San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-05
Always a Fighter, She Has
Helped Her Husband as
No Other Presidents Wife
Did. ~s s.s5s-
By ROBERT T. SMALL

10y hUbEhI Il. SMALL
Copyright. by The San Antonio Light.
Washington, ID. C., Aug. 4.-When
the priei period of her mourning in
the White House is ended, Mrs. Hard
4 ing will 90 out into what will be for
her an all but empty world. OF near
relatives she has left only two brothers
who live in Marion and two grand
children-Jean DeWolfe, aged IA, and
George, aged IL, the children of Mar
shall Eugene DeWolfe, son by her
first marriage.
The wcrld will be empty for Florence
Harding because her chief mission in
it is gone. There is nothing more
that she can do for Warren Harding
.as she always referred to him. While
Washington feels the loss of Presi-
dent Harding with keenest grief. its
heart goes out to his wife who played
her role of helpfulness unto the very
end. 1t was more than fitting that
Mr.. Harding should have died as the
duchess" sat reading to him. That
was the final touch.
Aided Her Husband.
Warren Harding leaned On "The
Duchess" as ne affectionately called
her as no president ever has expended
upon his wife. 1t has seemed TO
Washington that Mrs. Harding was
an integral part of the presidency, OF
the entire Harding administration. For
So years Mrs. Hardins had devoted
herself TO the upbuilding of her hus-
band and his interests. Just as she
seemed to be a part of the presidency
nere. SO in Marion her life was as
much intertwined with the history
of the Marion Star as was that of the
late President himself. For some
eighteen years she labored in the Of
fees of the Star, giving up the. task
only when frail health made it abso-
lutely necessary.
Few persons who have marvelled at |
her wonderful energy, her neyer-flag- |
ging enthusiasm, her power of will. |
have realized that for fifteen years |
she has been in a condition of health |
which would have sent woman OF |
less courage, or less determination. to |
an inyaiid's bed. But Mrs. Harding |
has been q fighter-all of her life
and she was fighting valiantly Tor
her stricken husband hen he died.
1t was characteristic of Mrs. Hard
ing that she should have said at San
Francisco: II will not break down:
don't worry about me- There was
still a duty ahead. Warren Hard
ing must be got back TO Washing
ton; there was still the solemn pomp
and pageantry of s'ate funeral 10
. be gone through with. There was
still something TO be done for War
ren-the last tina: mortal hands may
3 10. The fight vas not ended for
= The Duchess"
She viii Be Lonesome.
When 1t is all -er, however; when
the last rites shall have been con-
cluded n the Borrowing little city of
Marion. shat then will the HDuchess'
do? What will be her state of mind?
What will be the plans of probably
. the most lonesome widow the world
has ever known? She has friends
aplenty; friends who are devoted to
. her in an unusual degree, for Mrs.
Harding was woman just as she al
: ways was at her home anG thrice well
come in the society of the presidents
own circle of pals
The future life Of Mrs. Harding is
: difficult to speculate upon. Her life
: ambition was the success of her hus-
. band. With his career ended. she
may 90 back TO the little home in
4 Marion and spend the rest Of her al
= lotted time among the old friends and
: the associations of the front porch
campaign which carried Warren Hard
/. ing TO the White House. On the
J. other hand Mrs. Harding has liked
> Washington immensely. She liked il
, because her husband liked it, and it
was understood that both Of them had
planned to spend most Of their time
I here when the White House term was
!, over. drs. Harding has many Wash
ington friends, friends that did not
come with the prestige of the White
Z House, but who date back TO the days |
when Mr.. Harding was in the Senate.
1t. is easily within the range Of pos.
sibility that Mrs. Harding may reside |
here. Probably she has given no
y thought to future which does not in
cIude him whom she loved best.
Harding Was Wealthy.
Since the recent sale of the Marion |
Star, President Harding was rated rs
DOcSlDif the tNeE 10
occupy the W hite House. Virtually all
4 Of his fortune will go to Mrs. Hard
q ing. The sale of the Star made it
4 necessary for the President to write
Z new will just before starting on the
4 trip to Alaska. This act was in no
sense n premonition of disaster on the
part of the President. The Harding
estate should amount TO at least $780,.
600. In addition to that Mrs. Hard.
ing has a personal fortune of prob
ably 100000 left TO her by her father.
That father was Amos II. King.
- who was reckoned in his day the
wealthiest man in Marion county. Sue
cessful in business he had taken up
banking and became the president of
the Farmers and Mechanics Bank.
later known as the Marion National.
= Mr.. King became a power in the f.
" fairs not only of Marion, but of all
= that part Of Ohio. His political in
fluence also was extensive.
= Her Shrewd Judgment.
= In many ways predominant traits
~eand characteristics of the father were
rreflccted in the daughter. While not
inclined to be so autocratic as he. she
:. has always possessed his aggressive
~ness. ambition, forcefulness and shrewd
rsjudgment.
Probably her greatest inheritance
from her father was his remarkable