Evening star., 1949-12-30
Independence (Mo.) Feels It's Now Losing Harry "
Continued From First Page.)

dependence. He spoke to Willis
Luther, county employe when the
President was presiding judge Of
Jackson County. Mr.. Luther now
is with the County Home for the
Aged. He chatted with Charles
Goforth, local agent for the Mis-
souri, Pacific Railroad, and shook
hands with George Gee and Paul
Snider, advertising men.
You're a mighty fine boy" Mr..
Truman told Andy Anderson, 8,
who lives couple Of houses from
the Truman home. Hello there, "
he said to Arlene Barr, 2, and he
signed the diary Of Linda Chopin,
10. who lives diagonally across
Delaware street from the Presi-
dent.
It wasn't until the last day of
his trip that the President walked
to the grocery of Mayor Roger
T. Sermon. The Mayor visited
with President Truman in Kansas
City repeatedly to talk about the
forthcoming spring mayorality
election.
Mayor Sermon, who holds the
Democrats of Eastern Jackson
County in the palm of his hand,
was instrumental in gathering
money for the financing of past
Truman campaigns. He has been
in Office 26 consecutive years and
is being petitioned to run again
Chats between the mayor ano
the President have become shorter
and shorter as Mr.. Truman still
aligns himself with what's left OF
the Pendergast crowd. The Ser
mon faction is in opposition ano
this has bred a certain GOODNESS
in independence politics.
At the unveiling of the jackson
statue, the mayor introduced Mr..
Truman:
Ladies and gentlemen. the
President of the United States"
II know you meant every word
of that introduction, Roger" the
President retorted.
The mayor remarked to City
Attorney John Thice:
Harry sure has lot more lines
in his face than the last time ]
saw him."
New Fence Bars Visitors.
Residents didn't stroll up to the
Truman home with presents this
year, perhaps, due to the new
fence, erected by order OF the
Secret Service.
The five-foot barrier was put up
after sightseers tried to remove
everything from a flagstone in the
front walk to a shrub by the steps
The Trumans like the fence
independence natives are divided
in their opinions. To some it gives
the sprawling, white house dig
nity";; to others, lit sets the Tru-
mans even more apart from us"
The palings, however. do elimi-
nate the walking OF the house
guards. These men. who used to
patrol the property from the side
walk, made many residents nerv-
Gus. .-s
mo doubt a smalltown; fancy" I"
an Independence schoolteacher
put it, "but I used to walk up
town another way because I
t..,ought these men were watching
n,o. Now they watch, but I can't
see them"
One man Mr.. Truman did see
lot was Blevins Davis. an old
friend Of the family, but never
before such an intimate. The New
York playwright. producer and
millionaire, since the death of his
wife-heir to the Hill railroad
fortune of her first husband-used
to be a teacher at the Independ-
ence Junior High School. !
Entertains TrumanS.
He entertained for the Trumans
at his estate, Glendale Farms, be-
tween Independence and Lees
Summit. Mo. The President, Mrs.
Truman and Margaret stayed 31a
hours.
The day before they attended a
party for Mr.. Davis given by the
Minor girls, Grace. teacher, and
Eleanor, a librarian. in their home
about three blocks east of the
Summer White House.
That same night, the Harpie
Club held its regular weekly meet
ing on the third floor of the Saw
ings and Loan Building on the
square. The keg of beer, cheese
and poker chips were present, but
Mr.. Truman, a member, wasn't.
Sure. we invited him." Dexter
Perry, county investigator of in
stitutions, said.
The club, whose first members
played harmonicas or mouth
harps, Is limited to about Is. It
was formed after World War I.
Jim Noel, councilman friend of
the President, says:
Lots of the boys don't go any
more cause they're too old to
manage the stairs"
Most of the members didn't
get chance to say hello to
Harry" this trip. These included
John Hutchinson, feed and coal
dealer; Al May, feed dealer, and
Stanley Gregg, head of the First
National Bank of Independence.
Calls Up Friends.
Those who know the Truman
unlisted telephone number or
were called by him include L. L.
(Polly) Compton, soft drink man
ufacturer, Leslie Shaw, potato
grower, Mize Peters, director of
sales of savings bonds in Mis-
souri,. and E. M. Stayton, head of
the jackson County Historical
Society.
Hello, Bill, this is Harry Tru-
man." the President said in a
phone conversation with Mayor
Sermons brother.
Yeah, and I'm the Archduke of