The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-12-15
PRESIDENT THANKS
CHILDREN FOR GIFT
Acknowledges a 1856 Pound Pumpkin
Raised by Staten Island
Boys and Girls.


Raised by Staten Island
Boys and Girls.
New York, Dec. 1.-THE proudest
children on Staten Island TODAY are
l2-year-old John Cornell and his three
sisters, Cathleen, 8; EVELYN. T. and
Margaret,s5; for they are the pas.
SCISSORS OF letter from Warren G.
Harding, President of the United
states, and autographed Photographs
OF Mr.. and Mrs. Harding. They are
the children Of John B. Cornell "a real
estate broker Of IS Della ware Avenue
Dongan Hills, Staten Island, and the
recognition came about through an
enormous pumpkin the child.en.
raised by themselves.
The father of the Cornell children
owns Il strip of land which he uses
as sort OF small farm. The children
nave their own garden and last
spring they planted some pumpkin
seed. One pumpkin grew bigger
than all the others and by early fall
it had established a reputation as be-
ing the largest pumpkin ever sect in
the Dongan Hills district of the IT,
land. 1t grew so large in fact that
the Cornell children decided II should
nave a future BETTING its greatness
and they agreed among themselves
to bestow II upon a great man,
An immediate difficulty arose for
there was division Of opinion among
The children just who TO honor. Mar.
garet was of the opinion that the
greatest man she ever heard Of was
Mayor Hylan. The other children
were not so sure. The situation reach
ed climax on day when President
Harding, returning tom Atlantic c ty
passed through Dongan Hills and ac.
tually waved to the Cornell children
who were busy on their farm. Ihat
settled 1t. The pumpkin would go
TO the President Of the United States.
BY that time the pumpkin weighed
1875 pounds and was said by old In.
habitants to be the biggest pumpk
ever grown on Staten Island In or.
der that there fhould be no future re.
grets as TO the fate of their pride the
children decided to hold an election
and vote. President Harding won
unanimously. Then the pumpkin was
careful ~ packed in sugar barrel |
{ and shipped to the White House. 4 |
letter with the childrens pictures
and description of the vote was
sent to the President asking him to
accept the gift as Thanksgiving
present.
Four days later came a letter from |
the White House signed by the Presl, !
dents Secretary acknowledging the 1
receipt OF the pumpkin with few
words OF appreciation. The Cornell !
'ildren were sat SIZED and thought
that was all there would be to il. /
But yesterday came personal lett"~
from the President and within half
an hour every inhabitant OF Donsah {
Hills had read It, Up to late hour I
it was still being shown about the
countryside. The letter in the /
Presidents own handwriting read;
White House Washington. d. c. /
My Dear Master John:
am addressing this letter to i
you with tie belief that it will /
also serve as a communication to
your sisters, Cathleen, Evelyn
and Margaret want you and
them to know how thankful Mrs.
| Harding and | are to have re- :,
oeived the wonderful Thanksgiy-
!. ing pumpkin through your
thoughtfulness and generous con.
sideration. 1t was really very I
wonderful pumpkin. think
may say this somewhat as an
expert because can recall the