Evening star., 1953-11-04
Stanley Left Farm as Youth
For First Job in CodI,Pits s.3
Now Farming Leads
As Recreation for
Governor-EIect

It was 46 years ago when Mr..
Stanley, now SO. left his fathers
farm in the tobacco belt Of Henry
County to take job in the coal
pits.
Since then he has worked as
a bookkeeper, bank cashier,
farmer and finally up to posi-.
ton of wealth as q furniture
manufacturer.
In politics, he climbed the
political ladder first as a men,
ber of the lower branch of the
Virginia General Assembly, then
as Speaker of the House of
Delegates for three sessions and
then as member of Congress
for seven years.
Feels Best in Work Clothes.
In a recent interview with.
James Geary Of the Associated
Press, Mr.. Stanley said he gets
most enjoyment out of doing
actual labor on the farm. He
said he is never so comfortable
as when he is in work clothes
and in the field. It is prac-
tically his only recreation.
His favorite farm work is tat
tooing registry numbers in the
ears of his purebred Hereford
and Holstein calves.
When he retires from public
! life he wants to buy a Tennessee
walking horse, "the kind with
fast walk and a nod like the
old country doctor used to ride"
to go about his woods and fields.
/ To the people who see Mr..
1 Stanley in public life, he is a
tall. dignif1ed, cordial man, inn
peccably though conservatives?
dressed, with smiling eyes, a
complexion of health and grey
I hair.
Full Day to Business.
He is 6 feet, 2 inches tall, and
carries his 100 pounds so we'll
that he almost looks slender.
He is an early riser, devotes a
full day to his furniture manu-,
featuring business, and his
leisure time in his barns and
fields.
He doesn't smoke, though as he
relaxed for the interview in a
red leather chair in his cozy Ii
brary he held and occasionally
chewed on an unlit cigar.
Mr.. Stanley appeared to en-
joy reminiscing about his boy
hood and early manhood. He at
tempted to answer ell questions.
Mrs. Stanley, gracious and petite,
sat by part of the time and also
seemed to enjoy going back with
her husband over the years
Once or twice she got up and
stirred the fire IN the big fire.
place. When question TUNED to
their courtship days, she joined
in and threw him more than one
affectionate smile.
Called on Older Sister.
She was Anne Pocohontas Bas-
sett, daughter of Virginia. S pion-
eer furniture manufacturer, j
D. Bassett. She was Is years old
when she first became aware of
''Bonce," who came to call on
her older sister. II thought he
was mighty cute" she said.
Although Mr.. Stanley is known
as Tom" to his friends in pub
lie life-and they are legion
his wife and his friends of boy
hood days call him "Bonce. "
Bahnson is family name on
his mothers side.
The Stanleys live in a great
stone house, "Stoneleigh," on top
of beautifully Handicapped hill
about two miles from the Stan
ley furniture plant. "Stoneleigh"
was the spelling for Stanley in
England some centuries ago.
The house is surrounded by
several hundred acres of rolling
grazing land and woods, and
nearby on two other hills in big
houses, Mr.. Stanley has gath
cred his daughter and his oldest
son. Another son is in the armed
forces.
Five GrandsOnS.
Five little boys, who constitute
the Stanley grandchildren thus
far, can tramp across the fields,
through the planted trees and
the lovely garden at "Stoneleigh"
to the manorial home of their
grandparents.
Mr.. Stanley owns another
Henry County farm, on which
he was born. 1t was under far
different circumstances that he
lived there as a boy. His father,
a Confederate veteran wounded
in Pickett's charge at Gettys-
burg, was a farmer. craftsman
and when Tom was IL, the
father was elected Commissioner
of Revenue. But there was
never much money in the
Stanley household.
Mr.. Stanley was the youngest
! of seven children. His much
older brothers and sisters offered
little companionship. but two
Negro boys about his own age
who lived on the place were his
loyal friends.
FondneSS for Cattle Raising.
Young "Bonce" learned the
hard work of farm life. He
hated milking the cows. But he
learned to love farming and al
ways wanted to raise cattle
mot as gentleman farmer, but
as a real business enterprise"
AS boy Mr.. Stanley had little
time for sports, except that he
huntet. a great deal. Schooling
was regular with the exception
of half a year when at II he
worked in the coal fields. After
! he finished public school, he
. ~. 49,.