Evening star., 1939-09-03
Helpful Philosophy Fills
The Old Clipping Chest
Mrs. John r. Murdock of Arizona
Doubly Cherishes Friends Gift:
Themes Go Over Air

Much more than hobby is the
"Old Clipping Chest" with which
Mrs. John R. Murdock, wife of the
Arizona Representative, has de-
lighted groups of clubwomen in
Washington, as we'll as much larg-
er audience in Arizona.
From its alphabetically indexed
compartments has come material for
many half-hour program of
homely philosophy. And, back in
Arizona, The Old Clipping Chest
went on the air and, with Mrs. Muir
dock as the reader, became highly
successful non-commercial broad
cast.
Poems and bits of prose-some-
times little more than a phrase
are contained in the chest. Most
OF the thoughts expressed are philo-
sophical and can be indexed under a
| certain topic. Babies" Happiness, :"
and Prayer" are a few of them.
Great Hearts" is topic which in
cludes quotations from statesmen.
| And a goodly number are tucked
away in folder labeled. Just Be-
cause They're Beautiful which is
why they were saved, Mrs. Muir
dock explained.
Oddly enough, however, the "Old
Clipping Chest" which Mrs. Murdock
generously shares with others, is not
her own collection, but the harvest
of a friend whom she met manv
years ago. Both were teachers in an
Indian school in Oklahoma and
Mrs. Murdock soon discovered her
friends proclivity for saving clip
pings which seemed to provide ap-
propriate quotations for virtually
every occasion.
1t was not until last year, however
that she realized the extent of the
collection.
She had returned to Arizona for
her husbands reelection campaign
when her friend, now Mrs. T. j.
Cookson of near Phoenix, Ariz., sur
prised her with the announcement
she was making Mrs Murdock a gift
of the clippings.
Pleased-because she deeply ad-
mired both her friend and the COL
lection-Mrs. Murdock was also
startled when she saw how many
clippings there were.
You wouldn't believe it, she re-
ports, "but there must be millions
of them. It's hard to believe that
any one person could save so many
In lifetime"
1t will be many months before Mrs.
Murdock will be able to go through
all the boxes in which the clippings
are stored.
AS she began to examine the COL
lection, however, she was soon more
and more impressed at the discrimi-
nation with which the thousands OF
clippings had been chosen.
TITS not literary collection" she
explained, because it wasn't in
tended to be. The clippings were
saved for the thought they expressed
and not for literary value. They
are simply helpful thoughts which
had helped her through the years.
And I began to realize more and more
they were valuable because of the
person who saved them"
Reading through the collection,
Mrs. Murdock unconsciously began
to sort them and she soon realized
that the sorting was taking place
according to her friends philosophy.
Eventually she had classifications of
1913 topics.
Out of the sorting process also
came her desire to use the clip
pings over the radio. Sample pro-
grams she prepared impressed stu
lilo ofIicials and her semi-weekly pro-
gram, THE Old Clipping Chest"
was launched.
With an organ accompaniment,
Mrs. Murdock read the clippings
herself-striving to present the
thoughts they contained with dig
nifty and simplicity and without un-
due sentiment.
It was labor of love. Mrs. Muir
dock was not paid for the broadcast,
but felt her remuneration was in
sharing with others the philosophy
that was her friends.
The radio series over, she con-
tinued work with the clippings, de-
vising a chest with a neat filing sys-
tenn. AS time goes on, it bulges
more and more with additions she
has found worth preserving.
She also has had made sample"
chest, small enough to carry about,
which she takes with her when she's
giving clipping chest program.
Her friend does not regard her
clipping collection as a hobby, she
declared. "She does it because she
has to-" she explained. 1T is just
part Of her every day living to
cherish the thoughts sh0 feels are
helpful"
And because she considers this
friend probably the finest woman
she has ever known, Mrs. Murdock
has chosen one line from the vast
collection - the theme Of the chest.
I