The morning times., 1896-08-30
Copyright. 1861

, II william Mckinley were James j.
Corbett. training for Il pugilistic contest,
he could live no more regular life than
that To which he is now subjecting him
self. He is training for a four years
endurance Of strength, and he does rot
intend that it shall find him with that
fine color paled or that bright eye
dimmed.
William Mckinley is the handsomest man
that ever ran for the Presidency. HIS
cousin, who is in charge OF his New YORK
office SAYS so. The women who hear him
sneak come away raving about lis beauty
The men WHO listen to him turn to each
other and say, ''Handsome"'
Mckinley is i'll training to keep his lcoSs
RISES BY CLOCK WORK. 90.
Every morning, as the little French
clock which Mrs. Mckinley carries In her
trunk strikes Z, Mr.. Mckinley wakes up.
He breakfasts at 8, AMI IL takes him an hour
to dress He is the most regular man IN
the wori 1: and all through the early cam
paign fever he wakened promptly on that
stroke of 4 No. a minute before, even
when the Canton guns were being Tired cIt,.
Mr. Mckinley keeps no valet. He dresses
himself and blackens his own shoes. lie
shaves himself. The facilities for this
are carried with him when he travels, In
the neatest of travelling cases, ani at home
he h as 4 private dressing room, where every
thing is at hand.
DRESSES IN GENTLEMAN'S UNIFORM.
Mckinley wears what he calls gen
tleman's uniform" 1t consists of a black
suit-biack trousers long black frock
coat and snug vest. He puts these on
when he dresses for breakfast and keeps
them on all day. His collar Is, Il standing
one with string bow tie. These are
carefu lily adjusted before the Canton
breakfast table is set with the coffee
things.
McKinley's breakfast is an army one.
He eats all he can get. With an Ameri-
cans love Of Il hearty, early meal, he has
meat, potatoes, eggs, sometimes flsl a2d
coffee. He has fruit and rolls and any
dcliCdcy that may come his way in the
shape OF molaSses cake and corn bread
are devoured by this haDdsomest of can
didates.
After breakfast Mckinley takes to his
favoritc recreation, that Of writing His
brain is freshest in the morning, when
there 5 not a scent OF brain fag about him.
He rushes from the breakfast table to the
library ana i'll front of that famou S big oil
painting OF his wife he sits down TO write.
His cousin asserts that nearly all thecam-
paign speeches and pamphlets are the work
of William Mckinley himself He loves to
write, and after he has prepared his own
speeches he is hot and eager to write
speeches for ether orators. Local stump
speakers send to him for their arguments,
aud he replies by return mail with Il type
written manuscript wholly original in treat
mcnt and wording. The same with .hc
printed pamphlets which every campaign
crculatcs Mckinley loves to get them mp.
H. used to do this years aGo tefore the Nc
Kinlcy bill was ever heard of, and in those
days half lie wrote never saw tine light
OF day.
The writing of these speeches over,
Mckinley is ready for his one and only
rccreation-horschack riding. He is
magnificent rider. He was on the generals
staff in the Army, and he learned how 10
carry himself on a horse. For this ride
he puts on less imposing suit than the
frock coat, and sets off for gentle canter.
He always rides alone. Mrs. Mckinley is
not well enough to ride, and her husband has
few other fricnds-none ofthe feminine sex.
His speeches are Thought ont on horse
back" he says.
After the ride comes luncheon, for the
day ticks itself along like the little clock,
and candidate is such a busy man that he
must, like the clock, divide himself into
hours and do something different each min
ute of the day.
Luncheon in the Mckinley household Coes
not amount to much. According to a coun-
try senator, who dropped in at 2 O'Clock
''for dinner" there was small fried fish.
souic hot biscuits, stewed potatoes, and
tea. that was the lightest dinner I
ever sat down to at n rich mans table,"
srumbled the ha yseed senator.
1t was Mr.. McKinley's luncheon.
In the afternoon came the letter writing
To the initiated this means Il quiet hour
In the library. To the candidate for
the Presidency of the United States it
means the busiest three hours Of his day
There are paper baskets full of letters.
These are sorted by skilled secretaries into
business letters, letters from friends aud
personal letters. The personal letters
oiC mum anu lit peO-
pie who want Mr. Mckinley to address
their societies. They are from relic
hunters who want a piece OF his neckte
and from boys who want to know if a
college course is advisable. They are
upon a million topics. twenty questions
for each topic
The business pile Mckinley tackles
first. He answers the letters with :..e
aid of a secretary and an amanucnsis. The
secretary consults books for engagements
to speak, makes appointments, suggests
vacant moments, reminds Mr.. Mckinley
of this and that, and all the time the voice
goes on gently talking off letters to the
stenographer, who hands the hieroglyphics
to the typewriter in an adjoining room to
be tick-tacked off.
Mr.. M'KINLEY ANSWERING LETTERS.
The personal letters are put aside to
be done by hand. That is why they are
the longest unanswered. The old friends
must stand aside for business. The per
sopal" letters are hardest TO answer. for
the mind must 90 through with mental
gymnastics to grasp the topics one after
the other - the lette1 are opened. But
Mckinley gets through II somehow aud
~ the time the last lettoI Is dictated the