Letter from F. R. Barnes of Great Falls, Montaina, Regarding President Hoover’s Memorial Day Address at Gettysburg

PHONE 9710 J. 0. JOHANSEN M. BARNEY MONTANA SEEBURG COMPANY NORTHWEST DISTRIBUTORS SEEBURG COIN OPERATED INSTRUMENTS JUN THE RECEIVED I WHITE 1930 HOUSE PHONOGRAPHS and RECORDS PIANOS 6/9/30 ORGANS 6 FIFTH STREET NORTH RADIOS GREAT FALLS, MONTANA June 4, 1930. President Herbert Hoover, Washington, D C. Dear President Hoover; Not in a long time has a public utterance appealed to me as has yours of last "emorial Day at Gettsyburg. When I read it, again and again, as reported in the Great Falls Tribune, I felt that, 50 years from now, it will still deserve to be read as a fitting companion to Lincoln's immortal words. I think that it too must have had its birth in your own soul struggles with current difficulties. It appealed to me because of its poetic beauty, its lofty thought and its spiritual con- tent; and these were especially noteworthy because they were coming from one who is commonly represented as practical adnd an engineer rather than an orator. Please understand that I have no desire to put myself in the lime-light. I am prompted to write to our President because I felt that, as one whose father was a civil war veteran and whose two sons are young officers, one in the navy and the other in the army, you would like to know that, someone anyway, and doubtless very many, away out in Montana finds an echoing re- sponse in his heart to your call to us to be high-minded citizens and that it will hearten you a little in turn if some lines are sent you from here as an assurance. Perhaps too it will interest you to know that your Mr. W D Henry, of Wahpeton, North Dakota, is one of my long-time friends. I have known him since my little boyhood as a man of unusually kindly nature, and have hearta of the courtesies which you have shown him. Respectfully, FR Barnes. P.P.F. June 9, 1930 address goo My dear Mr. Barnes: The President has received your letter of June 4th and has been interested in reading it. He is very glad to know that you liked his recent address at Get- tysburg and more than appreciates your taking the trouble to tell him of your approval. Sincerely yours, LAWRENCE RICHEY Secretary to the President Mr. F. R. Barnes Montana Seeburg Company Great Falls, Montana wlm