One of the things I remember from my childhood was my Grandfather White telling about a group of young Warsaw businessmen and their friendship. Back in 1934 the town was saddened when Dr. Harry Newkirk froze to death in the pasture during a heavy snow storm while checking on cattle. He was only 31. Harry Newkirk was an athlete, both in basketball and baseball. When he went to Western Dental College he was on their basketball team. For several years he played for the Lakers, an independent club at Warsaw. My grandfather played with this team, so did the late Buel Orchard of Clinton. Harry was also a shortstop for the Warsaw Indians. Anyway, I’m winding around to this: When Dr. Newkirk died, my grandfather wrote the following for the Enterprise. These lines hold true for many lifelong friends in many towns.
“Doc”
“Another one of the boys is gone. Their ranks somehow have thinned rapidly in recent years. Not old men they are, but youths in their prime. This time an athlete--A lead off player--A professional man--Square shooter always--But most of all “One of The boys.” They hang together these hometown fellows. Closer are their ties of loyalty than the lodge or fraternal organization. Faults they all have, but they know and understand each other. When one of “The Boys” is gone, that place is never filled. Time means but little. There are “The Boys” in each generation. They remain as such ‘til the end. And “Up there,” when they are playing ball (if they don’t play, Doc wouldn’t want to stay), “The Boys” here in Warsaw will be pulling for their leadoff man to crash through with another base hit.”
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Hillary is back again. This time she’s comparing the war against Nazi Germany to voting against The Donald in November. She said he is a “Threat to democracy!” Every time I hear someone crow about “Democracy” I think about how East Germany called itself a Democracy and West Germany called itself a Republic. Our country is still a Constitutional Republic, at least for the time being. A Republic government guarantees the rights of the individual, where these Democracies have leaders that rule over the individuals. Just ask anyone in Ukraine where President Zelensky has suspended elections indefinitely. Wonder how Hillary would fare based on the new “No one is above the law” standard? I would say 35,000 felony counts for destruction of public records and failure to comply with a subpoena would be in order. One thing is certain though, she was a wizard at trading cattle futures.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS! Archaeologists may have discovered how the Great Pyramids were built. Geophysical surveys and sediment cores confirm the presence of a river near the giant structures. This means they were easily accessible from a branch of the Nile. The pyramids are a marvel no matter how or when they were built. Can you imagine our government trying to design and build them today? As advanced as we are, we still have no idea what life was really like thousands of years ago and what technology may have been lost or destroyed. With the precision the pyramids were built, I bet it wasn’t a man pulling rocks on a rope.
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This column is tottering along today, but if I told all I knew, I’d have to leave town and never be seen again. That happens once in a while. Let’s speed on to a pure and useful day! Take care of yourself Old Buddy.
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Til Next Week:
J.M.W.
