The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-05-25
NOW
u. S. Senator
Farmer
OF MERIT
By HELEN EssARY

You've met them both before
IN other roles. .
You've met Millard Tydings,
Senator from Maryland, conduct
ing a passionate inquiry into the
present state of the Constitution;
distinguishing himself on the floor
of the Senate as one of the most
wide-awake young lawmakers In
the country.
But you never see Willard
Tydings working $50 acres in Hart
fort County, Maryland. Planning
profitable crops of wheat, barley
and corn, raising steers, hogs and
horses, and developing a chicken
= business that ought to pay any
body's income tax.
You've seen the lovely Mrs. Mil
lard Tydings entertaining grace
fully in her personality as the wife
Of a United States Senator and
rs the daughter Of the United
States Ambassador to SOVIET
Russia, Joseph e. Davies.
But you've never seen her in
Overalls, pruning the dead wood
from 200-year-old lockwood bushes.
Or shooting baby chicks into their
own houses. Or gazing at a field
with the same meditative look
women have when they mean to
move the furniture) and saying:
'.What about doing those acres in
corn next year?"
Over the last weekend I dis
covered these alter egos of two of
,Washington'S beSt-known citizens.
watched Farmer TydingS and his
wife, running Darlington, not as
. plaything, but as business TN
dertaking. Isnever enjoyed an ex-
perience more. 49,.
AL; Hartford county has been
delighted with the TydingS' farm
ing enterprise. When Senator
Tydings and his wife bought the
handsome manor house on the
upper Chesapeake Bay, surveyed
in 1859 for Capt. Nathaniel UteS,
the original colonial structure,
added to gorgeously by James
Breese with the assistance Of Stan
ford White and later adorned
with further elegance by Commo-
dore Leonard Richard, the neigh
bors said:
"WeIl, even IL we did know
ATllard as boy we just don't
think he can run q farm. It's
. fine place and he's q good
Senator, but watch him lose
money"
Some Of the neighbors, Mr.. and
Mrs. Donald Symington. Mr.. and
Mrs. Charles e. Bryan, Phillips
Lee Goldsborough, former United
states Senator from Maryland;
Mrs. Arthur Foster, whose father
was Senator John Walter Smith
of Maryland, and Mr.. D. K. Este
Fisher, came to Darlington" for
tea.
Greatest surprise we've ever
had" they said. Willard not
only didn't lose money his first
year as a farmer, but he made a
little. It wouldn't surprise us if
he made real money this year."
Darlington" is a thrillingly
beautiful place. The house is
spacious and friendly. Its most
famous room, the great Semicir-
cular enclosed porch, has a wide
view of the bay. It's furnishings
are in blue and white, deep blue
rug. white and blue chairs and
two choice ,canvases in tones OF
blue and brought from Russia re-
Gently by Ambassador Davies.
The garden is as romantic as
the stage settings of Gone With
The Wind" The lockwood is tall
as man. Very sturdy.
Literally hundreds of rhododen"
drons and laurel were In bloom on
Sunday. The peony and iris gar
den, as big as Lafayette Square,
was brilliant in color. You can
walk for almost the length Of a
city block under a wiSteria arhor
with Q ceiling Of lavender bios
SONS.
Along the paths of the woods,
ferns and wild flowers we're grow.
ing and little streams were rip
pling down to the bay.
II uNCu al OdAA4SOOA
iust sit me down and enhale the
beauty and the weeds could nave
their way.
But not Farmer Tydings and
his wife. They took us for long
walks and rides over their acres.
We visited the farm cottages
where the farmers and their fam
lilies were out summing themselves
in their Sunday clothes. We
stopped at the big stone garage
with its two apartments, one of
ten rooms and one Of six. Peeped
into the guest cottage, now being
fitted up.
At several of the chicken barns
we paused to learn that Farmer
Tydings now has $500 chickens.
Already he sells eggs to various
washington hotels, clubs and in
dividuals. The Minister of Fin
land and Madame Jarnefelt re-
ceiVe seven dozen eggs every Men
day morning by parcel post. One
thousand eggs q day Is the ship
ping goal of Darlington" next
year.
In one large hog pen six COM
placent mothers were nourishing
as squeaking little pigs. In the
fields horses, steers and mich
COWS Il think that's the way you
describe them were grazing. We