La Junta tribune., 1917-12-06
STORY OF HERBERT HOOVER
Food Administrator Was . Poor
Quaker Boy-MOthcr Was
Prcachcr-Sccrct Of Success

Starting out in business life with
1897 tucked away In a pocket Of =
neat but threadbare suit. and draw
ing a salary OF $33.000 a year as a
mining engineer before he was 20
years old-probably the largest sal
ary in the world to a man that age
those are the high lights OF the
early career OF Herbert c. Hoover,
food administrator OF the United
States government, whose word to-
day touches every breakfast table in
this land.
No golden spoon was lying around
the humble home where Bert
Hoover was born. In West Branch,
Cedar county. Iowa. He WAS fed
18th a conservation spoon in his n.
fancy. and he knew what food con-
servation was In his boyhood. He
was born in . simple. unassumina
atmosphere. His mother was .
Quaker preacher and his father q
uieSAbmtu. Ab IN usudt Win tuc
Society Of Friends. he was taught
the lessons OF Christian humility a
applied to the daily life. and was
told OF the dangers Of vanity. II ID
NO wonder that Hoover. big man that
he is today. still prefers to keep out
Of the limelisht.
A few years ago. travelling In his
private car. Mr.. Hoover returned to
West Branch and visited the III
tie graveyard under the pine trees
where his mother and father are
buried. Only humble headsionss
mark their resting place. for II IL
q part Of the Quaker faith to carry
simplicity even to the grave.
The town has changed since
Herb" Hoover ran barefoot alont
the dusty streets and played hide
nfid-seek with other boys in the
moonlight. There are cement side
walks and electric lights and modern
homes. The one-story house in
which Hoover was born still Is stand
ing.
But how did this great man work
his way through college and face
life's struggles with not quite 81 in
his pocket? The answer is found in
the handwriting OF his dead mother:
Herbert has an abundance OF fru-
gality. energy and industriousness. ''
In the Cedar county court house at
Upton. Ia. these quaker records are
on file.
Those illuminating records show
that what the boy lacked In finance
he made up In character.
He lost both his parents when he
was q child. All that was left to
hiwr and his little brother and sister
was . house and lot worth 1900.
The property was sold and the pro-
ceeds used TO educate the three.
Herbert went to Salem. Ore. to live
with an uncle. DR.. II. J. Minthorne.
who clothed and bparded the boy
free Of charge. In November. 1889.
this uncle. who was also the boys
guardian. applied TO the court back
In Iowa for $50 with which young
Herbert might buy . scholarship In
. business college.
II think" wrote the guardian. 'if
he would make use Of II and get full
benefit from IT,"
When Mr.. Hoover WAS Is he was
working In = real estate office and
supporting himself. He entered Le-
land Stanford university the ycas
that institution WAS started. and was
graduated 10 Its first class-in 1898.
9ie had taken . course In mining en-
gineerins. lie went 10 work for =
Nevada mining corporation. and
from there to Australia and In the
dessrt Of New South Wales. then Ia
China NJ = mining expeG by this
time he had married Miss Lou Henry
Of Monterey. Calf. Who became
noted In the geology class at Stan.
ford. She and her husband both
showed bravery 10 the Boxer rebel.
lion. When that trouble was over
Mr. Hoover gained concessions from
thc Chinese government In . large
roai area In recognition Of bis aid In
reconstructing the railroads. There
began his Wonderful career ~ con.
servativs promoter. and he became
expert chief Of the board Of mines
Of the Chintse government and gen.
sfal manager of ths Chinsss En.
sineesias ed Aoiaing Company. his
sAares = vhseh - sssA II 1891 q
. Dfofit q nsasly ons-half nlllios
dollass. lls aov has laterssls thl
wesiA over. fren celleesnis V Bur.
les. mn lsss.ss = chiss. ('sa Ass'
tSo1oo - uu1uon.