New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-29
LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
PRESIDENT HARRISON'S QUIET. SELt-HE-
LIANT WAYS.

| ur. GRE At PHYSICAL STRENGTH DEALING WITH
An 1xrRrDER VINO THREATENED Ills
LIFT-F,MILIAR WITH THE De
TAILS OF EVERY DE-
pARrMENT.
Washington May - tSreciaD. -The Official HE
Of the President and the home life of the man IN
the White House ARE Of more or less general
interest at all times. The Presidents ad'p'anlll'y
70 work and methods Of work, he alaptability
70 people and manner of meeting the p'.plic are
always Of interest even to the smallest dctalls'
| Eut these things are at no time perhaps OF more
interest than the adaptability of the mar TO his
NOW home surroundings and It new frlenGs, anu
his methods and manner Of family and domestic
life.
| The health Of the President, 81 long rs he
appears 20 be well, is Of no particular concern.
| As a rule, Presidents who have served through
their terms have gone ont Of t" Whit" House
| in as good health. or better, apparently, IMAM
when they first took up the !abors and RESPONSE
bilities Of the office Among Presidents IN the
last quarter Of century President Harrison IS
the best example 10 prove that being PRESIDENT
agrees with n man When Mr. Harrison first
came 10 the White House. his face was sallow
md dcep-lined his eyes were dull and listess,
extreme. showing but too plainly the effect Of
the fatigucs and anXeties Of the campaign Now,
however the lines are smoothc | out VI his f1cc.
his complexion is clear and fresh, his eyes are
bright and expressive and from head TO foot he
gives the impression of a man in vigorous health
OF body and mind In short. IT is not wide Of
the mark to say that the President looks ten
years younger than he did three years ago.
II was Just the other day after the Presidents
tri-wcckly Handwriting with the public that
Jerry" n sable memory OF General Grants Nd
ministraton. remarked in tones Of wise rci'ec-
ton Yes, sal II do agree with all Of en-
They works powerful But it don't hurt EN-, sab.
I've been here RIGHT smart while and I've OBJ
served one thing. sab. 1t agrees nightly with
all of EN-. Its a fact, too, the longer they
stays the better they looks Yes. sah. There's
no mistake about that
Jerry has seen Presidents come md Presi-
dents 90 for twenty odd years. With his OPP
portnnitics for close observation. hc may hc re-
garded as fair authority on the health Of Prcsi-
dents AMI also that Presidents ore Woodworking
men. II nee hardly he said therefore, that the
great Improvement in President Harrison is not
wrought ont Of life Of ease. On The contrary.
the President is hard, steady, conscientious AMI
untiring worker But he thivcs on his own
of work 40 President with the exception Of
General Grant has taken 80 much outdoor
exercise. But whereas General Grant. though II
good walker was very fond Of driving and en-
loved long drives over country roads, President
Harrison gets lns air and exercise in long walks
An occasional drive il pleasure. but his long
daily walks are tie tonic on which the President
braces himself and these are absolutely necessary
70 keep him we'll The weather must needs be-
stormy indeed when hc fails in his everyday
walk If prevented in one way or another from
going ont before dinner lie does not give IL up but
steals quietly ont as late 10 o'clock in the
evening. and walks a'orc for n half hour or more
It may he a brisk pace out TO the boundary. or
il may be repeated turns in the White House
grounds. Bot the wall, l. certainty before he
rciircs for the night The President i. a good
walker When he can get an early start, at half
after o'clock, he strikes cut for ihc county. and
delights in n tcn-milc tramp before dinner. Mrs.
Harrison is not good walker. and seldom az
| companies the President even IN short srrols
within the city. His DAUGHTER or niece is his
conf aniOn in thc,r short walks
The Presidents long walks over country roads
are almost always tnkcn alone. except now and
then when his private secretary has the time. and
perhaps IL should Dc al cd the endurance, 10 keep
step with him ~ first the Presidents trl'nIs,
alone in The country were not regarded with
favor by the White House attendants. Some ~
them in their .Olicitudc for his welfare. cOnsidrrcl
thee lonely walks unsafe. Ii was not merely
their solicitudc for the President Of the United
States but the loyalty 81 their warm affection for
| the quiet man whose unvaryins kindness is the
simple and unprctcndinG rule Of li' daily inter
| course with them. fmong Themselves. aud. OF
| course without the knowledge Of the President.
thcy decided 10 protect him from any possible
harm. II was planned that when the President
| struck ont alone fDr the country. one Of their
number should I've not far behind him Bat the
| little ruse dill not work long The President soon
| learned Of this watchful care and ~ once dis
| rcn-ed with it, He was touched by ,h" devotion
of the men. but declared that he never hal the
| slightest fear in being alone anywhere
and he believed the President 10 b.
a. safe a. the private citizen. Though
"a broad-shouldcrcd man, the Presidents lack Of
| height would place him with men Of small stat
ure and ordinary strength. But President Harrison
| is an athlete in physical strength and In the well
trained use of it, Beside his regular and never
neglected outdoor exercise. which keeps him in
splendid health. he also gives himself the cNcrcis,
Of indoor training, which develops and tonghcns
| and enables n man 10 make the most advanagc0u
! use Of physical strength.
| TIE President has proved this on one occa ion, a
least. within a year, when his strong arm and COO
head served SO well their purpose az to be a rcvcla
,on To everybody cognizant OF the circumstances
| The occasion referred to was one evening when
| Young man crazcI with drink broke into the pri
| vatc part Of the White House and threatened I'll,
| life Of the President. On sccount Of the family 0
| the young fellow but especially because Of tho
| personal appeal OF the distressed mother
| little was said about it, and the affair wa,
| passed over us OF no serious moment But
the facts proved that it was no light disturbance
breaking the usual evening pace of the White
House that night The doorkecpcrs ON duty In
front were token unaw,res by the attack from
the South Portico. Their f;st warning was the
| cra shinr In Of the Rcd Rnnrl v.inlnws md fho