New Story Of Cannon

How the Tables Were Turned on "Uncle Joe." Victim of a Quick Witted Clerk.

Two Newspaper Men Smoked Costly Cigars at Congressman's Expense When He Called For "Tow Fors." Candidate for Speaker Had but a Nickel and Was Forced to Borrow Twenty Cents to Pay For the Treat.

Since the withdrawal of all the candidates in the field against Congressman Joe Cannon of Illinois for the speakership of the house of representatives, assuring the election of the "old man," as he is affectionately styled by his political associates, his friends have been busy telling yarns illustrating the idiosyncrasies of the next speaker and predicting that there will "be something doing" when he takes up the speaker's gavel.

One of the best stories told of Cannon, a hitherto unpublished one, was related the other night to a St. Louis Republic reporter by a well known newspaper man in Washington.

"It was in the latter part of 1900, about the month of September, I think," said he reminiscently, "that Mr. George G. Hench, now local manager of the Associated Press at St. Louis, drifted into the Grand Pacific hotel, at Chicago, one morning during one of the monthly political powwows which were held at that hostelry. He ran across Hiram D Fargo, Washington correspondent of the Chicago Evening Post, and the two newspaper men spent an hour chatting with the politicians gathered in the lobby.

"They had not been there long before they found Congressman Cannon, Hopkins and Lorimer engaged in a quiet conversation in a nook apart from the crowd. Fargo and Hench seized the opportunity to quiz Cannon on current political topics, but he was as uncommunicative as usual, and after a few minutes the little group moved across the room with Congressman Lorimer, who was preparing to depart.

" 'Now, boys,' said Cannon, 'there's nothing more to tell you. I've said all I'm going to say today.'

"This, of course, was a direct invitation to the two newspaper men to make their adieus, but they were not quick to accept it. Their little stroll brought them to the cigar stand. Lorimer said goodbye and went out. Then Congressman Cannon, remarking that he believed he would have a smoke, turned to Hopkins, who he knew well did not smoke, and invited him to have a cigar. Hopkins, of course, declined.

" 'Then give me a good cigar,' said the old man.

" 'What kind?' inquired the clerk.

" 'Well, I don't care, just so it's a good ten center,' replied the congressman as he laid a ten cent piece on the counter.

"He bit off the end of his cigar, lighted it and took a few puffs in a reflective manner. Then he turned to my friends and said, as if it had occurred to him quite suddenly that they might desire to smoke:

" 'Well, I won't be hoggish about this matter. I'll give you fellows a smoke, anyway. Clerk, give these fellows a good cigar.

"By this time he presumed that he had aroused their expectations to the highest pitch. Then he added, with just the suggestion of a smile, which showed the keen delight he was taking in his little vengeance upon them for pressing him for news:

" 'Two fors will do for them. That's good enough for newspaper men.'

"Probably his satisfaction would have been complete, for they were too astonished and chagrined to say anything, but for the fact that the clerk was more quick witted than they and, besides, was 'dead next' to the old man. While that grim smile still twitched the corners of Cannon's mouth the clerk dived into a box of his best two for a quarter and, giving the newspaper men the wink, passed the cigars over the counter to them. They lost no time in biting off the ends of them and beginning to smoke them. Cannon threw out a nickel on the counter in a most ostentatious manner, as if to heighten the joke. But the clerk, assuming a manner of conciliation, said:

" 'Twenty cents more, please!'

"Hench told me that they had their revenge right then, for he never saw such a look of astonishment as Cannon's face wore.

" 'Twenty cents!' he almost shouted, with such an accent on the word 'twenty' as to convulse us with laughter. 'Why, I told you to give those fellows two fors. I'm smoking a ten center myself, but two fors are good enough for them.'

" 'I gave them two fors, sir,' replied the clerk in his blandest manner, 'but I thought you meant two for a quarter, of course.'

"The joke was on the congressman already, but they did not realize for a moment how good it was. Cannon began to fumble first in one pocket and then in another for change. Finally he took out his wallet and peered into it in a hopeful fashion. He was flat broke. The newspaper men saw his predicament and offered to pay for the cigars. He declined with a brusqueness that almost made them regret the whole affair. Then, turning to Congressman Hopkins, he said:

" 'Hopkins, have you got any money?'

"Hopkins replied that he had, and Cannon blurted out his appeal.

" 'Well, lend me 20 cents to pay for these fine cigars these newspaper men are smoking. Boys,' he added to them, 'it's on me. Be as easy on me as you can.' "