ited
at the Pershing home at this place frequently.
After leaving Laclede, mother lost communication
with them.

"The citizens of Meadville and vicinity have in
the course of construction at the present time a
large sign to be erected at the birthplace of the
General. My mother is now in her 85th year.

"The place of the General's birth is near a small
stream known as Hickory Branch and the community
along this stream is known as the Hickory Branch
Community. In closing, I wish to pay my respects
to the General: John J. Pershing, the baby,
belongs to Hickory Branch. John J. Pershing, the
man, belongs to the world.

"Yours truly,
"E. S. WARREN."

[Illustration: The Home of the Pershings, Laclede, Missouri.]

It is not strange if seven cities contended with one another for the
honor of being the birthplace of Homer that two small villages in
Missouri are divided in their claims for a similar honor in the case of
the present foremost American soldier. As to the merits of the contest
it is impossible to pronounce judgment at this time. The General himself
has only hearsay evidence of the exact locality of his birth, though
there is no question as to its having taken place in Linn County,
Missouri, and that his boyhood was passed in the village of Laclede.

The General's father, John P. Pershing, a short time before the birth of
his oldest child (the general), came from Westmoreland County,
Pennsylvania, and went to work as a section foreman on the Hannibal and
St. Joe Railroad. He was a forceful man, of energy and ambition, and it
was not long before he was running a general store and at the same
time was postmaster of the village. A man now living, who worked for the
General's father in both the general store and post office, has this
tribute to pay to his one time employer: "He was a very active business
man with wonderful energy, strictly honest, never stooped to a dishonest
trick; a pronounced man in the community; the leading business man. He
liked to make money. He lost two fortunes on the Board of Trade,
Chicago. He traveled several years out of St. Joseph, probably one of
the best paid men. He later left St. Joe for Chicago, where he was
traveling salesman for another firm. He made many business