Riverview Military Academy - Orbit Yearbook (Poughkeepsie, NY)

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lated Rube on his success as an athlete, but I was in a very great hurry and decided that speed would have to be my middle name if ever I expected to get back home again. 'A' After some uneventful weeks I reached San i ' I Francisco where I re- mained but a few days I after which I started for home. The west- ern country was at its ' '- f best, at least so far as nature was concerned. I never had seen the 1 wheat fields in better ' trimv-in fact, all of the farm products appear- ' ed to be at their best. My attention was call- 4-4 Z. , I . f . fr I Z H- L-nv X I!! ed in particular to one farm where there seem- ed to be nothing but cabbages-cabbages as far as the eye could see. The apparent owner of the farm was weeding his field when I yelled- out to him, How are crops coming? Purty pert, was the brief response as he turned toward me and I recognized Silas Lee Husted, by gosh. Well, Leeu I said, this is a surprise. How did you ever happen to land out here? Wal,,' Lee replicdf, crops warn't very good back in Stanfordville, so I thought I'd git a-head of the people there and come out here and work. You see how I have prospered, as he proudly viewed his patch. You certainly have, I replied, as I hiked it down the road. . Wlhen I reached Chicago, ' ' 5 an individual conspicuous My because of his littleness of stature accosted me. Need- ! I less to say the gentleman was .ix 4. Dr. A. E.Ralston, more com- ii monly known as Pee Wee. - Of course, I wanted to know fi how he happened to be in Chicago, what he had been f doing, etc. I will not at- tempt to draw out his speech as he drawled it out to me, as Briefly, he had been crossed in love fpoor boyll which nearly wrecked his whole career. After this terrible blow, he life is too short. entered the ministry, since which time he had put many a weary man to sleep during the course of his long drawn-out sermons. I took lunch with the Dr. that noon. During the

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head put a dent in the asphalt pavement about a foot in depth. I jumped out and pulled the unconscious individual from under the ma- chine and-Horrors! it was Bone-Head DeOna! His head was sensibly not marred a bit, and he seemed to breathe freely. I took him to the nearest hospital, where, in about 15 minutes, he became conscious again. When I told him he had had a very narrow escape, he only laughed, and said he had had lots of things happen to him more serious than that, the worst of which was a railroad wreck in which he took part the week before, 15 cars and the engine were piled on his wiry sky piece, in which position he stayed for two days, after which the burden was removed from his head, and he was allowed to go his way in peace. I apologized for running over him, put my machine in a near-by garage, and contrary to my wishes, stayed in the city that night. It was some days before my machine was again i11 running order, and I could continue my journey. And this part of my journey was the most uninteresting of all, as far as my acquaintances were concerned. The scenery to be sure, was perfect, and as I went further south, I could not help but note the difference 'J f' -. In 1 J Nl! f , - !, v In in the habits and appearance of people with whom I came in contact. When I reached New Orleans some weeks later I saw an invention which dumbfounded me. There was a man, out on the Mississippi River, apparently walking on the water. As l1e drew nearer shore, I recognized him to be Rube Hiller. And what do you think old Rube had done? Nothing less than model his dainty shoes into gun boats, by the aid of which he was able to walk on the water. But this was not his only achievement. I learned froln one of the inhabitants of the town, that Gun Boats had won hundreds of medals in foot races all over the world, and that his record for the hundred yard dash had been reduced to 4153 seconds. Had I had more time, I would have certainly stopped and congratu-

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1 l--- e fi I ' 'K ' course of our conversation, hetold me that a fellow class mate of ours, a Mr. VVarren, was at present the manager of one of the largest peg-topped trousers factory in Chicago, fancy corduroys being his specialty. That after- noon we stopped around at his office, and found old Beau fast asleep in his IVIorris chair. I hated to wake him up hut not having seen him in some time, I was quite anxious to have a little chat with him. We succeeded, after violent shaking, in waking him up. He was awfully glad to see us, and showed us through his plant. Together with his famous peg- topped corduroy trousers department, he had lately instituted a fancy sock department, green socks being his specialty, and his largest seller. Beau soon became tired of inspecting his own factory, and laid himself down on a pile of trousers, and was soon fast asleep again. We continued our way through the different departments of his factory unaided, and left him to his misery. I left Dr. Ralston shortly after three that afternoon, and in the course of a few days reached home again. My tour was an event of the past. W W .aim XKWW We 'fog' 0 '- Q7