Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-16
HARRIS0N'S HABITS
Simplicity Of His Life While Living
at the White House.
his TREATMENT OF NEWSPAPER MEN
Reposed Confidence in Those He
Believed Trustworthy.
ENJOYED SOLITARY WALKS

"A
Notwithstanding Gen. Harrison's aris-
tocratic lineage and his exalted station as
President of the United States" said an
old newspaper man today, ''he was one of
the most democratic men I ever met,
either in public or private life. He was the
same with one man as with another, In
spite of the fact that one may have been
poor and Insignificant in station and the
other rich and influential. He was q thor
ough gentleman under all circumstances
and conditions. and was courteous and
considerable to everybody who had business
with him. Apparently cold and austere In
manner, he was In fact one OF the warm
est-hearted men that ever lived. This
characteristic was demonstrated in the
most practical way whenever any Of those
he loved met with any loss or family af-
Fiction. In such cases his sympathy was
as warm. sincere and consoling as that of
tender wife a loving mother. More
and preferred the simple joys OF the family
hearth and home to the greatest pOmp and
ceremony of public functions.
His love and devotion to his little grand.
son, Baby Mckee, was remarkable He
was almost as much wrapped up in that
celebrated boy as a mother with her first
born. 1t was a matter of comment during
his residence in the White House that
young Ben had more actual control over
the President than the most influential
member Of his cabinet; that is. in case it
became question Of choice as to which
should have his first attention. When not
engaged with the cares of state he would
ronp and play with Baby Mckee and
take him out for walk whenever the OPP
portunity offered. Little Ben was a most
autOcratic playmate, and was most exact
n n nd IN nrSaY9 and
dignifed grandfather. That the latter hap
pened to be the chief magistrate of the
greatest nation In the world made no diff
ference to the boy. But all that's been
told before. and is well known to every
body who reads the newspapers.
Treatment of Newspaper Men.
1.-The point / wanted to make when I
started out was that General Harrison
was thoroughly democratic in his daily
dealings with men. Newspaper men who
have associated with him with various de-
grees of intimacy during his public and
private career have been strongly i'm
pressed with that fact. While he was
President he took many long railroad
trips to various parts of the country, in
Guiding the famous 10,00O-mile trip to the
Pacific coast.
Newspaper men accompanied him on all
the trips of a public character, and he
made it a rule that they should always be
considered members Of his party and treat
ed just like all the others, cabinet minis
ters, generals Of the army, admirals of the
navy it made no difference who. He al
ways made It a point to inform visiting
committeeman from cities desiring to en-
tertain him that the newspaper men were
members Of his personal party and must
not be Disseminated against in any way in
the arrangements. Thus it happened that
the correspondents were always provided
with carriage In the professions and had
prominent seats near the head of the ban
a HE II W in q Snecia1 "a In
on the road that General Harrison showed
his true democratic character. In the din
ing car there were seats for only four per-
sons at the Presidents table. In order to
make everybody feel perfectly at home
General Harrison made it a practice to
change his guests at each meal. In that
way every member OF the party had an OPP
portunity to break bread with the Presi-
dent. The newspaper men were always in
Guided in this arrangement, and each had
his turn of breakfasting or dining with the
President, and his wife, also, IL she hap
pened to be of the party, which was fire.
quently the case. Members Of the journal
istic fraternity were also frequent guests
at the White House during General Harri-
sons administration and several of them
have dined there more than once with him
and his family. am not speaking now of
the great editors and leading journalists
but Of the humber and less well-known
members of the craft, those who came in
contact with the President in their pro-
fessionai duties of acquainting the public
"Ex President Harrison was a great
walker and did more walking through the
streets of this city than probably any other
President. with the possible exception of
General Grant. Although his favorite walk
was down past the White Lot to the mon,i-
ment grounds, where there were compare
lively few persons on the streets, he fire.
quently wandered out Connecticut avenue
fares. 1t was no uncommon thing for him
to stroll out of the White House grounds
down Pennsylvania avenue to the Capitol
and back, mfngifng unmolested in the
crowd on that thoroughfare during the
busiest hours of the day. He was recoK-
nized by nearly every one, but was not In
terfered with in the least. not even by the
most tmportunate office seeker. It was
generally understood that he was out for a
constitutional and did not desire company.
Trusted n Reporters Honor. !:
Zone afternoon he was taking one of his
walks down Pennsylvania avenue, when he
saw newspaper man who had accom-
panied him on one of his railroad trips.
near the Corcoran building Desiring some
information about the proceedings Of Con-
gress, which he thought the reporter might
be able to give him. ne asked him to Join
him. While they were talking the Presi-
dent kept walking down the avenue and
the reporter was compelled to ACCOMPANY
him. The latter said afterward that he
thought the President might prefer to be
atone, out as ne kept On taking and
walking he was constrained by common
politeness to remain with him. Thus it
happened that the President Of the United
States and newspaper reporter walked
the length of Pennsylvania avenue together
on an apparently equal social footing, while
the great departments were dischareine
their thousands of employees upon that
broad thOroughfare
What made the walk more memorabI
to the reporter, as he afterWard told me-
was that during their long walk the Presi-
dent talked freely to him In the greatest
confidence in regard to the AFFAIR of the
cruiser Baltimore at Valparaiso, which re-
suited In the killing Of several American
sailors and threatened to result In open
hostilities between this country and Chile
1t was q critical period IN our history. and
every preparation was being made to COM
pei the little South American republic to
accede to our demands Tor reparation. 1t
win therefore be seen that the Presidents
personal views on the subject were ex-
tremeiy important at that particular time.
especially from a newspaper standpoint.
But General Harrison was not talking for
publication. and before the two separated