The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-08-01

SAOSh DOLL saw viz VsAAnkCS VAAA
This is the first of two stories
written from Wendell WILKES
home town telling about the
people who knew him when ;.
and about Willkie, the farmer.
BY GEORGE DAVIS
NEA Service Special Correspondent
Elwood, Ind, August 1-Inde-
pendent, self-reliant personality
might be expected to develop natur-
ally in the household where Wen
dell Willkie, Republican candidate
for president, grew up in Edwood.
Frank Willkie, an uncle, long a
mechanic, says his nephews were
encouraged to start Off alone in
summer to work their way wher-
ever they wished to go, returning
in time for school in September.
Wendell Willkie worked his way
to California one summer, Fred to
Kansas. Robert Willkie, another
brother, reached Texas before turn
ing back to Elwood.
Wendell WILKES various jobs
on these trips included work in
wheat fields. Once he was a barker
for a tent lodging house, carrying
some of the dodgers in from the
street on his shoulder, like sacks
of grain. That was in a boom
year at Aberdeen, S. D.
my brother believed all that
was good experience" the uncle
says. But he was careful to see
that wandering did not become a
habit" {
Several summers Willkie worked
in a fruit and vegetable store run
by Sam Manghelli. That fruit
dealer rates as the first to propose
Wendell Willkie for President.
The boy was sorting potatoes.
''You do that so good" his en-
ployer said, "someday maybe
you'll be president of the United
States"
Abe Levi, who still runs a
scrap-iron yard, was another en-
ployer of the youthful Willkie,
hiring him to pick wire nails from
sweepings of box factory. Years
later Abe Levi gave Willkie his
first case when the youth returned
from law school to join his parents
in the firm of Willkie g. Willkie.
NEIGHBORS DIDN'T CALL
THEM INTELLECTUALS
The Herman Willkie household,
in years when some of the six chill
dren were in high school, was the
perennial wonder of most other wo-
men in the neighborhood.
A coal range stood in the base
ment, with big bare kitchen
table near it.
Two or three children might
cook their own dinner without
waiting for the others. They ate
when they found nothing more in
teresting to do.
If a discussion developed, or a
book was waiting to be read, the
dishes would remain unwaShed.
Perhaps they were intellectuals.
But that word wasn't usual in Ell
wood. Neighbors who didn't un-
derstand this family called them
the crazy WILKES.
FAMILY ARGUED
WITH DISHES
Mrs. Rose Closz Barnett. a fire.
quent guest at the Willkie home in
those days, remembers luncheon dis
cussions which ended in the boys
throwing dishes at one another. She
says she wasn't much startled. She
knew so well the ways of the tur-
bulent Willkie.
80 many dishes were broken
at one of these luncheon discus
sions,' she says, "they must have
had to buy new set"
Philip Hamm lived in the neigh
borhood. His daughter, Mrs. F. p,
Van Tine, tells about the day a
baseball crashed through her
fathers parlor window. He ran out
and accused Master Wendell.
I'm going home and read up In
my fathers law books" that boy
retorted. We'll see what can be
done when an innocent person has
been wrongly accused"
Wendell Willkie was IN high
school when he joined the Meth
odist church In which his parents
were prominent. Teacher Of his
Sunday school class did not APP
pear one Sunday.
IAN right the youth volun-
teered. ell take the class myself"
Wendell Willkie. who has been
q Democrat and a Republican. left
the Methodist church 10 Join the
Episcopal church In 9 little frame
building. That church was at.
tended By a tall, handsome. black
haired eirl named uwyneth Harry.
! cchoolmateA thought they were