New-York tribune., 1920-11-03
Harding, First
APrinter, Soon
Became Editor
President Elect Worked
Through College, Taught
School, Bought Paper,
Lost 1t, but Regained 1t
Elected to State Senate
Sent to United States Senate
by 100000 Majority,
Then to the White House

United States comes from that state
which now fairly rivals Virginia as
the Mother of Presidents" Ohio falls.
indeed, one short of Virginia in the
number of Presidents born within her
borders, boasting only seven to the
Old Dominion's eight. But, on the
other hand, she exceeds Virginia by
one in the number Of Presidents who
were her residents and citizens at the
time of election, the score standing
six to five in her favor.
The latest Ohioan to be elected Pres
ident, Warren Gamaiel Harding, is
q descendant on his fathers side of
Scots who settled in Pennsylvania in
Colonial times, who had to fight for
their homes and lives against the
Indians and who contributed patriot
soldiers to the Revolutionary army
His father, J. P. Harding, is a sue
cessful practicing physician. On his
mothers side he comes of Dutch stock,
including the we'll known Van Kirk
family His mother before her mar
rage TO Dr. Harding was Miss Phoebe
Elizabeth Dickerson, kin to the Dick
erson or Dickinson family, which has
greatly figured in the history Of New
York and New Jersey. Of such ances-
try and parentage he was born on
November 2, 1865, at the village of
Corslca, or Blooming Grove, Morrow
County, Ohio.
81 boyhood was spent on the farm
whicn his father cultivated in addition
to practcing his profession, and until
he vas fourteen years old he attended
the little red schoolhouse" of the viii
Iage. Then he went to the Ohio Central
College, at Iberia, az institution now
defunct. and was graduated from it in
1882. Most of his expenses in college
were paid with the earnings of his own
physical toll. He cut corn, drove teams,
worked on grading the roadbed of
new railway and painted barns. Also
he worked in the office of the village
paper and learned to set type and to
make up forms. In his last year in
college he taught village school and
played norm in the local brass band.
Harding Enters Newspaper Work
His work in the village printing
office and on the college paper gave
him mis- bent for the profession which
he adopted on leaving college. The
family IN 1884 removed to Marion, Ohio,
and there, with the assistance of his
father, the young man became half
owner Of The Daily Star of that place,
and assumed the editorship of it.
But his career in that capacity was
brief. He had run the paper only ten
days when the Blaine and Logan con-
vention opened in Chicago. Harding
found pass trip book in the office. He
shouted himself hoarse for Blaine, then
told the two printers and the boy that
"klcked' the press to get out the paper
and hurredly departed for Chicago.
When he got back to Marion the
Sheriff had the Office closed
HRrding then turned to reporting on
The Marion Mirror, Democratic
paper, for 81 week He was the only
reporter on the paper and was making
rapid strides as a country journalist
when one day his Democratic boss di-
Blaine. Harding refused, and to show
his contempt wore his tall brown
blaine hat to work. He Haunted it
about the Office and in the streets Next
thing he knew he was "ired" With
unabated zest he continued to "whoop
her up for Blaine, betting all that he
bad. When the tension was over he
~as broke and blue
The night the Democrats jollifed
Harding played in the town band. In
the band was "Jack" Warwick, now
paragrapher on The Toledo Blade
Warwick and Harding that night bor-
rOWed enough money to buy The Star
pnce more. Warwick soon grew dis
couraged and became a salaried man
on the paper, while Harding worried
about ever-increasing debts and the
shadow of the Sheriff. But Marion
crew and so did The STAR and in time
It became q prosperous and powerful
paper. In all the years of Mr.. Har-
ding's ownership of it it has never suf-
fcred Il strike or even the threat of
one.
First Venture in Politics
AS a journalist Mr.. Harding took
an intense interest in politics, but it
was many years before he ran for Of
flee. Finally, in 1900. he accepted the
nomination for the State Senate. He
was elected, and served four years
Then, in 1904-'06, he was Lieutenant
Governor of the state In 1910 he was
the Republican candidate for Governor,
but through dissensions in the party
suffered defeat. at the polls.
His popularity with the people Of
che state continually increased, now
ever, and he soon began to be talked OF
Gs Presidential candidate. His great
popularity was shown in 1914, when he
was elected United States Senator by
q ma jority Of more than 100000, run
ming $4,000 ahead Of the next highest
man on the ticket.
In the Senate he was made a mem
Der of the Committee on Foreign Rela-
lions, which, because of the war WAS