In a town full of East Coast money and stuffed pinstriped suits, guests of the Trumans gathered quickly that the family had little means. The press made colorful headlines of the fact that Bess Truman had no maid; the VP’s wife did her own cooking and washing. (The Trumans’ bank account measured $4,251.12 on this day, though more than $3,000 was owed to the Hamilton National Bank of Washington, from a loan.)
