The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-01-24
RECALLS
 "COOD OLD DAyS''
Talks of the Times When Pleasures Cost So Little And Dollar Was Actually Worth Something,

N0WS COTf0SpOnOenI
 Washington. Jan. 24.-Sometimes, Tn the stress and turmoil of interna- t1onal conferences treaties, agricul- tural blocs, tax legislation and other States is heir to. Warren G. Harding wishes he could slip back for a little while to the. Good Old Days"
 The "Good Old Days" were those power in the land. and thing to De looked up to and not down upon. The Good Old Days were those in which a dollar would buy dollar watch or 20 fairly good cigars, to say nothing of what it would accomplish m the way of entertainment.
 Recently. during a flaming bee with other newspaper men," the Presi- dent, pulling a sweetly odorouS pipe, waxed reminiscent and spun a tale which should go down in all the eco- homie primers of the land While a great deal of the charm is lost in the re-telling, the story intrinSically is worth much as evidence of what the dollar once would accomplish. Sub stantiatly, the President told the story as follows:
 This was back in the days when the Marion Star first became affluent enough to afford a reporter. Before that day had been the editor, the reporter, the. advertising man and
 Our reporter-let's call him Bill Jones-was the most ardent admirer of William Shakespeare I've ever seen. l had Shakerpearean leanings myself in those days, being particular ly partial to Julius Caesar. I've since lost some of my fondness for Caesar, but that is no part of this story. s At any rate, noted Shakespearian troupe came to Cleveland one week. Cleveland about 100 miles from Marion. Bill yearned to go to Cleve- tand. He would have gone to Tim buctoo to see Shakespeare creditably acted going myself So we decided we could make it by little financial manipulation. We planned to go on Saturday.
 Tn those days the railroads used to issue passes to proprietors of news papers. I had one myself, and one for my father. I figured we could get fathers pass O. K.'d over to Bill for this trip. so I sent request into headquarters to this effect.
 Meeting Payroll Left Little Cash
 Game along Saturday morning, and the authorization had not come through. We were in somewhat of ] fix. After paying off the Star force with the exception of Bill and Jack. the foreman, I had just s16. The foreman's pay was S1O. So went to Jack.
 ""Jack,' said, I've got money here to pay you, but l want to go up to Cleveland to see a show. How about letting me give it to you next week?'
 Tt looks to me- he said. if you've got money enough to run around to shows you ought to have money enough to pay your help
 Well. that made me mad, so I said: All right, take it. But de- eIded to go anyway.
 q knew all the railroad boys on our division, so we went down to the station and climbed on the train for I with our SC. one pass made out to Warren G. Harding and another to George T. Harding, my 'ather. He Knew Me and Twas All Right
 When the conductor came | through I gave him the passes and l explained that the auth orization had | iOt come through in time for Bills | using my fathers pass. He knew | me, and it was all right. Everything | ooked rosy.
 Then he got to Gallon, 20 miles division point. They changed con- 1uctors there. When the new con- luctor came through I repeated my But it didn't get any where.
 |" 'Two-sixty,' said the conductor, 'or
 There wasn't anything to do but pay it. That left us s3.4o and we
 We went straight to the theatre md bought two seats at a dollar lpiece. That left us s1-40, and 100 niles from home.
 | l ! ;how more. Nor did Bill. We just airly revelled in that show. We for got that we had $1.40 and were 100 niles from home.
 Coming out of the theatare we tarted down the street. figuring how ve were going to get something 10 eat md a place to sleep and get pack tome.
 Looking for a match or something
 poked my finger in my watch pock- t. And there. long forgotten. was ne dollar bill. Never did bill look o big. It was monumental That ave us $40.
 well. we went down to an old but cry good hotel, and with my heart q my mouth I asked how much IL rould be for us to spend the night, wo in a room. Ihe cisrh K sa1u d
 Next morning we rose, paid our i'll, had a substantial breakfast for 5 cents apiece, had our shoes shlned nd purchased the morning papers.
 .'Then came the question or get tation, and I said to Bill:
 There's nothing to It now. You're George T. Harding and that nds it.
 ss wen, sir, we went through a.fiy- ,p The conductor never glanced at ill posing as my fatner' anu we Lnded in Marion some hours ldter' ill with 10 cents
 'eThere we had gone 100 miles from ome. attended a theatre, slept in pod hotel had breakfast, had our loes shined and read the news or le world in a leisurely fashion next for less than st. the United States, "were the Good Id Days"
 DIED.