Evening star., 1925-03-22

l. ~ pearanCo OF Gary SARGENT
4 in the cabinet Of the Presi.
dent of the United States robs the
West of its glamour. 1t seems almost
a fabulous figure that has stalked out
i of these Vermont hills to a key post
in the Coolidge administration. So
much lore and legend cling to his ca
reer that it is next to impossible to
distinguish fable from fact. that no
fabrication could improve.
1t is as though a great, good genie
of the North striding from, his lair to
take over the administration of the
| laws, had LETT a trail of afrecttonately
cherished but incredible tales that de-
light hearts Of children.
But to set the new Attorney Cen
eral down simply as a favorite son,
or as a picturesque character. is only
to hint at his story. He seems to
have been a sort Of great-hearted
| Uncle Horace to the young folks and
spoiled child OF half the old ladies
in several townships.
His appetite. his bulk, his dress. his
manners and his ways are part of
! the unwritten history of Vermont.
His habits and build, taken together
with his knack of getting on with his
fellow men, probably rival the en-
semble of any character in recent
American history
He collects pipes. He collects
clocks. He is an antiquarian. He is
a tinker. He has the biggest ONCE
| in the State of Vermont, and exter-
iI,-s lot IL N h hnh
| by of honing razors and has often
! asked to be allowed to take home dull
razors for even casual acquaintance
! to put them in shape He reads
French and Italian newspapers when
he hasn't anything else to do. He
f, still drives pair OF Morgan horses
| into loose-jofnted Democratic wagon.
though he has three automobiles.
He loves TO farm and to camp out.
When he goes camping he docs the
| cooking. Intimstes who have been in
vited on fishing trips with him at his
camp have vivid recollections Of wax
! ing the first morning in camp to hear
a giants naked feet padding around
the kitchen, and then to see SarEent's
great frame in Mapping nightshirt as
he stood over the breakfast.
X y X
| In Rutland, his nearest homo city,
/ and in Montpelier, the State capital,
he is a familiar figure in buff-colored.
! broad-brimmed hat and coonskin coat,
! with tails Mapping out from what is
| described as harness strap. with
which he eirds his middle. letting the
strap ends fall into one of the csps-
otn cJI a f.
mentary medicine kit in his lawyers
| bag and has been known to apply un-
solicited aid to sufferers from colds
and sore throats upon the merest
scratch acquaintance.
He is said to wear size IA shoes.
which he has to have made to order.
| One day, the tale is told, the local shoe
clerk hailed him going by with, "Oh.
| general, one Of your shoes came up
| by today's freight. The other'l prob
ably be along tomorrow"
General is the title of respect
| given to. him since he was attorney
! general of Vermont, by those neigh
| bors and acquaintances who formerly
used what Mrs. Sargent calls his
! Irish nickname, Gary" His Irish
nickname" is short for Garibaldi.
| The fact is his front name would
have been of little practical use as a
! handle for Mr.. Sargent in his earlier
| days, before his brothers moved West,
/ for his father had an amazing affec-
ton for the name John. 1t was his
name and had been his fathers before
| him. He gave II to all of his four
sons. The frst was John .Garibaldi,
| ~ trA
John wesley A fourth son died in
| infancy OF two sisters, one was
named plain Minnie, the other May
Jane Ina.
| And it is with Cary Sargent as
| though the whole State were his ma
tive village.
| One can talk all day with his neigh
bors and never get a glimmer OF
notion that this seniai giant is one Of
the most conservative of mortals.
There is nothing in the tales Of his
foibles and hobbies to suggest the big
rest corporation lawyer in Vermont
In few communities would It delight
the hearts Of the lowly to learn that
the attorney for such an array of big
| business in the Standard Oil Co., the
Boston and Maine Railroad, the Yer
mont Hydroelectric Power Corporation.
| the American Express Co. and the
Travellers Insurance Co.. had been
pls ced in command of the law-enforce-
ment machinery of the Nation.
| But it was like Christmas message
when the magic waves Of radio waited
| the news of Gary" sargent's appoint
| mont down into tho hooks and clus-
tered crannies of the Green Mountains.
| In the barber shops and on tho cor
ners, the village folk were ejacuia ting
their delight.
We'll, I haven't heard nothin' in =
long time that's tickled me So" was
a typical comment from 4 farmer
from the outskirts Of town.
They may think he's 4 cheese box" !"
put in another, but they'll hnd down
there Gary sarxents got something
under that old brown brim.''
Suppose they'll have to laugh at
him a little at first in Washington" 1"
chuckled a neighbor. Guess Gary
can stand that"
nouncement went to the right spot
with Col. John Coolidge. The Presi-
dents father was actually merry over
the appointment
why, i've known Gary Sargent,
man and boy" ne said. Always
known him. Knew his father. His
grandfather and mine were close
neighbors on the Ludlow road. The
President has known him all his life.
| Used to see him as q little fellow
when Gary's father'd drive down to
the store with his oxcart to buy feed