New-York tribune., 1920-07-21
Ohio Elks With
Band Serenade
Harding Home
Senator Tells Visitors He
Is Proud He Belongs to
Order Which He Praises
for Its Charitable Work
Willis Calls on Nominee
Former Ohio Governor
Found N. Y. State Solidly
for Republican Leader
From a stag Correspondent

MARION, Ohio, July 2o-Marching
behind an American flag and brass
band in black Hussar uniforms, the
first formal delegation to make a pill
grimage to the front porch of Senator
Warren G. Harding's home were
greeted here to-day by the Republican
Presidential nominee as brother Elks
There were $50 of the visitors, all
members of Findlay, Ohio, lodge, B. P.
o. E.. and they advertised the fact by
wearing purple fezes with white tas-
sells in addition to the usual Elk's tooth
watch chains and the uby-eyed Elk's
head in coat lapels.
Leading the way along Mount YER
non Avenue came William Minchell,
proprietor of the Hotel Marion, owner
of trotting horses and friend of SEN
ator Harding. With him were half a
dozen other local citizens to show the
way, then the flag bearer and after him
the band
The leader CT the band was distin-
guished by high, short-visored cock
ade hat that matched the rest Of his
uniform, with the black lambs wool
coat draped from the left shoulder.
The others wore the kind of hats that
usually cover the heads of elevator op-
orators and chauffeurs.
Mrs. Harding Flees
Mrs. Harding, on the front porch
with several friends, was giving word
OF direction from time to time to the
workmen who had been covering the
wreck of the Harding lawn with gravel
in anticipation of just such visitations,
when the band leader gave a signal and
the trombone player, who occasionally
failed to throw his slip horn into re-
verse in time, responded too zealously.
The wife of the nominee gave one
startled look down the street and fled
into the house, taking her friends with
her. Evening meals were in the course
of preparation from one end of Marion
to the other at this time, but those in
Mount Vernon Avenue kitchens were
left to scorching fate, while the
women of the households rushed for
their own front porches to watch the
procession and see how the Senator
would act.
The nominee was in his Office in the
headquarters next to his home. The
visit was a surprise, and when he ap-
peared in the side door he was fasten-
ing the solitary button on his coat. The
Elks began to applaud, and moment
later the Senator, smiling broadly, was
walking among them, shaking hand
here and patting the back of a friend
there.
Representative Clinton Cole, an old
friend, as spokesman for the delega-
tion invited Senator Harding to F:
lay to n homecoming celebration the
first week in August. Replying, Sen
ator Harding said:
'I'm very proud to be an Elk. Pm
proud of the order. The Elks of the
United States have made a name for
themselves in charity that will be i'm
perishable.
Promises Visit
"For the moment can't speak pre-
cisely on your Homecoming invitation.
There are other engagements, and
I'd like to come.
II went to Findlay once when I was
in the Marion band, in the days when
we had band competitions in Ohio. We
copped out prize, and l was quite as
proud of it as l was Of the result of
the Chicago convention.
"But if I can't come during home
coming week, when it can be arranged,
it will at least be a pleasure to get
into a car, run over and say 'howdy'
and mingle with the brothers,
After that the Senator had an extra
handshake and few words with his
aroma fntancer In the de1aoation wh y
presently fell into marching order be-
hind tho Black Hussar band with the
wild trombone and started back to the
point where they had parked their
autos.
The Senator strolled into the back
yard and paid call on the newspaper