Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-08-31
UvaIde Believes
Garner Won't Take
Part in Campaign
Vice President Maintains
Impressive Silence
On Matters Political

Impressive SIlence
: On Matters Political
..UVALDE, Tex, Aug. 81 NAN.A)
Both Uvalde and John N. Garner
act as though the Vice President of
the United States were home to stay.
Whether wounded and embittered
BY the third-term convention, he
obviously has had enough of WASH
ington. He is not expected to return
to the Capital for the closing days
of Congress.
Only an urgent summons from
President Roosevelt could get him
out of his house on North Park
street, and even then the conference
would have to do with the national
emergency and not the campaign
for the third term. Thus the Vice
Presidents attitude was explained
by close friend.
y John Garner is creating no breezes
for the many political straws tossed
in his direction. He has no COM
ment on the story of Bruce Holsom-
bach, the banker from nearby Crys-
tai City, who said in New York that
Mrs. Garner had pinned a Willkie
button on him. All Uvalde will tell
you that Bruce was kidding and that
It never happened.
Has Been a Recluse.
The Vice President has been some
thing of a recluse since he brought
his feelings and his secret to Uvalde
a month ago. He hasn't been to the
to Ross Brumfleld's garage only
twice the folks say.
He doesn't want to be short with
the boys on the street and he will
not be betrayed into a statement.
His intimates drop in to see him in
the afternoon or early evening. but
treat the presidential campaign as
though they had never heard of it.
Uvalde shares the national infer
ence that John Garner is too good a
Democrat to bolt the party. His
position, therefore, is an impressive
silence.
There are indications that reopen
ing the Garner manse is more than
q temporary homecoming. The de-
tached garage is being enlarged to
accommodate more cars. The squire
Of Uvalde is about to let contracts
for the erection of six more low-rent
dwellings, a project dear to his
heart.
Rents $40 to SIS a Month.
He has said, 81 can build these
houses for 80 per cent less than any
body else" So, declared a Uvaldan,
it stands to reason that he will sup
ervise them personally. The new
sextet will bring the Garner housing
project up to 80 in all. The dwell
ings cost $500 to S1,750 and rent
from $40 to $25 a month.
Uvalde thinks the Vice President
as a private landlord, has whipped
the low-cost housing problem and
F. H. A. into the bargain. F. II. A.
officials criticized his plans as weak
for the snow-load But Uvalde
roofs get no load of snow.
The Garner houses are neat, white
frame affairs designed for the
small-salaried man.
That's all we have around here"
said our informant. Small salaries.
The man making 500 a month
usually has to rent or build a way
out. He pays around $40 a month
and must spend $25 a month on his
automobile transportation. He can
live in a Garner house for half the
rent or less, walk to business and
keep his car for Sunday or picnics."
His Pecan Trees.
There isn't vacancy in the Gar
ner housing projects. His other
concern is his pecans which should
be falling soon. The grove of speci-
men trees can be found on the 4
acre tract surrounding his large
boxlike brick home of indeterminate
architecture. For each tree there
is a faucet fed from the Garner
well, and the Vice President of the
United States, the recent candidate
for the presidential nomination, is
sitting under those trees watching.
He expects the finest yield among
the 1000 other pecan wonders with
in the city limits of Uvalde.
The menage consists of the Vice
President, Mrs. Garner, who prac-
tically drops the role of private sec
rotary and turns cook and house
keeper: her brother, Gus Rheiner,
who looks after the place when the
family is gone; Louis Friday, Uvalde
man with the title of clerk; assorted
servants and gardeners.
Counts His Dollars in Millions.
) It is only a four-block walk from
the Garner home to the square and
MIR. Garner, who will be II next
November %, takes it fast. Most
Of the town calls him Mr.. Garner,
not because he is Vice President,
but because he counts his dollars in
millions. He's the smartest man
around here.
Those who call him Jack are his
kind-thinippe reserved, indif-
ferent to hullabaloo. Almost the
No. l crony is Mr.. Gamers fishing
partner, named Benjamin Franklin
"a dead ringer for John l.. Lewis,
VINO not long ago called Jack a
whisky drinking, poker-playing, evil
old man. 1t has been too hot to
fish, but the boys should be head
ing soon for the Nueces and Leona
streams. They are populated from
the nearby Federal fish hatchery
which he asked the Government for.
John Garner might go back to
Congress or run for Governor of
Texas, but Uvalde doesn't think so.
Something Is to be done soon about
The highway signs which advertise
Uvalde as the home of the Vice
President. And don't be surprised
tia strong Willkie club isn't started -