South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-04-11
Presidential Possibilities
HERBERT c. HOOVER
Second in a series of biograp hical sketches
Of prominent candidates.

That's Hoover" they used TO say
over at Washington. when they
would point him out coming and
going around the Food Admins
tration building.
But they had 10 say 1t on the
wing. for it was Here she comes
and There she goes" with Hoover.
Unless a visitor found him Sc
cluded among a mass Of papers in
his private office. il was pretty much
OF a sure bet he'd be hurrying off
TO a conference at the capitol, 1
or 10 see some mission just fresh
ly arrived from Europe.
For in the days when the Food
was busiest scatter
ing foOdstuffs throughout Europe's
many hungry countries, the fellow
with the most work to do was
Herbert g. Hoover.
And then. as now, Hoover was
the same enigma. An engineer and
miner. Hoover had been trained TO
cut all the GOrdian knots that lay in
his pathway and to hew to the
shortest line between two points. As
feeder of the world. he silently work
ed out his own plans of most ef-
ficiently distributing sustenance to
the grestest number of people at
the least inconvenience to those at
home As a presidential 'possibil-
ity." there has been no Indication he
will alter his habit of being shy un-
assuming and sphinX-like.
HoOver's is the square, Solidly-Set
Jaw; his are the bright. piercing
eyes: the broad. high forehead, cap
ped by short and almost stubby hair;
and medium balanced nose above a
decisive mouth. His shoulders are
broad and his body is built stOutly.
His 1S5 pounds rest comfortably on
sturdy but short legs.
The man who avOws he's not a
candidate. and is alternately claimed
and rejected by both parties. got
his start August 10.1S74, at West
Branch. Iowa. n way station on the
Rock Island railroad between Cedar
Rapids and Burlington. When he
was four years old his father died,
and four years later the mother.
who was a piOus Quaker preacher.
passed away
For several years he was passed
around" among aunts and uncles on
Iowa farms. Then he was sent TO
Newburg, Oregon. 10 live with other
relatives ia the new Northwest. At
fourteen young Hoover announced
hts intention Of entering a 'scien-
tific university instead of the Qua
ker institution his relatives had pick
ed out for him. Accordingly. ne
was cut off from financial assist
ance and that caused him 10 jour
ney 70 Portland where he got "a
lob. worked and saved and studied
for his scientific career"
Registers in College
In the fall Of 1891, Hoover had
made enough 10 go down 10 Palo
Alto. Cal. where Leland Stanford
Junior University was just opening
ITS doors He successfully passed
the advertised entrance examinations
and was one Of the first boys 20
register at the new university.
II is open gossip around Stan
ford that Hoover was the poorest
student on the campus in English.
spelling and such studies. In ma
thematics geology, economies and
history. however. tradition had IL
he eXCelled. and even his enemies
in the English department were
forced 10 give him credit for clear
ness in expressing his thoughts in
themes on scientific subjects.
Hoover's undergraduate life was
not entirely different from that OF
the average college fellow. He won
honOrs here and there when class
election was up and on some oc-
casions he was intrusted with stu
dent finances. Acquiring himself
well ia that line. his friends say.