The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-07-25
MRS. HARDING WAS THE
'TOMBOY" OF MARION,
KNOWN AS WOMAN WHO'S
POSSESSED OF A MIND"

Marion, Ohio, July 24.-Mrs. War
ren G. Harding, wife Of the republi-
can presidential nominee was born
and reared in this city and was
married to Senator Harding in the
house on Mt. Vernon avenue where
the Hardings now live.
While few residents Of Marion coun-
ty say they ever thought of Warren
Harding. when a boy, as president
OF the United States, many Of them,
and particularly the women, say
they pictured Mrs Harding as the first
lady Of the land.
Many Of Mrs. Harding's girlhood
chums are still living in Marion. They
all speak Of her as Florence" She
never had n nickname, they say, but
Most everybody spoke Of her when
a girl as "Tomboy," "Harumscarum,' -
stubborn" Jolly" or Daredevil"
one thing is certain. however Mar
Ion women are roofing for Mrs. Hard
ing. They are roofing for her, they
say, because "she has a mind of her
own, generally manages TO get what
she wants, is thoroughly democratic,
likes to give and go to parties, is in
terested in a hundred and one things
knows how to talk to everyone, lin
cudng mem, and once she knows
you, she always knows you"
Mrs. Harding in Marion has a
reputation of being a real woman.
Many residents congratulate Warren
Harding more on his wife than
his political career and some OF
them who are roofing little hard
er than others for her say "she is the
power behind the throne"
Mrs. Harding was born August Is,
1860, and is five years Senator Hard
ing's senior. She attended the pub
lie schools and high school In Mar
ion and afterwards studied music
at the Cincinnati Conservatory of
Music. AS little girl she is known
IN Marion as having preferred to
play with boys than girls. "and
many recall her dressed in full skirt
and pantalettes of the time and
picture her with one pantalette up
and the other down"
"Florence King (Mrs. Harding S
name before, her marriage) was one
of the greatest horsewomen / have
ever seem" said Mrs Margaret YounK-
ins. n Marionite who has known Mrs.
Harding since her childhood. "She rode
and drove more like a man than a
girl"
Mrs. Younkns said Florence could
curry a horse, hitch upand drive
Just as we'll as any man. Marion
was more accustomed to seeing Flor
ence King dashing madly up the
street on Billy, her saddle horse, than
walking demurely along like other girls
OF her "set" she added.
Mrs. Frank Johnson and Mrs. Laura
Dornbaugh, girlhood friends Of Mrs.
Harding, both attested to the fact
that "she had q will Of her own" and
told of the days when they phed
into Florence phaeton and rode with
perfect confidence behind Florence
speedy Billy"
Residents of Marion still talk OF
the displeasure Of her father, Amos
King, over her marriage to Henry
De Wolfe and her later determination
to marry Warren G. Harding in
1891, after her first husbands death'
Mrs. Hardings two grandchildren are
George Warren and Jean De Wolfe
Of Marion.
Warren and Florence Harding were
married in their present home on
VT. Vernon avenue. For more than
IL years until illness prevented, Mrs.
Harding was circulation manager
Of the Star-her husbands newspaper.
IN addition she was the registration
bureau of complaints, advertising man.
ager and angel TO the newsboys.