Evening star., 1936-04-05
About Well-KnOWn Folk
In Books, Art, Politics
Senator Guffey's Leap Year Biography.
Senator Lewis on Easter Parade Famous
Theatrical Costumes in Museum.
by ROBERT CRAWFORD.

BY ROBERT CRAWFORD.
Ut IS not known what statistics
might show-mathematics may
be al, exact science, but statistics
i are very easily reversed-judgins,
however, from the attendance at balls
and parties in the National Capital,
there are more marriageable women
than men.
One wonders whether or not the
Junior Senator from the Keystone
state had that in mind. In any case
his biography in the Congressional
Directory, Is the shortest and sweet
est for leap year consumption: 10
seph F. Guffey. Pittsburgh, Pa. I'm
married" And what have you?
Why the Senator Entered Politics.
The good looking bachelor Senator
from Pennsylvania, is one OF those
"rara avis" you read about but seldom
sea hero to his own household.
Napoleon was said to have been a
hero to his valet until one day he saw
ing it limb from limb and smearing
his face with the fat So, Senator
Guffey says, one must always take
with a grain of salt all his sisters say
about him. They do say, however,
that he has always thought of the
other chap first.
When the Senator's sister, Mrs.
Carol Miller, the other politician in
the Guffey family and Democratic
committeewoman from Pennsylvania,
was asked how her brother, with his
large business connections. happened
to 60 into politics, she said that was
the most interesting chapter in q
life that had been filled with activ-
ity. He did not enter the arena for
personal aggrandizement but in the
first instance to try to help the other
fellow to more decent If not abund-
ant life.
Social service was his hobby when
q very young man; but after working
industriously for some time along So
cial lines he finally decided that the
only way was the other way, and the
other way was through city, county
and State politics. In other words, 1t
would take legislation to arouse public
interest sufficiently, for instance, to
clear out the slumS of his home town;
better housing conditions and give the
other chap decent place and neigh
borhood in which to rear his family.
The Hull House movement in Chi
eago was sweeping the country and
settlement houses were Springing up
like mushrooms in every city. Pitts
burgh, too. had its crop, and Kingsley
House was started. Senator Guffey,
then young man in his teens, heard
q great deal of talk about it so he de-
cided to go down and see what it was
all about. 1t was revelation to him.
He became interested and volunteered
for night work and any time that he
could give during the day. Later on
he became member of the board. In
his youthful impatience, however, he
felt that they were not getting at the
crux of the situation and it was then
that he decided to make a one-man
investigation to see just how the other
half lived. - - =.
Rev George Hodges, rector of Cal
vary Episcopal Church, in Pittsburgh,
was one Of the founders of Kingsley
House, also known as "A house by the
side of the road" It had small be-
ginnings, and was located at 1907
Pennsylvania avenue, in the twelfth
ward-now part of the second ward.
1t was named for Charles Kingsley,
the popular author of Westward Ho!"
that delightful story of the adven-
tures OF one Sir Amyas Leigh, Knit,
in the reign of her Most Glorious
Majesty Queen Elizabeth" and that
other charming story, "Hypatia" chow
the lady would have marveled at the
freedom OF the women of today. who
was organizing Workingmen's clubs in
London and forwarding the settlement
house movement at oxford.
Senator Guffey took part in the
clubs for boys and girls at the settle
n1ent and noted how the men Of the
neighborhood, instead of spending
many of their evenings in the saloons
and beer parlors, would come with
their families to the meetings. But
when the doors Of the settlement
house were closed and the people of
the neighborhood started home, Mr..
Guffey, sometimes walking along with
them, perceived the degrading condi-
tions where they lived and decided
that slum clearance was vital. 1t was
then he enlarged his calling list and
would drop around now and then for
little friendly visit He got his
Information at first hand-a thing he
still seems to do in all matters in
which he is interested.
His First Hobby.
Settlement work, his first hobby, led
10 interest in finding ways and means
TO send worthwhile boys to college
He has done pretty well for a bache-
lor. as he personally has been the
means Of helping some SO or 40 young
men receive a college education. Per-
haps when the Senator decided on
politics as the means to an end he
did not vision that he would be the
first Democratic Senator from Penn
bylvania in over so years.
1t Is hoped that Charles Kingsley