The Washington times., 1937-06-24
NOW
LdndOn Builds
NeW House
WPA MATERIAL
BY HELEN ESSARY

BY HELEN ESSARY
One year ago on June II Gov
ernor ALI M. Landon, Of Kansas,
was nominated for the White
House. This fall he will move
into a white house, but not the
one at 1900 Pennsylvania Avenue
in Washington. This one will be
on a hill outside of Topeka.
The house he is building near
the State capital of Kansas looks
very much like Mt. Vernon. Much
more like Mt. Vernon than the one
he would have had, rent free, here
in Washington if he had been a
successful candidate.
It is of Southern colonial archi-
lecture. It's inset porch and
gigantic pillars are suggestive Of
characteristic features of George
Washington'S home.
The covered walk from the
mansion to the garage resembles
the one which connects the man
sion at Mt. Vernon with its out
side kitchen. The Landon house,
however, is ultra-modern, the cen
trail piece in a 160-acre estate.
A travelling friend reports that
at the commencement exercises OF
a high school in Ozark Mountains,
he read in large letters on a ban
ner over the graduates heads:
"WPA, Here We Comet"
One of the busiest men in the
United States at this moment is
Capt. Chester Wells, U. S. NJ, re-
tired. Captain Wells, as president
of the District of Columbia Boy
Scout Council, is responsible Tor
the 1851 details OF feeding
housing, and official entertaining
of the delegates to the interna'
tional Boy Scout jamboree here in
July.
When Captain Wells left the
quarterback he planned to live the
life of a country gentleman at
Clear Drinking Manor, an ancient
colonial estate in Montgomery
county. And now see what has
happened to his leisure!
There is a small wicker basket
on the Presidents night table.
When Mrs. Roosevelt returns
from one of her trips, and wants
to call his attention to something
that has aroused her interest she
drops a penciled note into the
basket. Not infrequently it IS
scrubbed on the back Of menu
or a piece Of newspaper.
Mary Theresa Norton, chairman
of the powerful House Labor Com
mittee, has no children Of her own.
She has adopted" four n1eces:
Marion McDonough, her secretary
chauffeurcompanion; Jean NC
Donough. d this years graduate
of g. Elizabeth'S college, New
Jerss Lucille, who has just lin
ished a business course, and Betty,
who is married. A photograph OF
Michael, little son Of Betty, is on
Mrs, Norton's desk at the Capitol.
whenever she leaves Washington
she returns with presents Tor
Michael and his little sister, susan.
Mrs. William B. Bankhead, wife
of the Speaker Of the House, is IN
terested in astrology. She read IN
the stars that her husband was TO
be desperately i'll, as he was not
so long ago. The doctors give her
full credit for her part in Speaker
Bankhead'S surprising recovery.
Often when the gavel falls at
noon in the Senate Chamber, sig
nifying the opening Of the days
session, Senator Joseph T. Robin
son of Arkansas, the Democratic
floor leader, is the only one Of the
90 Senators in his seat. 81 have
never been late for an appoint
ment in my life," said the Arkan-
san, "but much Of my time is
spent waiting for others"
'Punctuality is the thief OF
time" observed one Of his friends.
Secretary of Commerce Daniel
C. Roper thinks sectionaliSm is
mistake. He sent his seven chill
dren to seven different universe
ties in as many States. once when
they were all home together on
vacation, he invited in friends OF
the family to listen to a debate.
Each child praised the school he
had attended and the virtues OF
the State in which it was located.
Did "Uncle Dams" home State Of
South Carolina win the debate?
The girl who went to Iowa won.
Senator Tom Connally of Texas,
Democrat, who bolted the New
Deal on the Supreme Court issue,
said that "the Senate Judiciary
Committee should have reported
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