ventures--was
something of what to-day is called a promoter.

"He was a man of commanding presence. He was a great family man, loved
his family devotedly. He was not lax and ruled his household well."

The older Pershing was insistent that his children should be able to
meet the difficulties in life that must be overcome before success can
be won. The value of regular habits of appreciation of the things worth
while, was his hobby and he taught by example as well as by precept.
Hard work was essential. Therefore hard work must be undertaken and
done, and he began early to train his three boys and three girls, who of
the nine that were born to him grew to maturity. His creed included the
precept that it is well to learn to bear the yoke in one's youth. Every
Sunday the Pershing family were seen on their way to the little
Methodist church of which the father and mother were members, Mr.
Pershing at one time being superintendent of the Sunday School. He is
reported also to have been a local preacher. He was one of the founders
of his church.

A neighbor writes, "When the Civil War broke out, the elder Pershing
left the railroad and became the regimental sutler of the old 18th Mo.
Reg. Infantry. Later he engaged in merchandising and farming with
success, but was caught in the panic of 1873. About 1876, he went to
work for I. Weil & Company of St. Joseph, Mo., as a traveling salesman,
selling clothing, and later for a big Chicago house. The family lived at
Laclede until about 1886, at which time they moved to Lincoln, Nebraska,
where two of the daughters now reside. General Pershing's father and
mother are both dead.

"The Pershing family were zealous church people. John F. Pershing was
the Sunday School superintendent of the Methodist Church all the years
he lived here, I think, or until he commenced to work for I. Weil & Co.
Every Sunday you could see him making his way to church with John (the
general) on one side and Jim on the other, Mrs. Pershing and the little
girls following along. The family was a serious loss to the Methodist
church when they moved away from here."

Throughout his life there was an air of seriousness under which the
future general was brought up. Doubtless from his earliest days the
impression that if he was to do anything worth while he must first be
something worth while, consciously or unconsciously influenced the life
of the son of the father, who was eager to have his children secure the