The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-05
ABOUT THE PRESIDENT
HOW HE LOOKS, ACTS AND TALKS,
AND HOW HE RECEIVES CALLERS.
Public Receptions and Night Work in
the White HOuse-The Presidents
Habits and Amusements.
Copyright. 1897. by Frank G. carpenter.)

Copyright. 1897 by Frank G. Carpenter)
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.-The most inter-
esting man in the United States is President
Mckinley. He is also the busiest. He
works about fifteen hours a day and then
goes to bed and sleeps like baby. He
rises at a. m. and shaves himself. He has
no valet to help him with his toilet. and
he does not spend much time before the
looking glass; Still he is one of the best
groomed men who have ever been in the
White House. He has a clean, dark skin.
and he always looks as though he was fresh
from his bath His clothes are better cut
than were those of President Arthur, and
his patent feathers seldom show a crack.
The President and Mrs. Mckinley break
fast together. They go downstairs at $50
and their meal is eaten in the private din
ing room After breakfast the President
smokes cigar in Mrs. McKinley's boudoir
on the second floor. At the same time he
chats with the superintendent of the White
House grounds Mrs. McKinleys physician
comes in. After this the coming social
events of the day may be discussed or a
private letter read. This takes up his time
until about o'clock. He then throws away
the stump of his cigar and goes into his
office.
The, President is now at work from 9 I'M
til midnight. Urgent matters are attended
to between 8 and 10. From 10 till II he re-
ceives senator's representatives and dis
tingushed officials. From u to people who
have no official title are disposed Of At
he takes a hasty lunch and then goes back
to his office The afternoon is spent in re-
ceiving congressman and others who have
special appointments, and it is not until
o'clock that he gets q chance for ride.
He is fond of horseback riding, and he
often takes a ride with his secretary. He
finds that the exercise keeps him in good
physical condition, and prefers it to car
riage riding. He has good horses, however
and he now and then takes drive in the
afternoon instead of ride. Returning, he
lies down for a few moments. Then he
takes a bath and dresses for dinner. BY
$3.50 he is again in his office, and from then
the time until 10 is often given up to spe-
cial appointments with public men. He may
see a senator, a Cabinet minister or a dip
lolnat or some special caller from out of
town. AT 10 he begins to work on his mail.
The contents Of the most important letters
are laid before him and he directs Mr.. Por-
ter how they must be answered. Some very
important letters he dictates himself, but
he seldom has pen in his hand except to
sign his name A large part of his work
upon his message is done late in the even
ing. This was the case with his last mes
sage. He thinks well on his feet, and some
times dictates speeches and public papers
to his stenographer as he walks UP and
down the room. He keeps himself so we'll
in hand that he can dictate at any time.
His Grafton on Grant was dictated after II
o'clock one night after a hard days work
ana was delivere i'll almost the same words
that he gave to the stenographer. The
President tries to finish his work before
the clock strikes IL. He wants to be in bed
by midnight, and usually sleeps about eight
hours.
HOW HE SHAKES HANDS.
President Mckinley has received at least
hundred thousand persons since he came
INTO the White House. He has talked with
over fifty thousand in his own office and
ne mas shaken hands with a vast multi
tude in the East room. watched one of
his afternoon receptions this week. The
show was as good the theater. 1t came
off at 3:15 p. m. in the East room, and the
President shook hands with $40 people in
seventeen minutes. A pen was made by ar
ranging the sofas and chairs about the big
East room, and until the President an
peared the crowd was kept outside this pen.
Then the door opened and President Nc
Kinley walked into the pen at a two-forty
pace. A brace of White House messengers
opened the fence just wide enough to admit
one man or woman at a time One of the
messengers stood at each side of the OPEN
ing and Captain Loeffler was at the back
or the President on the lookout for cranks.
me crowd were rushing through as fast
as they could walk, and the President shook
hands with each one of them as he passed
His handshake in the East room is different
from the one which he gives in his office
above. 1t is sort of a 'pull-you- along
shake. 1t begins high and drags the party
with whom he shakes on past him as the
hand goes down. AS the President
shook hands noticed that his
lips moved and that now and
then he spoke. He paid especial attention
to every boy, giving him hearty grip, but
he SHE'D off little from the women with
babies. He would not kiss the infants. but
contented himself with shaking their hands
Not few of the callers tried to speak as
they went by, but the time was too short
for much conversation, and messengers hur-
ried them. One woman said Mr. McKin-
ley, they would not let me vote for YOU
but / am for you all the same" An old
man said: God bless you, Mr. President
1 have faith in YOU With high tariff and
you the country will yet be saved" Now
and then man came who tried to tell Nc
Kinley where he had met him before The
President said: Eyes, / am glad to see
you. Good day." One woman l saw wor-
ried him for moment by saying: "You
don't remember me-" The President does
not like to forget any one, and he waited
until he learned that he had met the woman
at wayside station where he spoke during
stoppage of the train when going through
Kansas. And so it went on until the seven
teen minutes were up, when the President
said: Goodbye, my friends, am glad to
have seen you ALL" and rapidly backed his
way out of the room.
Of hundred thousand people who have
met President Mckinley in the White
House / venture that fifty thousand have
tried to farter him, more or less. There is
no city in the country where toadyism is
so rank as here. The average man would
be swamped in the adulation which is
showered upon a President, but Mr.. Nc
Kinley's actions show that he is still I'M
spoiled. He Is absolutely democratic and
simple He despises the vanity of some
so-called great rDen. Not long ago a very
conceited character of this kind had an in
terview at the White House. The man is
one who is we'll known. After he had left,
the President remarked to a friend, in