The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-05
From the Washington Star.

sands of office seekers who flock to
washington and go to the White House
OF the personal characteristics OF Presi-
dent Mckinley. This is also true of
hundreds of men in public life who
have known Mckinley for years. They
have met him as a dignifed man, with
solemn and important duties resting
upon his shoulders. They have not
twinkle of humor in his eye and n good
met ihm as Mckinley, the man, with a
story on his lips. 1t is only those who
have been intimately thrown with him
for years who enjoy and appreciate the
lighter and more jovial side of his ma
ture. This part of the chief executive
of the nation does not develop itself
except to those he knows closely.
Among such men are Senator Hanna
and James Boyle, who for six years has
been the private secretary of Mckinley,
but who now goes as consul of this
country to Liverpool. 1t is doubtful If
there is man living who knows more
of the nature of the chief executive of
the land than Mr.. Boyle, who has a
jovial smile playing on his face for
every man. 1t may be that this smile
is one which was acquired by Mr.. Boyle
from political necessity. At any rate,
1t is there
Secretary Porter has not yet begun to
learn the man he stands in such close
relations to. He knew little of McKin-
ley until he was called to Canton and
offered the position he now holds. Since
he has been secretary to the president
he has had few opportunities to find
out the sunny side of the man who is
admitted by political enemies to be
making popular president PERSONAL
ly. After they are together longer and
after some of the burdens of appoint,
ing Republicans to offices are laid aside,
Mr., Porter will get chance to study
the man he is now serving. So far
neither the president nor Secretary
Porter have had opportunities to find
out just how they will like each other,
or rather how they will like the per-
sonal traits of each other. From $50
O'Clock each morning until IL o'clock
each night they work together, more
like machines than anything else. st
is altogether on matters relating to the
| political fortunes of other people.
A GREAT TEASER.
After a while. when the horde of
Office seekers get all which is then in
sight, and the disconsolate return
mournfully to their homes, the presi-
dent ami his secretary will then be
thrown together so they can talk about
affairs less important than those of
state. Then, If the president thinks
that his secretary is not himself too
dignified for that kind of fun, he will
begin to tease the Connecticut man.
He won't do that unless he likes Mr..
Porter more and more each week. The
better he likes him the more he will
tease. Former Secretary Boyle and
number Of the young men who have
been close to the president for years
know how thoroughly he enjoys this
| Innocent sport. Mr.. Boyle has often
been the victim of the presidents
sportive turn of mind. That fact en-
deared the president to the former sec
retary.
Those who have enjoyed the honor OF
being selected as the victim of this ex-
ercise on the part of the president,
say that the better he likes man the
| harder he leases him. He never Sc
| lects subject on which his victim
| is too sensitive, but picks something
not personal enough to be disagree
able. The young men who know and
| love the president have found their
love affairs with the charming sex
| touched upon at times, without refer
| ences which were too personal. The
| state of their pulses beat each minute
when away from their best girls, and
such little things have given the pres
| ident topics for merriment at their eX-
| pense. OF course there has been little
of this for some months, because Of
the multitude of duties devolving upon
Mr.. Mckinley, but occasionally finds
time even now to Joke" some of his
friends on various matters.
The president is not a wit, but he
loves humor in a mild form. Nobody
| ever heard him tell a coarse story,
which many men think contain the pith
of humor His stories are of the kind
which can be told in the presence of
women. He enjoys a joke on himself
and tells it more often than others do.
Since he has been in the white house
there is a splendid story going to show
that he loves a good joke and has a
keen sense of humor What the story
was is not recorded. The facts are
that some one of the presidents friends
was telling a story after supper one
night, when all were smoking. The
story was so good that the president
laughed almost immoderately. He con
tinued to laugh and in trying to return
his cigar to his mouth before his hilar-
ity was over he put the wrong end be-
tween his lips. 1t didn't do much
harm, but the warm end stopped his
laughter for a few minutes.
"A SAMPLE STORY.
A story which the president used to
tell illustrates the character of his
stories. He says he went to Oberlin,
Ohio, several years ago to make an
address. He stopped with Professor
Monroe, the head of Oberlin college.
Every man who has been to Oberlin
knows what a straight-laced town it
is. There is no drinking, no chewing
of tobacco, no smoking. After supper,
with his friend Monroe, Mckinley told
the professor he believed he would go
to the smoking room to enjoy cigar,
why, we haven't such a thing as a
smoking room in the town." said Mon
roe. Nobody smokes in thisv town,
but Wen find a place" He led the
way to a secluded room, where no one
could see the operation, and Mckinley
lit a good cigar and began to con-
tentedly puff away. In few minutes
he looked around for cuspidor, but,
not seeing one, he inquired for one.
There is not such a thing in town"
said the head of the college. well,
/ will see that you get some when i
get back home" answered McKin-
ley. True to his word. but more as
joke than anything else, Mckinley
wrote to a mutual friend of himself
and Professor Monroe of the predica-
ment Of the latter