Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-06-13

ferlng OF some patient.
The Hardings were of colnoial stock,
coming originally of colonial stock.
fling in Connecticut, removing later TO
the Wyoming valley, Pennsylvanla,
where some of them were massacred.
Others fought in the Revolutionary war.
Warrens mother. Phoebe Dickerson,
was descended from an old time Hol-
land Dutch family and thus was blended
the blood of the Holalnd Dutch with
that of the hardy Scotch.
The country roundabout where the
Harding located was mostly woodland.
His grandfather owned a small tract or
land and was neither better or worse off
than his neghbors. They were all en-
gagged in cutting away the timber ana
Transforming primitive forest into cui-
tivtaed farms. And in those days every
child was expectde to contribute his
share of toll in overcoming the obstacles
of nature in the Transforming process.
As Warren grew up he learned to fell
trees, chop wood. split rails, plant and
hoe corn and do all the things incident
to farm life. Those were the days
when farm labors were performed by
hand. In this way young Harding ac-
uuired the habit of industry.
However. it was not all toll for young
Harding. He attended the village school
until IA when he entered Ohio central
college at Iberia, from which he grad
uated. During his college course ne
was editor of the college paper where.
he first displayed nose for news.
Like all boys of that day he was Obliged
to work during vacations to pay Tor
his tuition. He cut ccrn. was an anna
teur painter and drove team IN the
grading Of the t. & O. {. railroad whch
was being constructed through that COM
nunity. ID
"tooting a horn in the village brass
band. :.
One of his fellow musicians, who is
now at the head of great manutac-
turing plant and who has since sat with
him on various boards OF directors. re,
counts that the band once took third
prize in a tournament.
At odd times Harding worked IN the
little printing office in the village, lie
became a first class cOmpositor ana IN.
terested himself in the mechanism OF !
the entire plant. When linotypes were
introduced he mastered the keyboard so
that he finally mastered the intimate
workings of newspaper offlce from the
editorial room to the press room =, u
A friend recalls an incident which IL
lustrates the human" side of Harding
Entering the office of the Marion
"Star" one New Years morning, he
found the senator making up the form
and performing all the duties of the
foreman. who was busy elsewhere.
whats the idea?" inquired the
friend.
We'll. You see." responded the sen
ator. this is holiday and we want to
go to press early so that the men may
get home and pass the day with their
families, so I'm lending a helping hand.
When the forms were made up and
the paper went to press the senator
and his friend adjourned to the editorial
room for a chat Suddenly the rumbling !
Of the press ceased. The inevitable |
which always haunts a newspaper Of |
flee in the rush hour or on holiday, |
had happened. Springing from his chair, !
the senator rushed down to the press |
room. His trained eye soon located the
trouble and it was not long before the |
edition was again on its way.
This mastery of detail was an early |
trait of the senator and has followed |
him throughout his career.
But to return to the Star. This was /
the senator's idol. 1t was the pet of his |
youth and the pride of his manhood. |
When he was 10. having completed his |
college course, his father, seeking a
wider field, removed to Marion, Ohio. |
the county seat of an adjoining county, |
where he still resides, and despite his
78 years. is in active practice Of his
profession.
The Star was a struggling daily in
a backward county seat of 1000 inhabi-
tants Young Harding wanted to own
it, however, notwithstanding the fact 4
that it was difficult to tell whether il |
was an asset or liability. His father
having faith in the young man and wish.
ing to crafty his supreme desire, lent
his credit in assisting in taking the plant Il
over-the consideration being the as
sumption of its Indebtedness. The coun-
ty was Democratic and this paper was
not even the official organ of the mi.
nority party.