Show A WASHINGTON WASHING BYSTANDER pm p. p I IBy By KIRKE L. L SIMPSON WASHINGTON l Politics that that greatest American sport tinctures sport tinctures everything and everybody about the huge bulk of ot tho the That's Thal's about all nil you ou hear or see as you stroll tho the corridors Everybody of ot tho swarm of congressional congressional con con- gressional attaches from uniformed police guards to doorkeepers and elevator ele men has a n. private nto political background of or significance CURTIS STALWART Of Or them all there is no ono one more Joyously and continuously continuous 1 politically politically oliU- oliU cally minded than tho the rudd ruddy beamIng beamIng beam beam- Ing Kansas veteran who conducts I you with gracious courtes courtesy courtesy- up and I down tho the private elevator leading to the senate press gallery Ills his 70 years have havo utterly failed to dim his Interest in practical vote ote getting setting maneuvering out in Kansas Time rime sits easily on the ample shoulders of Johnnie Weltmer once a a. keyman out in Brown county In tho the days when the tho political destinies destinies destinies des des- of ot Vice President elect Charlie Charlie Charlie Char Char- lie Curtis were in tho the making As county clerk and Curtis man first last and all tho the time Johnnie dealt tho cards In Curtis' Curtis favor Inthe in inthe inthe the knock down and drag out Cur Cur- Bailey battle long ago And as recently as last summer Johnnie put in his leave out at Kansas City doing doln- highly practical Curtis politics politics poli poll tics among neighbors and friends of ot tho the corn belt delegations Sure Ive I've known the senator a afons along along long fons time the veteran said Why I knew him as a boy riding race racehorses racehorses racehorses horses at county fairs We e called him tho the Indian boy then Ho was wasa a little skinny youngster but a n cracking good rider I once saw him him ride at the tho state fair tall Of or course it was not then as big a ashow ashow ashow show as it Is now but It was pretty big REMEMBERS JOCKEY DAYS Was Vas ho he as good a rider as they now say the Bystander asked He lie was mighty good They used to tie him on his horse That's the way he wanted to ride he never would admit that anybody could beat him at horse racing any more than hell he'll now admit anybody can beat him at Kansas politics Weltmer said ho doubted that Jockey Curtis was ever badly beaten but tut ut tho the senator himself has his own memories on the point recalling one time when he was so far behind that as he galloped into tho the stretch an Ironic spectator waved him forward and called out Go Co on kid Youre You're headed IntHe Inthe in inthe the right direction The others all went vent that way Groping among old memories John Weltmer recalled that his father faUler as county cleric cIerI of or Brown Drown county signed a big Issue of county bonds in 1870 as local contribution to the building of ot what John caned called the tho Saint Jo and Denver City railway It Is now the now the Grand Island And Just thirty years later as county clerk I canceled those bonds ho he added John is so much of an oracle on Kansas politics that he lIe thought it to bet on the state last November until he got the Smith supporter challenging him also to get on New York Now he wears a new leather brimmed cap capon capon capon on his elevator job My Iy New York hat he chuckled and as it cost only on a 2 Z bet t Im I'm a nickel cash to boot |