The Washington times., 1925-07-24
and Art Are
Mellon S Main
Hobbies
Treasury Secretary a Croesus
But Tastes Are Simple as
Average Clerks

a virtual Croesus in the financial
world, Secretary Of the Treasury
Andrew W. Mellon is revealed by
the hobby investigation as q man
with the simple desires of the great
American common people.
International banking wizard, In.
dustrial king, mercantile prince.
multi-millionaire- these and MANY
Other. titles could be conferred on
Mellon, but he Hoasts theN simple
tastes of any white collar" worker
in the Government service. This
simplicity of life is really Melons
principal hobby.
The Secretary walks to work in
fair weather, though a half dozen
luxurious automobiles await his or
der. He always appears promptly
at his office and never misses a day
from his desk. He wears incCn-
spicuous clothes and eliminates
every symbol OF his vast wealth. He
could never be Identified even in n
crowd of Government workers as
one of the richest men in the world.
Shuns Publicity
Al retiring disposition, so modest
as TO make him bashful in public.
has featured Melons official
career. Even in the privacy of his
own office he has exhibited nerv-
Gus attacks of 'stage-fright" when
interviewed by newspaper men. He
ordinarily refuses to make public
addresses, and when he does make
one, it is to a small, audience, and
the speech is a physical ordeal to
him.
At public gatherings. White
House receptions or other official
functions, Mellon, moreover, will al
ways be found in the background.
He declines to come up front,
preferring to give the limelight to
everybody else If only he can escape
it.
The Secretary has two hobbies
that afford him great pleasure.
One is a poor mans fad-reading
the other, a rich mans fancy-the
collection Of art. He is considered
an excellent judge Of paintings. a
real art critic; and in hiss Pitts.
burgh home he has gathered a
large private collection, valued at
many tens of thousands of dollars
Mellon is widely read. His day
is never completed until he has
finished the daily newspapers. He
keeps in constant touch with news
developments throughout the world
He also likes fiction, current litera
ture and magazines. Sometimes he
may even be found dipping into
TclassicaI literature. In addition, he
also find time to read many vol
umes on trade and commerce con
ditions.
Eats Little.
Mellon is a light eater His
heavy meal is breakfast, while he
dimes lightly in the evening.
"Give a man a hearty breakfast
and he has q good foundation for
days work" is the Mellon creed.
In spite of his age-he is seventy
years old-and his heavy break
fasts, Mellon has not missed day
from his desk at the Treasury be-
cause OF illness. One of his asso-
ciates recently said Mellon had not
been sick in eighteen years, with
the exception of one heavy cold
some years ago, when his physi-
clans made him rest for several
days because Of the "flu" epidemic
then prevalent.
Walking is the Secretary's chief
recreation. He also COLTS occa-
sionally. He played but one round
with the famous Harding foursome
several years ago. 1T was WINS
pered afterward that this game was
not good enough to keep him in the
Presidential foursome, but Mellon
denied that.
Mellon has infrequently taken
horseback rides, but he is not par
tial to this form of recreation. He
believes, with President Coolidge,
that the mechanical hobby-horse
gives it's rider the same exercise,
without any of the inconvenience
attached to riding a live animal.
Modest Attire
In his attire the Secretary Is ex-
tremely modest. Always scrupu'
lously tailored, his taste runs in
variably to black. He usually wears
a soft gray crush hat and, in sum
mer, an ordinary straw.
The Secretary has many philan
thropic undertakings. One Of them
Is the Mellon Institute Of Indus
trial Research at Pittsburgh.
Mellon maintains it to provide
skilled scientific research into
technology for the Improvement of
industry and Industrial conditions.
1t is a practical demonstration of
cooperation between science and
industry for the benefit of Ameri-
can manufacturers.
Mellon is also closely allied with
many public and charitable institu-
tons. The University of Pitts
burgh, Carnegie University, the Tu-
berculosis League and numerous
other worthy educational and char
table institutions have received his
help. His charities are said to total
tens of thousands OF dollars every
year.
Mellon has made many friends
since entering public life. His
career in the Capital may be
summed up best in the photog'