The Washington times., 1935-03-27
]. /. HAMMOND
To PUBLISH
BIOGRAPHY
BY FRANK M. SMITH

In the drawing room Of o rear
pullman on the Florida Special
as It paused here Sunday en- route
to New York sat q rnedium-Sized
active man in q gray sack suit.
He talked easily and swiftly, for
his listener had only 40 minutes
to hear what he had to say.
The speaker punctuated his re-
marks with q wave Of his left
hand in which he held q half
smoked cigar. With his right
hand he fumbled in his vest
pocket for q second cigar and re-
leased it from its wrapper. This
gesture gave an excellent clue to
his philosophy. He keeps on liv-
ing because he is always ready
for the next jump by preparing
for it while the present step is
only half finished.
To Publish Autobiography
The man in the drawing room
was John Hays Hammond, world
figure, noted engineer and for
many years q Washingtonian. He
will be 80 years old next Sunday.
Today he is in New York prepar-
ing to publish his autobiography
as a birthday present to the
world. In this history Of his life
which will be presented in two
volumes he will tell the adven-
lures and triumphs which have
made his name a byword in the
mining world, q godsend to those
who depend on philanthropy for
a. chance to live, and q milestone
in the progress Of official and so
cial Washington. In this inter-
view given because Of his close as
sociation with the city, which he
first visited when he was 16 years
old, and came down from Yale to
visit Grant, with whom his father
fought, he gives this insight in his
personal life.
81 hate the inhibitions Of age.
/ don't like Father you mustn't
walk 50 fast. Father you
shouldn't play 1S holes Of golf.
Father you shouldn't swim.,"
Then he added.
81 guess I oughtnt to tell
this because Of my doctors, but
/ got a very bad case Of scia-
tica or lumbagO last week for
taking q swim.
LAUDS CAPITAL
So much for the lighter part
Of his present life. Questioned as
to his reason for passing up the
Nations Capital as a home he
declared:
Gas a mater Of fact I had
become a legal resident Of
Gloucester several years before
I had established my winter
home in Washington. Since
the death of my wife In 1881
I have spent the winter months
in my native State, California,
where 1 not only have many
old time friends but business in
terestS.
During the summer months
In Gloucester, 1 have my chill
dren with me. Their pr0feS-
SiOnaI activities deprive me Of
this pleasure during the winter.
Naturally I miss the COM
paniOnship of many devoted
friends in Washington and must
fOregO many attractions which
the Capital affords in great
er degree than any other Ameri-
can city. OF this I have writ
ten fully in my autobiography"
AVOIDS ANTI-CLIMAX
But John Hays Hammond only
scratched the surface of his reason
for passing by this city in these
words. He amplified this state
ment in a shy halting interlude
offered with the apology he just
couldn't write it down. For the
love for his wife with whom he
had just celebrated their golden
wedding anniversary before her
death is the real reason he does
not spend his winters here.
It is hard to draw a clear line
between the place where the
private life of this poppy octo-
genarian stops and public life
begins. He talked of his visits to
Taft, Mckinley, Teddy" Roose
velt and his work with Wilson and
gradually swung to the topic Of
the ellis" of the present. Striking
q new note he continued:
Gas it is said life begins at
forty / do not feel that my
limited experience at 80 entities
my views on the problems Of
the day to serious considera-
&i0o -