Evening star., 1936-10-03

oIlut tdlcc dilu IlUNclS anu Lie luIIlOl
ist. Queer quirks of human nature run
through them like a strange thread !;
the many-sided and individualistic
characters of Americans reveal them
selves. Stories of sincerity; inventions
of the human mind.
IN THE early days of the corporation
many worried applicants wrote di-
rectly to the President, seeking to ex-
pedite their loans. They came to the
White House. to the central Offices of
the corporation in Washington and
even to individual executives of H. o.
L. c. in many States. Some are typed
on business letterheads. Others are in
feminine hand. on tinted linen
paper, or rustling stationery bordered
in color. The expression is often trite,
but usually sincere. Whether clothed
in literary English or with every long
word misspelled, the theme is much
the same. A letter from Utah begins
Il will inclose a little poem that
wrote, showing how hard hit I have
been and about how optimistic I still
am; the Lord isn't dead yet" The in
closure was entitled, THE Game; the
Spirit of Optimism VS.. the Spirit Of
the Depression" Alas! the eight verses
inclosed lacked rhyme, meter and
those other ingredients called for in
any approved recipe for poety.
Directly to the President. one
woman expressed gratitude for the
assistance in clearing the loan which
she had received from a Maryland
office of the corporation. despite the
fact that she regarded herself as "a
Northerner."
Another, addressed to Our Presi-
dent" said: You are taking the
hard road to help the helpless ma
jority against the powerful. noisy
minority. We wish you health and
happiness and a long life like Mr..
Taft that you will see the benefits
Of your hard work"
To the corporation from Wisconsin
came this unconscious bit:
I'VE are full of energy and happi-
ness at home with our children" The
letter praises an H. o. L. C. field en-
ploye: We signed the last papers on
January 10. I was lucky that met a
good, conscientious man, Mr..
who knows his duty and is rendering
a good service to all alike - He
was a great helper to me, a man of
calm, tolerant and delightful nature. :"
This from a woman:
''Mr. was very kind and I
hardly expected to meet that consid-
eration-since most attorneys are
naughty and gruff."
The heroism and pluck of men and
women stand out in many of these
letters and stir deeply the emotions
of the human heart.
A WORLD WAR veteran, living
alone in the remote pine woods
of a Northern State in 1888. was un-
able to pay a lumber bill and in dam
ger of foreclosure. He hitch-hiked
in the dead of Winter to the nearest
H. o. L. c. office, $50 miles distant.
Only hours remained before the fore
closure sale was to be held so the H. o.
L. c. Office rushed its investigation.
An appraiser in the county where the
property was located persuaded the
owner of an airplane to fly him over
an almost unknown stretch of forest,
risking a landing on the ice of lake.
from which the rest Of the journey
was made by dog team and snow
shoes. The appraisal was made and
found to cover amply the small
amount of lumber needed. Search of
the legal title followed and the loan
was closed.
In 1928 q young couple bought a
small home with a grocery in front.
BY frugality and hard work they had
reduced their debt to one-half. when
the depression struck. To pay taxes
they had borrowed on their life in
surance policy. 1t was their
last resource. A 15-year monthly
"amortized" H. o. L. c. loan has put
them back on their feet.
All the public officials and most Of
the citizens of a certain county In
Ohio admire the fighting spirit and
enterprise shown by one young couple.
Incautiously in the face Of decrease
in the husbands business in 1890,
they had bought q small house in the
country, on the proverbial shoe-string.
From another owner they acquired the
adjoining lot. They undertook many
improvements, largely on credit. In
1928 they had to stave OF the col
lection efforts Of two holders Of first
mortgages and an assortment of other
creditors. Both husband and wife
were vigorous. intelligent and moved
by the pioneering spirit. Weeks Of