Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects Who's Who in 1921 & 1922 Peter Harold Staves

"The Fairfield Tribune"
Thursday, November 24, 1921
Page SIX

NO. 37. (sic - should be 39)

PETER HAROLD STAVES

Who's this? Earl Caddock? No. Czbysco? Wrong again. Pete? Yeh, that's the boy, our own Pete--Peter Harold Staves on his calling cards. Didn't know Peter Harold looked like this? Well, then you never saw Pete in wrestling costume.

All of the elements of art are here sacrificed to present the plain truth. All the wealth of beauty of the curves of nature is passed up that the straight lines of truth may be depicted with utmost fidelity. All the symmetry of graceful Grecian curves have given place to hideous angles and unsightly straight lines that facts may be presented. For truth is mighty and must prevail in this column.

But straight lines may have their beauty also, as may be seen by the glimpse of the Parthenon which forms the background for our hero. Straight lines give the impression of uprightness, firmness and decision. That's how come the cartoonist's conception of building Peter Harold Staves along straight lines. For Pete, you must know, is a square guy--square toed, square shouldered, square jawed--a blocky sort of a chap until you come to his head, there the blockiness ceases.

Pete made America famous when he came to this country from Greece some sixteen years ago. He had learned all there was to learn in the Greek schools and he thirsted for more knowledge. So he went to school in New York for a year or two. Then he came out to Chicago and went into competition with a few hundred thousand of his countrymen in that city by opening a restaurant and ice cream joint. Then he heard of Fairfield. Pete came out here, took a look at the town, went back to Chicago and gave his business place to a friend and caught the first train back here. That was ten years ago and it looks like Peter Harold was parked here for keeps now.

Now, one of the first things Peter Harold learned after he came here was Americanism. It made a hit with him and he lost no time in transferring his allegiance from the king of Greece to Woodrow Wilson and the U. S. A. When he had learned to get on the outside of some good American slang passably well and had mastered the rudiments of baseball and football he was admitted to American citizenship.

Being an American Peter Harold didn't propose to let Germany run over us. He enlisted early in the big fight--in the aviation department. But they put him in the motor corps. 'Twas all the same to Pete--all he wanted was to fight the Germans and he didn't care how. After he whipped Germany Pete came back to Fairfield and threw Ross Walker in a wrestling match; these two feats gave him a wonderful prestige as a strong man and he is now a power in the community.

German wrestler up at Des Moines heard about Pete and came down here to get a match with him. Talked rather insultingly to Pete about how easily he could throw him. Finally Peter got sore, got so excited he talked in Greek to the fellow.

"HMEPON OTH AONION TPAYMATIAI IKONIOY GERMANOS MAYPOMIXAH AHOEN TOY THN KYBEPNHIN KONTONH QUICKERNHELL," he told the German.

Which is by way of saying in Americanese:

"Why, you big stiff, I've whipped all the Germans in the world but you and if you don't get out of here I'll throw you down first and then beat you to death, mighty quick."

And Pete rose to his towering height of full 62 inches and glared down on the fellow. And the wrestler hurried back to Des Moines.

Pete is the original candy kid. He's the fellow who makes it possible for you to make a hit with your best girl by taking her a box of extra nice candy, and he's the one who keeps you robbed of all your spare change buying candy for the kiddies. For Pete is a candy maker of class.

Since going into business here Peter Harold has stuck pretty close on the job. Except when there's a baseball or football game, or a boxing or wrestling match. On these occasions Pete leaves his wife and children, and would shut up the store if there was nobody to leave in charge, and goes to the game. For he is an all-round athlete. He used to saunter over and win most of the events in the Olympic games when he lived in Greece. Just about put this athletic festival out of business because they couldn't get anyone to compete with him. He left Greece just in time to keep from breaking up the show.

As has been stated, you will note from his build that Peter Harold Staves is a pretty square kind of a guy. Not being built along crooked lines the cartoonist was forced to depict him as built along straight lines. And if you know Peter you'll see the point. He's never reached any great altitude but he's spread out over considerable surface. With shoulders like this he could readily carry water on both shoulders; but he doesn't, for he's out and out with what he has to say and do.

Pete deserves a lot of credit for coming to America. You see they've been having a lot of trouble over there in Greece lately getting a king that suits; looks like any up-standing, hustling young Greek might have a chance of getting the job as king, and Pete would have had a pretty good chance if he remained there(.) But if he'd got that job he'd have missed all these football and baseball games so Peter Harold has ... (last few lines missing)