The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-11-03


President-elect Warren q. Harding
was nfty-five years old yesterday. Mo-
vember 2. his election coming TO him
as a birthday present from the great
American electorate. Tho next Presi-
dent Of the United States was born on
his grandfather's farm. at BLOOMING
Grove. Morrow county. Ohio. November
9. 1885.
And the fates. fortune. chance. des-
tiny or whatever Il may be called, has
been kind to Warren q. Harding all
through an eventful. up-climbing. re-
sourcefui iife. He has been a news
paper publisher since 1854. when he
was nineteen years old. and It Is his
proudest boast that he Is of the news
paper profession and has done every
thing In Newspaper office. He 10 q
practical printer, and finds no greater
delight than spending hours. when Mt
home In Marion, Ohio. In the composinG
room Of the Marion Star. which he
owns and publishes. handling type.
NEWSPAPER WORK AIDED.
The story Of his progress from the
farmhouse. in which his father before
him was born. to the United States
Senate and now the White House
centers around his newspaper work.
Senator Harding was born just
nineteen miles east Of Marion where
he now resides. When q boy his
family moved to Caledonia. nine miles
nearer Marion. He worked at various
chores and helped harvest the crops.
His vigorous physique today prob
ably Is largely due to this early
outdoor life. As boy he was fond
of sports which kept him in the open.
and he was always one Of the first
boys on hand at the old swimming
hole when the winter chill left
MILESTONE creek.
ATTENDING VILLAGE SCHOOL.
Warren Harding attended the VII
lage school until he was fourteen
years old. and then entered the Ohio
high in scholarship when he grad
uated. Now and then during his col
iege course young Harding. as SO
many other young men have done,
turned to and worked for money to
help him on his way, sometimes cut
ting corn. at others painting barns
and driving teams. When he was
seventeen he taught a district school
for a while and footed" a horn in the
village brass band. Senator Harding
says that 1t was in the band that he
attcHucu MS IHettinBS.
When he left college. at tho age OF
nineteen. his father moved to Marion,
the county seat Of the county OF that
name. There the Hardings have re-
manned ever since. taking a large part
in the development OF that place from
country town OF 1000 to a hustling
industrial city Of some 10000 people.
ONCE SOLD INSURANCE.
Warren Harding was studying law.
He says one of the reasons he did not
continue as a lawyer student was be-
cause It irked him to have to go to
his father every time he needed
spendinu money, A friend suggested
he try sursnce. He dtdj. and wrote
big risk almost immediately. Then
he opened up an agency and made
good money. In college he had been
editor Of the college paper, and news
paper work thrilled him.
He began his newspaper career on
he Marion Mirror, which was q DEM
ocratic newspaper, at 50 a week sala-
~, and was discharged from the staff
Of that paper during the Blaine cam
paiRn because his sympathies were
with Blaine and because he insisted
upon wearing the high hat Of the
Blaine partisans.
Had it not been for the fact that
the Marion (Ohio) Star. q then dimin-
utive daily newspaper, liability
rather than an asset, fell into the
hands Of DR.. George 7. Harding.
father of the Senator. and some
associates, Senator Harding might
career.
TAKE CHARGE OF NEWSPAPER.
what a country boy did with 200
pounds of type" tells an interesting
sidelight story OF the persistent up
climbing Of the man who is now his
partys choice to lead the ticket in
the campaign just opening.
He and his chum took charge of
the Star when 1t was sold under the
sherifrs hammer, and they took 1t
with the determination of making il
pay of old debts and then pay the n.
After gathering and writing the
news and soliciting and turning in
the COPY for the ads he had procured,
Harding then busted himself on the
makeup, worked at turning or feed
ing the wobbly old small-cylinder
Fairhayen press, and. after the paper
was of, got the carrier boys out.
Then, together, they unlocked the
forms and distributed the type in or
der that they might have use OF II
tho next day. for they had only 200
pounds Of type in the shop.
In 1898, fourteen years after the
purchase of the little fve-column
folio daily, a full-leased telegraphic
service was installed. ..
From the business OF publishing q
newspaper, Senator Harding. as 90
many other publishers have done.
took to politics. State senator, lieu,
tenant governor, United States Sena-
tor and finally Republican nominee
for President, tells the story of his
success in public office-so far.
FIRST SPEECH IMPRESSED. <
Strangely enough. the first political
speech Harding made won the pre-
diction that he might some day land