The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-05-15

The teacher was Miss Dorothy
Cunningham-noW executive ma
tional committeeWoman of the
Republican party, and spellbinder
for the feminine contingent of
the G. o. P, against the pupil of
the Bucktown school in the last
gubernatorial race.
Grade days were showed behind.
Growing pain days began and the
Martinsville high school saw Paul
McNutt leading in the tying of
COWS to door knobs, and shuffling
books in desks of the school on
nightly prowls.
Bob" Phelps, druggist on the
town square at MartinSville, is
the only one of the Big Four
headed by the states Governor
left in the city of wells to relate
the mischief of their high school
cabal.
I'VE played seven-up, hearts,
and we're up to pranks just like
kids anywhere else. I remember
our high school class gave a foun-
tain to the school. Just thin
stream of water would come
through it. You had to suck it 70
get a drink.
The school trustees must have
been trying to save on water
bill Phelps related as he moved
walls on counter in his drug
store.
"DAUL and the rest of us got
l. into the building at night"
he continued. I'VE turned on the
water valve in the basement.
Water shot geyser- like on the
walls until the high school floor
was sole-deep in water. Mops
and brooms Strengthened out the
mess.
mo one ever found out who did
it until, at a class reunion just
before Paul was elected Governor,
we told our Latin teacher, Miss
Lulu Clark. She's retired now.
That was the first time she
ever knew that Paul was one of
the ringleaders. Was her face
red? She always thought Paul was
the smartest, finest boy in the
class"
And at her home, Miss Clark
tells visitors:
He was the most perfect pupil
I ever had. In debates he'd toss
his head emphatically in argu-
mentS as much as to say, I've
investigated and I know.
Politics crept into McNutt's life,
early. 1t was in the days of the
birth of the 16-1 silver campaign
of William Jennings Bryan when
the Commoner was running
against Mckinley.
The -breeches of Paul Nc
Mutt swung to the martial songs
of a fife and drum corps of the
Democratic party of the county.
He was color bearer of the corps
and trouped over the county in
redlight parades of the day
And one time" his mother
recalled, "a parade was to pass
our house. Paul wanted to have
an extra handicap and cheer in
front of his house, so he hired the
son of Republican neighbor for
10 cents to applaud as the BAN
nerS passed"
LIS parents, both of whom
Il Il were teachers before his
birth. were at odds in the dis
cipling of the effervescent Paul.
The father coddied his only son,
as a father will. The mother
maintained a balance with strict
discipline.
Il remember he wanted to go
to circus one day. His job was
to sweep and clean the stairs and
hallway. He sighted the job for
the circus When he came home
he had to do the stairs five times.
He never sighted them again"
his mother said.
On one occasion the reeking
odor of pipe smoke filtered up
stairs in the McNutt home. Paul's
job was the tending.
When school had claimed hun,
Mrs. McNutt found his pipe and
tobacco slowed in a cache near
the furnace. She took it. She
said nothing. Paul pulled no
more between snovelfuls of coal.
He was taught to be methodical,
never to begin a study or a task
without completing it,
"Puppy-love" days never sent