Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-11
BY GRETCHEN SMITH.


No change will be made in the daily
program of Mrs. Jack Garner, should
the gentleman from Texas find him
self seated in the chair of House Speaker
this session.
Pointing to a desk in front of her,
piled high with papers and pamphlets,
and to newly opened boxes surrounding
her on the floor, the slight, active little
woman, who has been her husbands
secretary for 20 years. explained.
"Of course, its impossible to go out
socially with all this work to do" she
remarked. And you know I never felt
that a member of the House was sent
up here by his constituents for his wife
to go out into society. He is sent up
here to work, and I have always worked
with Mr.. Garner. And if you work you
can't do society" One cannot serve
two masters.
Never Cared for Society.
Anyway" she continued, IT have
never cared about social activities.
Years ago, when we first came, there
wasn't much for a Congressman to do
I went about more then, and think in
that first five years, must have ped
died about ton Of cardboard around
town. But things are different now.
Business has grown, and with 1t re-
sponsibilities, and there is much work
to do. I am here every morning at 8
o'clock, and here stay until late
afternoon.
1T would never make any difference
in my life" she said. But I should
like to see my husband accorded the
of n nf
work. I should also like to have the
honor for Texas"
The blue eyes, which throughout her
entire converse ton twinkled merrily. as
though amused at this much ado ever
nothing" became serious.
''No, it will make no difference in
our social program. I'm afraid hos
tesses will continue to receive, Mr. and
Mrs. Garner regret" she remarked.
Then laughingly she added, "You know,
Mr.. Garner has no idea how many of
those regrets sent out every Winter"
Secretary for 30 Years.
For 90 years. city Garner has
made her Winter home in Washington,
coming to the Capitol in 1902 after her
husbands first election to Office.
Throughout that long period the duties
of secretary to her husband have oc-
cupied her time to such an extent that
few have had the privilege of knowing
the woman who step by step has
climbed the political ladder of honors
with her husband without cnce wishing
or accepting the personal tribute which
hundreds have wished to pay her.
When Mr.. Garner first ran for Con-
gress," she explained, II decided to
brush up the shorthand which 1 had
studied as a girl in San Antonio. I
only took it up then to make the hours
less lonely for me when I was at home
with my brother on our ranch at Sab
inal. I never used my shorthand pro-
fessionally, as my brother didn't believe
In girls working unless they had TO. But
when Mr. Garner ran for Congress
hid myself away for a month and took
it I'D again. I did his secretarial work
for him during his campaign, and have
been doing it ever since.
Nobody ever hears Of my shorthand
method nowadays" she said. you
never hear of any one who knows IT,
so of course no one could ever read my
notes-funny little chicken tracks"
Born and raised on a ranch IN
Texas, and later educated in well
known school for young ladies IN
Tennessee, Mrs. Garner in early life
formed the ideas of sincerity, unpre-
NERVOUSNESS anu ulSllhc VI AlyPAONA Aoy'
which have made her one OF the most
popular secretaries" on Capitol Hill,
as we'll as one of the best loved resi-
dents of Uvalde County, Tex.
Mother Was Drowned.
The daughter of a Swiss, P. j.
Rheiner who at 81 came to the United
States and settled in Texas. Mrs.
Gamers life was early clouded with
the shadow of tragedy. Her mother was
drowned in a creek attempting to save
the life of her baby girl, Marietta. or
little ETY." when the Rheiner family,
father, mother, little brother and baby,
had gone to the banks OF the stream
for an afternoons fishing. Mrs. Garner
father had gone some way down the
stream, leaving his wife and baby for
a few moments, when "Etty" rolled into
the creek.
In later years, the baby Etty knew
all the freedom and "bigness" OF LIE
of the child of the great Texan plains:
The love of outdoors, of nature and OF
hard work, which she was taught then,
has remained with her ever since.
Don't you miss the exercise and