CYRUS HALL McCORMICK 



the door and asked for food. McCormick heard 

 their voices and had them brought into the sit- 

 ting-room, where he happened to be in con- 

 sultation with his lawyer. "Now," said he to 

 the youngsters, " we are going to put both of you 

 on trial. I will be the judge and this gentle- 

 man will be the prosecutor." Each boy in 

 turn was placed on the witness-stand, and plied 

 with questions. It was soon clear that neither 

 of them was telling the truth, so "Judge" Mc- 

 Cormick took them in hand and gave them a 

 serious talk on the folly and wickedness of lying. 

 Then he gave them twenty-five cents apiece, 

 and sent them down to the kitchen to eat as 

 much supper as they could hold. 



At another time a very dignified and self- 

 centred military officer was taking supper with 

 the McCormick family. The first course, as 

 usual, was corn-meal mush and milk. This 

 was served in Scotch fashion, with the hot mush 

 in one bowl and the cold milk in another, and 

 the practice was to so co-ordinate the eating of 

 these that both were finished at the same time. 

 The officer planned his spoonfuls badly, and 



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