Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-03-17
PEOPLE WHO
KNEW HOOVER
Back Of Hoover's Interest
In humanity a Real
Love Story Is Found
With All The Romantic
Phases.
BY WIN Carver

Hs WAA &uAftE
Romance! Mrs. Southworth. e. p.
Roe, Zane Grey and thousand other
fiction spinners, have trailed much
ink over valuable paper in efforts to
place romance upon the rickety throne
of second-handed realism. We. YOU
and l. and most of us. wait upon their
efforts in breathless suspense and then
rush to the nearest book store or Ii.
brary and spend two or more dollars
worth of our cash and about thirty
dollars worth of our time finding that
we have been handed the same old
pill In q slightly different shaded cap
sule.
And, all the while. Right next
door to us. back Of the sealed lips OF
that quiet couple. or that elderly
bachelor or that respected (but often
rldtculed) old maid there may lurk a
story that would serve as pattern for
some clever weaver such as a DaMau-
pausant, Tolstoi or an o'Henry.
So, although devoid of the ultra-sen-
sational or over drawn fantasy we
have glimpses at the meeting and the
happy outcome of romance
in the life Of Hoover and the hefpmate,
who has stood by him and worked with
him during quarter OF century.
The story will be better told by some
of the best writer's OF this country.
who have spent months In searching
out authentic material for the food ad-
biography. However, In
this short space can be outlined the
story Of the bashful young lad who
arrived at Stanford from Salem.
Bert his Salem friends say, has al
ways like any other normal healthy
lad been attracted to girls. He liked
to be In their company. There are
instances Of his being snubbed BY some
OF the nice little Salem girls when he
was a youngster here. Because the
lad was not able TO wear the cup to
date" clothes Of the time, some of the
more clever Of the younger set termed
him a Sissy
But through all young Hoover's So
called sissyness and slowness there can
be traced the reserve and high regard
for womanhood that may be well at
trlbuted to a Quaker training.
When Hoover arrived at Stanford
university he brought his "sissified
and n-sportive' airs along as excess
baggage and during the years devoted
70 pursuit Of his engineering course
and to earning his own way, these
served him well. For young Hoover
was known as the ''chap who goes
alone. although many OF his comrades
read him better by calling him a s.one-
girl man" and prophesying that
when cupid gets Bert II will be-
Goodbye bachelor days!'"
And so II proved, for toward the end
of his Stanford term he realized that
cupid had gotten Bert" ana once dc.
'ided, he took and followed a straight |
orward course Of procedure. The sgirl |
N the case" was a senior OF excelientI
'ocial standing and of means.
Bert's first step was to ask for the
pleasure of being her escort to one OF
ne university city's social functions,
And perhaps. the lady's rebuff was
ioover's first stepping stone 10 sue
'ess; for, her reply is said to have been
no indeed Do you think that would
% out with shabby old thing like
'ouY Why the ideal" or such similar
mphasis as only the gentler (?) sea
AN employ in expressing resolute
Negative. just whether Bert attended
nat social function. is not told by the
'arrator OF this incident, but It is told
hat the couple became comrades and
Iood friends before Hoover graduates.
Then the graduated engineer went
'ut and within two years, he had ac
luired the reputation Of being one of
highest paid young men In the pro.
ession, drawing salary OF $4,000 l.
ear. Then he is said to have asked
lis efstwhilc friend to be his wife, and
have received another negative re.
ny with the admonition Of Get out
nd make real money and acquire a
anne for yourself" How Hoover went
Australia and while employed as
mining engineer with a large enter
rise he accidontly discovered a gold
1ine Is only the genuine prelude to
ne sequel "and they lived happy ever
fter" That the Australian gold mine
'as only a lead vein" chapter to the
ettef treasure Is proven by the re.
lained Of the volume. --of how Mrs.
looyer has continued TO work with
er husband In all Of his successes: OF
er Journeys with him to all pores Of
nc globe, Where'eyer his profession
allied; OF how she endured hardship
In China; and how when the world war,
anne on, from her home In England
ne saw and realized the terrible help.
sssness Of the women and children Of
ne Hun-scourge countries Is "just the
est Of the story