Through.
"I tell you when a message goes
to the general from Laclede the
government just speeds it along and
speeds the answer back. Why, 'when
I sent that message I sent to Kan
sas City and they relay from there
the Kansas City operator told me
everything would be held "up for it.
I guess it was.. And things must
have been held up in France, too.
For here's the answer."
Negro Played With Him.
A moment later an old negro had
my bags.
"I'm Thomas Allen Warfield," he
told me. "I knew the general. I
grew up with John. I played with
him. When he was captain, when
we played soldiers here, I was al
ways on his side. I wanted to be.
He won. He woj now. I'll tell you
lots about him."
And later old Allen did. But that
belongs to another story.
Around Historic Old Town.
A stranger reaching Laclede is
immediately taken in hand by Allen.
He takes one to Laclede's only hotel
the Brown hotel. Like the town,
the hotel is quaint. The paper on
the wall as one enters the office is
seen to be broken at the corners. But
it's a hotel you feel at home in. And
all about there are war posters.
"We do our 'bit' here," Allen says.
Gossip About Hotel Stove.
And in the hotel office at night,
drawn close up around the cosey
stove, high, shiny, brass cuspidors
about they thew a lot of tobacco
in Laclede one can learn more
about the general than historians
will ever be able to record.
One leaves the hotel and looks
over Laclede from the hotel porch,
Allen one's guide. The park is
across the tracks. Great trees,
elms and maples, shade it, their
branches intertwining until the
greensward of grass carpet seems
almost roofed with leaves.
The park is bordered on the south
by the tracks, on the west by Olive
street, and its row. of pretty, old
fashioned homes; on the north by
Vernon street and another row of
similar homes. There 'is a hitchinr
rail on the Vernon street side and
there, off and on through the day,
are many horses, as folks drive tn
from the country to make their
purchases.
Many automobiles, too, are park
ed there. Most every one in Mis
souri owns a machine.
Joined Sunday School.
On the east is State street La
clede's business section. This busi
ness section is a row of two-story
places, and there's hardly a place
there one cannot learn of the gen
eral. There is the millinery establish
ment of Mrs. A. J. Lynn, on the
southern end of the block. Then
comes Mrs. T. E. Sisson's restaur
ant. Her husband is the pastor of
the First Methodist church of La
clede, a . church of which the gen
eral's father was once Sunday
school Superintendent and which
the geneeral joined when he was a
boy.
There follow along the block
Weaver's barber shop, "stone" or
fice of Judge Oscar F. Libby. And
if one rfops in on the judge, he
will Ml how the general went to
West roint. .Then there is Brown's
drug store, a few other stores, and
nex,t the dry goods store of James
W. Lomax. Mr. Lomax was in
school with the general. Once, so
some persons say, the general
thought a great deal of Mrs. Lomax,
when she was Miss Arabella Artlip.
about the prettiest girl in Laclede.
One may drop into the store. One
may even sit on the counter; and
Mr. Lomax and his wif, standing
in front of their shelves of gingham
and linens, will tell one of the old
days and laugh over the "love af
fair." - .
Leaving the dry goods store, one
finds next door to it the pharmacy
of Whorton R. Barton. Mr. Barton
knew the general and he will sit at
one of his own soda tables and tell
you stories by the hour. Usually
Mayor Allen is in the drug store,
too. He has many a tale to nar
rate. (Continued Tomorrow)
VACATIONISTS
WELCOMED BACK
TO HOME CHURCH
Special Services Held to Mark
Innauguration of New Sea-
son After Closing for '
Summer.
The churches of Omaha opened
up yesterday after the summer dur
ing which the services were cur
tailed in many respects. Vacation
ists were back and the pews were
' filled by many who had been ap
sent from the city and their churches
for weeks or months.
- t - j :t
Some cnurcnes naa sprciai civ
ices to mark the inauguration of the
new season. At the First Baptist
church iti was known as "home-com-lintr
dav." The castor. Rev. A. A.
DeLarme, returned from a month's
Vacation and the choir was in its
place after two month' vacation.
'i -' Special Musical Program.
. The choir at the First Methodist
church, after a month of vacation,
sang an elaborate program of spe
cial music at both the morning and
evening services.
JCountze Memorial Lutheran
"church had a great reopening Sun
day.. Fifteen thousand dollars worth
of improvements have been made in
the interior of the edifice during
the summer and yesterday's services
were ii the form of a rededication.
At Grace Lutheran church. Rev.
Fred Ross Shirck was installed the
new pastor. Rev. W. I. Guss de
livered the charge to the congre
gation at the morning service and
Rev.' S. , H. Yerian delivered the
charge-to the pastor and performed
the installation at the evening ser
vice. v
Rev. William McN'ary Jackson,
new pasor of the First United Pres
byterian church, preached his first
sermon in that church yesterday. He
was called to this charge from Tope
ka, Kan., where he had been for
several years.
"POLITE BORGLAR"
RENEWS VISITS;
SUSPECT IN JAIL
Talks Cordially With
Koran Escapes in
Auto.-
Bob
Although Detectives Sutton, D.o
lan and Hagerman claim that Will
iam H. Douglas, 2022 St. Marys
avenue, now held in jail on a vag
rancy charge, is the "gentleman
burglar," the real "gentlema burg
lar" whose activities ror more than
five weeks have startled Omaha,
paid a cordial visit at 130 o'clock
Sunday morning to the home of
Bob Koran, 354 North Thirty
seventh street.
After a quiet conversation with
Koran through the latter's bed
room window, with a large revolver
trained on Koran's head, the "gen
tleman burglar" was frightened
and leaping into a Ford touring car
a few paces down the street, drove
away. 1
It was the "gentleman burglar's'
first failure, as far as the police
know.
Man in Window.
Koran and Mrs. Koran were ly
ing awake in bed shortly after 1
o'clock. Their bedroom is on the
first floor. Koran rolled over on
his side and looked out the win
dow three feet away.
"I noticed a marr's head, hatless,
at the window," said Koran. "Only
the upper part of his face and head
were visible above the sill. He
stood motionless peering into my
room. I know he couldn't see me
or even my bed, until a breeze
fanned the lace curtain back into
the room and disclosed me watching
him. Still he stood, motionless.
Presently he started to talk and we
carried on a lively conversation.
"At no time did he appear even
ruffled," said Koran." "He talked
suavely, determinedly' and assuredly.
His voice was refined. His ejirly
blonde hair was carefully parted! on
the left side. He had a long nose.
I couldn't see the lower half of bis
face. I know he was a young man,
probably from 20 to 25 years old.
He was stooping slightly when he
peered over the sill. I think, al-
Colic and Diarrhoea are
quickly cured by Cham
berlain's. Colic and Diar
rhoea Remedy. Ask any
one. who has used it
though the sill is more than five
and a half feet off the ground."
"What in hell do you want?" I
demanded.
Hold Conversation.
"He must have Stood there nearly
a minute longer without moving.
Then he walked briskly toward the
back of the house, peered around
the corner and returned to my win
dow. He pushed the muzzle of a
gun in through the screen and
trained it on me.
"I demanded again that he tell me
what he wanted." He paused again
and finally told me calmly, "Put up
your hands."
"'I have them up,' I said, as I
held one hand up.
"The curtain blew back again and
he ordered again, 'Put them both
up!' Then he became talkative.
"'What's your name?' he asked.
He slipped his hand in through a
hole in the screen and unlatched it.
"'Roll over on your other side,'
was his next injunction.
"What for?
" 'You know what for.'
"I turned over on my side but kept
watching him as much as I could.
" 'Seems to me you ask too many
foolish questions,' was the 'gentle
man burglar's' sage remark."
As he pulled back the screen to get
in he stepped to the left slightly
and took his gun away. I jumped
cut of bed and ran for the front
door. My wife screamed several
times. As I passed through the
front of the house I saw him run
toward the street, south on Thirty
seventh street a HHle way and then
;ump into a Ford touring car."
The police were notified at once.
An hour and a half later, when no
officers had arrived, Koran dressed
and went to the police station him
self. He reported the matter to
Capt. Anton Vanous and then went
to auto livery concerns around town
to see if he could learn the identity
of his visitor. He was unaided by
the police.
Sunday morning at 10 o'clock two
detectives came to the Koran home,
heard the story of the "gentleman
burglar's" visit, advised Koran that
it was merely one of his friends
playing a practical joke on him and
sauntered away.
William H. Douglas was arrested
last Wednesday night by Detectives
Sutton. Dolan and Hagertrian and
held as the "gentleman burglar."
Douglas was arraigned before Police
Judge Fitzgerald and the burglary
charge dismissed. The police then
charged him with vagrancy. He is
stiMl in jail awaiting trial on the
latfter charge.
Omahans in Washington.
Washington, Sept. 7. (Special
Telegram.) Charles L. Dunbey,
Omaha attorney, is in Washington
for several days in an effort to ob
tain passports for a client. He (was
in conference with officials of i the
State department Saturday morn
ing. John I. Negley, who gave up his
law praetice in Omaha two years
ago to enter military service, calledS
on Congressman Jefferis, Saturday
afternoon. Mr. Negley recently re
ceived his honorable discharge, and
stated that, although he had no de
finite plans, he contemplated an
early return to Omaha "if only for
a visit."
AMUSEMENTS.
2jlllllllllll!lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll:
TONIGHT
FESTIVAL' FUII
Clown Bands, Parades,
Fancy- Costumes, Con
tests and Souvenirs,
Confetti, Etc.
TONIGHT
Stenographers'
. Night
, Everybody Invited
HiiiiiiiiiiiiimimimiiimiiimnniHiim?
Two' Stolen Autos Found
by the Omaha Police
Two Automobiles stolen from out
:n the stvte, were recovered in Oma
ha Saturday night. One of the cars,
belonging ,to C A. Jensen, Stroms
burg, Neb., wan found in a growth
of weeds near Eighteenth and Grace
streets. Chiaf at Detectives Dunn
learned that the other car was stolen
from Emerson, Jfeb., a month ago.
Both cars are at he police station.
TWO SHOWS IN ONE '
CAPPS FAMILY, Octette of Versatile
Entertainers; ARNOLD 4 TAYLOR,
Comedy Skit; BRITT WOOD, Vaudeville
Artist; FRAWLEY 4 WEST, Novel
Rinr Artists.
Photoplay Attraction,
THEDA BARA
"Under Two Flags-
Hank Mann Comedy.
Outine Chester 1m
Feature.
Pathe Weekly.
AMI'S KMFjfTS.
PHOTO PLAYS
BRILLIANT MUSICAL BURLESQUE
Twice Daily waelelk Mat. Today
Final Performance Friday Nit
Brand New Edition of
THE
BON-TONS
Featuring
GEO. DOUGLASS JOHN BARRY
in
The Two-Act Hods Podge
'Matrimonial Tangles"
Lucile Rogers, Harry J. O'Neal,
Jean De Lisle, Jack Strouse, Babe
Burnett, Michael Feeley, Ed Simmons
and a
BIG BEAUTY CHORUS
DEAR READEB:
Douglasi sod Barry put OTir enough
hoaluira and jazz to supply two or three
shows and. as to wardrobe, there's a
Hot of design and color and a multi
plicity of duds that must have sUen
Jacobs A Jermon's bank roll convulsions.
OLD MAN JOHNSON. Mgr. Gayety.
Evening 4c Sun. Mat, 2S, SO, 75, $1
Mats. 15c and 25t?i
Chew gum if you like but ns smoking
LADIES' 1A. AT ANY WEEK
TICKETS WC DAY MATINEE
Baby Carriage Garage isr the Lobby
PHOTO PLAYS
TAYLOR GRANVILLE AND LAURA
PIERPONT in. "AN AMERICAN ACE"
Davt Fsriuton a Co.: HarHhal Hsnlsra;
Dunham 4 Edwards; Williams tV Mitchell;
Three Jahas: The Hasans; Topics ef the Day;
Kinoaraiee.
FRANK MACH
Violinist
Produces Results
Phone Douglas 1952
MADAME RHADA
Th Master of Mystery and
6?
3t
' "SfiiflDliillO HI)
ft
TTT -r 71
PHOTO PLAYS
PHOTO PL. AYS.
- - in
BRANDEIS
1:30 3:30 7:30 9:15
Setf20Ga$
HZ
Eugene O'Brien
-in-
"THE PERFECT
v LOVER"
WELLINGTON CAFE
C. F. REIMER, Proprietor
$1 SPECIAL SUNDAY DINNER $1
Consomme Xlear
Choice of Fried Spring; Chicken
Friccasee of Chicken with Parsley -
Dumpling
Roast Young Chicken, Celery Dressing
Roast Young Turkey
Celery Dressing, Cranberry Sauce
New Potatoes in Cream. Sliced Tomatoes
Wax Beans Creamed Peas
Ice Cream and Cake, Cherry Pie or
- New York Fruit Salad
Ice Tea, Coffee or Milk
Also a la Carte
Try our 80c Luncheon on Week Days.
For best results in renting or sell
ing property, use Bee wants ads,
A.H. Blank
William Farnum
-in-
"THE WOLVES OF
. THE NIGHT"
Gladys Brockwell
-in-
"Broken
Commandments"
Today to Wed. Nite
LOTHROP "tzl
CONSTANCE TALMADGE In
"HAPPINESS A LA MODE"
Arkuckls Comedy, . Chester Outing.
HOW PLWDNG
FilmdomaT
mJT Greater?;
SJ StNftETTS
-
ir a ,w j. l a a a
a at At ??.5Wsk
I I ;v " e jw: s
mm
BEAUTIES
V
PERSON
IN
COSJUflCTIOfl
WITH SENMETTS
PERFECT SCREAM
f LAUGHTER
YANKEE DOODLE
" BERLIN"
ALL STAR
SENNETT CAST
DEH TURPIN
CHARLES MURRAY
FORD STERLING
CHFSTFD fONKIIN
Oo-iee ! Z 's"-swis 'w s e isaes s
;
Seats Reserved for 7:30 Show
ATTEND THE MATINEE
600 SEATaS 25c
I
)
4
UL8.
wslifc,.
