Evening star., 1947-07-27

to a farm north of the village Some
of this land still remains in the
Truman family.
Parents Home Raided.
Mrs. Truman recalled recently the
days when such names as GUAM
trilrs raiders, Jennison's Jayhawk-
ers and Kansas Redlegs struck ter
ror into the hearts OF peaceful
farmers like the Youngs.
One raid on her parents home
was conducted by men wearing
Federal uniforms, but known to
have been kansas Redlegs" and
not regulars.
The looting of the farm the
Youngs had toiled to make pro-
ductive forced the family to move
into Kansas City for protection.
This move, Mrs. Truman recalled
was made ahead of the infamous
"Order No. II" of 1853.
This controversial order of a
Federal general gave the farmers
of Jackson, Cass, Bates and part
of Vernon Counties IS days to col
lect their household effects and
such crops as could be harvested
and move to designated centers to
be held under Federal surveillance
Everything left behind was de-
Istroyed.
The lot of the pioneer farmers
always hard at best, was doubly
difficult in those years, and survival
meant rising early and working
ceaselessly. These virtues were the
mark of good citizen, and Martha
Truman learned them well.
Lessons Passed on to Children.
In later years she passed the
lessons on to her own children
Even today, President Truman's
rising hour of $50 am. represents
a radical departure from the
routine of the late President Roose-
velt and his staff. 1t took White
House secret service men almost q
year to adjust to the earlier hours
it was said.
Mrs. Truman attended Baptist
College in Lexington, Mo. AS q
girl she had met her future husband
John A. Truman, year her senior
who was brought up on a neighbor-
ing farm. She was firm believer
in late marriages, however, and the
wedding did not take place until
she was 20 years old, on December
28, 1881.
Following their marriage, the
couple settled in Lamar, Mo-, where
the young husband established him
self as a horse and mule trader. The
future President was born on May
8, 1884, in a small white cottage still
standing in Lamar.
The Trumans soon returned tc
the family farm near Grandview
and were living there when two
other children were born-J. Vivian
Truman and Mary Jane Truman
who continued to live with hs1
mother until the time of Mrs. Tru-
mans death.
Campaigned for Son.
Despite her advancing years, Mrs
Truman was a participant as well
as an observer of political affairs
She actively campaigned for her son
in her home community, and ad-
vised him on how to conduct hi,
affairs.
Yet the "fuss and feathers" OF
the Washington scene failed to i'm
press the level-headed little mother
from the Midwest.
"Fiddle-Sticks," was Mrs. Tru-
mans reaction when O large crowd
turned out to greet her at the air.
port soon after her son had become
President.
That spring President Truman
sent his special plane, the Sacred
Cow, to Missouri to bring Mrs. Tru-
man to Washington for Mothers
Day, which also had been proclaimed
as day of thanksgiving for the
termination Of the war IN Europe
She made her first air voyage like
veteran, but failed to get excited
about her reception here.
Harry" she asked her son, iii
you are President, why don't you
shoe all these people away?" Back
home in Grandview, she admitted
lit was grand trip" but she still
preferred her modest home In Mis-
souri,.
TeIephoned Surrender News
Half an hour after the japanese
surrender, President Truman tele-
phoned his mother to give her the
good news.
I'm glad Harry decided to end the
war;" Mrs. Truman remarked, as
she turned from the telephone
"Harry's a wonderful man. He has
noble disposition and he's loyal to
all his friends. I knew he'd call
He always calls me after something
that happens is over"
Mrs. Truman never dreamed that
her eldest son would become Pres1-
dent, and when he was under con-
sideration in 1914 as a running mate
for President Roosevelt, she advised
him TO remain in the Senate where
she believed he could do more
good" At that time Mr.. Truman
was chairman of the Senate War
Investigating Committee.
When Harry Truman won the
nomination, however, his mother
told friends: I'm not too olo yet to
campaign. I don't care what
people say about old folks"
She put her words into action by
holding meetings in her home and
presiding over groups of Democartlc
women although she was almost 81
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