◆ SpookStack

t Lae Ee The Picture of Hedith “= eeienainel Face to face with the man in relaxation, one finds him more like the uncle who is comfortably well off, if not rich; who remembers everybody's birthday; who steps in to handle all the famil crises and who enjoys life almost in the traditio of the Victorians. At 69 and apparently slated to be director af the FBI as long as he wants to be, Hoover is the picture of vigorous heaith, iooking and feeling at least 20 years younger. “I'm getting ready to go to the La Jolla Med- ical Clinic in La Jolla, Cal., soon for the physical examination I take there every year,” he said. “I pot a better reading last year than I did the year before that.” . The man today stands six feet tall, exceeding rect, with a barrel-chest build and slim legs remi iscent of Babe Ruth’s. There is still only a sugges tion of gray at the temples of his dark hair. His face is full and florid. He wears glasses for read- ing. His mind is unquestionably as sharp as it was \ the day he took over the FBI] in May, 1924, He does less traveling now because his world-renowned or- ganization has grown so large that administrativ: duties tie him to the desk. { Hoover, who has never married, lives in peace modest house on the western slope af ock Creek Park. His cooking and cleaning are Saken care of by a housekeeper who has been with him for more than 12 years. An ordinary day in the life of J. Edgar Hoover is likely to follow long-set patterns. He is up before 7 A. M. after seven hours of dreamless slumber, more often than not interrupted by at least several calls from one of his assistants on a case in the “hot” category. He is likely to make or receive more calls be- ore and during breakfast. Invariably, this consists pf fruit, bacon, toast, eggs, and coffee. The FB! chauffeur picks him up by 8 A.M. and he always stops by to call for Associate FBI Direc- tor Clyde A. Toison on the way downtown, Hoover laughingly pointed to Tolson during the interview fand said: _ “We call him_‘Slugger’ Tolson because fhe time we were raiding a vice den in Baltimor nd Clyde arrested a veritable giant of a man. H was handcuffed to the fellow going down the stairs when suddenly tha man heaee finhting BReafars ue Aa ES MMMM Hy be TM Pee ai liiliig, DEVI We could intervene, we saw a fist rise out of the melee and strike once. Knocked the fellow silly in one punch.” Tolson smiled tolerantly as one does when the Hoss tells an anecdote on him. The two old friends, if the day is clement, ge @ut somewhere near the White House and wal | the rest of the way to the FB! headquarters at Nin street and Pennsylvinia aYenue N. W. . Ft ag nee ne 8 — ener tm Ty A op ben tthe eT AR ae a De ee a nS