The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-03-11
HARDING AS PUBLISHER
PRESIDENT CLASSIFIES HIM.
SELFAS SUCH
His Luck Charm a Printers
Rule He Carries
In Pocket
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch

always Classics himself as an edi-
tor, publisher and printer, proud OF
his professional accomplishments
and training. His luck charm and
most sacred possession is a printers
rule, carried in his pocket wherever
he goes; and his close friends say
he would rather set stick OF type
any day than grant an audience to
an am assador.
For more than thirty years Mr..
Harding's bread and butter has been
earned by the Marion Star, whose
responsibilities he assumed under
heavy mortgage and whose early
years he nourished at the expense OF
going hungry more than once him
self. Since his nomination for the
Presidency he has faced only one
pubic ordeal that aroused emotions
he could not master. That was the
temper AIRY severance OF the ties that
bind him to the Star. On election
night, when group OF his employees
came to congratulate him, his voice
broke and his big frame was shaken
" sobs when he undertook to speak
of the separation that must be the
price OF his triumph.
Election day was Mr.. Harding's
fifty firth birthday, and all the inter-
ests of his lifetime had been rooted
in the immediate vicinity or Marion.
He was born at Blooming Grove, o.,
in an adjoining county, the son OF a
country doctor, George T. Harding,
who still visits his patients about
Marion in the one-horse carriage
of the old school practitioner. The
new Presidents mother has been
dead for many years and his father
is remarked.
Attended College at Iberia, Ohio
Young Harding attended college at
Iberia, O., and then tried school
teaching for a year before he began
his newspaper career. Always par
tisan and a Republican, he lost his
jo. as a reporter by wearing. in the
presence of his Democratic Editor as
Blaine hat" the stove pipe which
was badge of support OF James q.
Blaine.
Although it was a pioneer news ;
paper age, Mr.. Harding's mind ran
to progressive notions even in the
day when the Star still was liabil-
ity. He broke with his first partner
over the question of Installing
telephone in the newspaper office, a
proposal which the partner held to
be impractical, extrayagant and rev
dictionary. Although he retains a
controlling financial interest in the
Star, now successful newspaper,
Mr.. Harding will occupy but THU
lar relationship to it during his
Three times before he has held
public office. He served in the Ohio
legislature and as lieutenant scVerno"
Of the state. and six years ago he
was elected to the United States
Senate where be became a member
of the Foreign Rotations Committee.
In 1916 he was chairman of the Re-
publican national convention.
In personal appearance the new
President is a man to attract sec
ond look in any crowd. He carries
without hint of ohesitv a'thnrHh
ne is not quite six feet tall; and his
massive features round out an i'm
preston of force and distinction.
His hair is iron grey-a'most silver
ORIGINATING sharp contrast with
the Unusually heavy black eyebrows
that almost mask a pair OF calm grew
eyes. 1t is only in repose that his
face takes on the aspect of severity
seen so often in his photographs.
When :. he talks or listens the lines
are broken by smile that radiates
cordially.
Walks Slowly. Talks Slowly
President Harding walks SLOWLY.
slowly. hut he pives the ir'pression
of polished deliberation rather then
of over caution or ahashment. He
is a good conversationalist and
good listener. and has a faculty of
setting through embarrassing situa-
tons with little show of embarrass-
ment.
AS an orator Mr.. HARDING never
has rated himself as witty or e'o-
uuent though he attained consider
allie success few years ago on the
chautauuua platform. He seldom at
tempts fire word pictures or hunor-
Gus passages. but crItiv""es delhi
crate. uuemhe'lished utterance He
DIGNITY. He lives to know men we'll
enough IN call the n by their first
rar,es and to slap thofn on the back
when he meets them. He likes to
shake hands and make conversation
about the weather and the crops. and
when he dies he usuallv 1apses into
the vernacular of an Ohio country
man.
1t is Mr. Hardness affnbility that
hos made for Officials cf~se to him
some Of their hardest nroh'ems, He
never lihas to refuse an audience or
TO terminate a conference until his
visitor has ta'lred himself out. On
hic fi~et' campainn trim his MANAGERS
rulnd that time and endurance would
not nermit him to aDpear at wayside
stations. but after the train had
whizzod past the first waiting crowd
he ordered that stop be made
wherever the neonle had come out
exnecting to see him.
The new President is unusually
ford Of children. though he has none
of his own He is a life long Ban
fist md trustee of his home church
in Morton. He has teen a memher
of the Elk and Moose fraternities for
wears and since his election to the
Presidency has become thirty
eecord deeree Mason and Shriner
Golf is his favorite recreation and he
likes to fish hut does not hunt. He
plays. hard and possesses the faculty.
Of ralttino al his worries out of his
mind during vacation hours.
OF all the presidents. Mr.. Hard
ine's close friends liken him most
often TO McKinlev. with whom he
has in common q D~edOminate passion