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Around The Rim—The Herald StaffKnowledge Of Senator's Faith Helped To Really Know HimThe opinions contained in this and other articles in this column are solely those of the writers who sign them. They are not to be interpreted as necessari y reflecting the opinions of The Herald. — Editor's Note.Harley Sadler was never a robust man. In the days when he thrilled audiences with his Toby make-up and by calling the Deacon to account in the waning minutes of the third act. he was at best a wiry sort. I didn’t know him well then, only idolized him, and as Tommy Hart aays, wondered why he didn’t go to Hollywood.When I came to know him best, and I believe to know the real Harley Sadler, he was spare—almost frail. Over the years he had always made me feel like an old friend, and when he met Lucille, he always remembered how her Daddy provided the furniture needed in all the Sadler stage productions in Big Spring.The occasion for my getting closest to him was when I had the privilege of covering the Legislature for a month back in 1953. Part of the beat was to check in at Senator Sadler's office every morning. In contrast to some, almost always I found him busy at his desk. A lot of it, I discovered, was a sort of business he might just as well have spared himself but didn’t. These were the numerous calls of people wanting some personal favor, a job, a recommendation, an introduction to a key official, or like as not a five spot to tide someone over until a payday that was really never to be.We soon had an unwritten understanding. If he called out that he wanted to see me in a minute, I sat tight and went through the gestures of being frightfully impatient. If I had thus enabled him to be rid of some bore or bother, we both rejoiced. If I needed a copy of some pending bill or resolution, he would personally get it although I could have dug it out myself.On occasions when there was a lull in the Senate’s activities or when adjournment there came ahead of the House, he would pop up in the lower chamber talking earnestly with representatives in his senatorial territory.One Sunday morning I had overslept and was about to yield to the temptation of skipping Sunday School and church whenI met Harley in the hotel lobby. It wa» already late but he insisted he would wait so I could go with him to the Sunday School class Gov. Allan Shivers taught. He always got such a blessing out of the lesson and the class, he said, and he wanted to share it.After the class, while many others ducked out with a feeling the day’s religious chores had been satisfied, Harley walked straight to the First Baptist Church, just as he would have at home in Abilene. On the way over the talk somehow got to the sustaining power of one's faith. And so he spoke of Gloria, Harley and Billie’s only child. Everyone knew how the two had idolized the girl, and how lonely they were when she married, and then how wonderfully happy they were when they learned she was to become a mother. As he unfolded the story, I realized how their whole life was wrapped up in Gloria, and how paralyzing was the blow when she and the baby had died at childbirth. He spoke softly and I am sure that I must have imagined a faint quiver In his voice. “All Billie and I had left was our faith.” he said.After church he insisted that we have dinner togcther.^As we walked downtown and talked over our food. I sensed that Harley was in one of his periods of bad luck. Adroitly as my training had taught me, I eased a question in here and there and pieced a pattern in my mind of failure upon failure of oil wells until most of his resources must have neared exhaustion. Billie was operating a drive-in theatre, and that was the sole bright spot of family fortunes. But in casual conversation, you would never dream he wasn’t riding the crest of good fortune.I asked the waitress for the check. “Oh,” she said almost tolerantly, “Sen. Sadler’s already taken care of that ” I turned to protest but he lifted his hand. There was a sparkle In his eye. It occurred to me: “I never really knew this guy before today.”JOE PICKLE
Newspaper Details
Big Spring Daily Herald
Big Spring, Texas, US
Wed, Oct 20, 1954
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 14 Mar 2024
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